Why isn’t US media busting the ‘narco-state’ myth? | The Listening Post
The United States’ deadly “counter-narcotics mission” off Venezuela’s coast hinges on an unproven drug-smuggling narrative - a familiar pretext for regime change, and one the mainstream media have been quick to echo. Meanwhile, Venezuelans face escalating repression at home. Contributors: Spencer Ackerman - Author, Reign of Terror and Waller vs Wildstorm Abby Martin - Journalist, The Empire Files Miguel Tinker Salas - Professor, Latin American history, Pomona College "Pablo" - Anonymous Venezuelan Journalist On our radar: New leaks, from a disputed 28-point peace proposal to a secretly recorded call between Trump’s envoy and a Russian official, have upended the delicate Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Meenakshi Ravi explores what these revelations mean for any future deal. Israel’s settlers: From margin to mainstream Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has surged to unprecedented levels, driven by a fringe movement whose far-right ideology has been amplified and normalised across Israeli news outlets. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on the movement’s growing power and the media ecosystem enabling its rise. Featuring: Hilla Dayan - Sociologist, University of Amsterdam Nimrod Nir - Political psychologist, Hebrew University of Jerusalem / Director, AGAM Labs Oren Ziv - Photojournalist, +972 Magazine
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Israel is rampaging through the West Bank - why isn't there more coverage? | The Listening Post
In the West Bank, record levels of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians are unfolding with little mainstream coverage. The few journalists who try to report on it often face attacks themselves. When the violence is covered, the settlers are often framed as fringe actors, despite clear backing from the Israeli state. A de facto annexation is under way in the West Bank, and yet much of the international media continues to look away. Contributors: Ben Reiff – Senior editor, +972 Magazine Jasper Nathaniel – Journalist Leila Warah – Bethlehem-based journalist Mariam Barghouti – Ramallah-based journalist On our radar As the rhetoric coming out of the Trump administration calling for the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro intensifies, much of the United States media is echoing that language. And with journalists branding Venezuela a “narco-state,” critics warn that the news media - much like in the lead-up to the Iraq War - is making the case for US military intervention. Defossilising the truth: Fighting fossil fuel disinformation As the COP30 climate summit in Belem wrapped up this week, we spoke with UN Special Rapporteur on climate change and human rights Elisa Morgera about a major barrier to real climate action: disinformation. Her latest report lays out how climate justice activists and policymakers are battling decades of coordinated greenwashing by some of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies - efforts that continue to delay and undermine meaningful progress at this critical moment. Featuring: Elisa Morgera – UN Special Rapporteur on climate change and human rights
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Upheaval at the BBC: Is it a crisis or a coup? | The Listening Post
The BBC is in turmoil. A leaked dossier exposing a misedited speech of United States President Donald Trump and other editorial concerns has triggered resignations at the top - and a $1bn lawsuit threat from the US leader. Why the leak surfaced now, and who steps in next, are still open questions. Most importantly, will the BBC be able to recover from this moment? Contributors: Ben de Pear – Former editor, Channel 4 News Jane Martinson – Professor, University of London Karishma Patel – Former newsreader, BBC Tom Mills – Author, The BBC: Myth of a Public Service On our radar This week, Ahmed al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president ever to set foot in the White House. A landmark diplomatic trip filled with photo ops and political theatre, marking his transition from a US-designated terrorist to an ally. Meenakshi Ravi reports. AI slop tsunami: Is the internet now a junkyard? Elettra Scrivo explores how social media platforms are rapidly changing with the surge of AI content. Low-quality, mass-produced, artificially generated content, otherwise known as AI slop, is designed to trigger the algorithms and generate revenue for Big Tech companies. Featuring: Drew Harwell – Technology reporter, The Washington Post Mark Lawrence Garilao – AI video content creator Myojung Chung – Associate professor, Northeastern University
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Torture, Leak, Outrage: Israel's Sde Teiman Affair | The Listening Post
The Israeli government is facing what it calls a “public relations disaster” after a video surfaced showing soldiers torturing and sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner - a clear war crime under any legal system. Public outrage in Israel has focused less on the abuse itself and more on the leak. And the military’s chief prosecutor, who admitted leaking the footage, has been arrested and branded a traitor. The saga is yet another example of Israeli society’s unwillingness to confront what it has become. Contributors: Chris Doyle - Director, Council for Arab-British Understanding Mairav Zonszien - Senior Israel analyst, International Crisis Group Ori Goldberg - Academic and political commentator Yara Hawari - Co-director, Al-Shabaka On our radar: After an 18-month siege, the Sudanese city of el-Fasher has fallen to the RSF, triggering mass atrocities under a near-total media blackout. With journalists killed, captured, or missing, satellite imagery has become one of the few remaining windows into the violence. Ryan Kohls reports on the city’s fall and the growing evidence of a potential genocide in Darfur. Kenya’s most nicknamed president In Kenya, political satire often takes the form of sharp, witty nicknames - and President William Ruto has earned plenty. As his popularity wanes, young Kenyans online are using these nicknames to mock and challenge his leadership in ways that traditional media cannot. The Listening Post’s Nic Muirhead reports on Ruto’s long, growing and politically problematic list of nicknames. Featuring: Paul Kelemba (Maddo) - Cartoonist Nanjala Nyabola - Political analyst and writer Wandia Njoya - Professor of literature, Daystar University Producers: Soumayya El Filali & Nicholas Muirhead Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #aljazeera #aljazeeraenglish #aljazeeranewslive
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Media, money & the rise of Zohran Mamdani | The Listening Post
In this special episode of The Listening Post, we examine the rise of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. A democratic socialist and outspoken critic of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Mamdani has faced a barrage of hostility from US mainstream media, the political donor class and the democratic establishment alike. The press has been particularly relentless, questioning not only Mamdani’s progressive policies but also his identity as a Muslim and an immigrant. But Mamdani is a digital native with an international following and a double-digit lead in the polls. His victory would reverberate far beyond New York City, shaking up the Democratic Party nationwide. This episode exposes how the media and the wealthy political class attempted to discredit Mamdani and how, against all odds, he turned their attacks into the foundation of a movement. Contributors: Kate de Gruyter - Senior director of communications, Third Way Adam Johnson - Podcast co-host, Citations Needed Briahna Joy Gray - Podcast host, Bad Faith Jon Paul Lupo - Consultant, Vocable Communications Presenter: Richard Gizbert Produced by: Elettra Scrivo, Ella Willis & Meenakshi Ravi
South Africa