Best The GroundTruth Project Podcasts (2024)

1
Unlocking the secrets of the algorithm, with Leon Yin 17:32

6M ago17:32

17:32

Leon Yin is an investigative data journalist recognised for his work on how technology impacts society. We got to interview Leon in April 2023. At that point, he was working at The Markup, a non-profit newsroom focused on being the watchdog of the tech industry. During his time there, he worked on stories that made even the chair of Congress’s anti…

1
Fighting stereotypes about Asia with data, in conversation with the Kontinentalist's Pei Ying Loh 16:52

9M ago16:52

16:52

Pei Ying Loh is the co-founder of The Kontinentalist, an organisation that tells stories about Asia using data. Since its start, The Kontinentalist has worked hard to find creative ways to tell data stories on topics ranging from how the rubber industry in Singapore and Malaysia was shaped by colonialism, to Asia’s favourite alcoholic beverages. Th…

1
The art of the opinion piece, with Bloomberg Opinion's Bobby Ghosh 11:35

11M ago11:35

11:35

Does a good opinion piece have to be backed up by facts? Or does the word ‘opinion’ give journalists the freedom to make statements that don’t require verification? We asked Bobby Ghosh, a columnist and editor at Bloomberg Opinion, because we wanted to better understand the difference between a good opinion piece and a bad opinion piece. Bobby has …

1
On covering the media, with Al Jazeera's Meenakshi Ravi 8:21

1y ago8:21

8:21

Journalists are often described as the watchdogs of democracy. It can be a difficult career choice with poor pay and very real threats from those in power. And Al Jazeera’s show, The Listening Post, is working to keep tabs on what the world’s media is up to. We asked Meenakshi Ravi, executive producer at The Listening Post, how her team approaches …

1
Taking publishing where the audience is, with The Continent's Kiri Rupiah 35:56

2y ago35:56

35:56

Kiri Rupiah is the Communities Editor at The Continent, a publication that covers stories from around Africa in their weekly newspaper. The paper is distributed over WhatsApp, Signal and email. We spoke to Kiri over a call about The Continent’s journey since its inception two years ago. You can find the transcript of this interview and other interv…

1
Digital Security for Journalists with Freedom of the Press Foundation's Harlo Holmes 22:46

2y ago22:46

22:46

Harlo Holmes is the Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Digital Security at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. She works with journalists and media organisations to help make the digital space safer for them and their work. She’s also contributed to The Guardian Project, a collaborative open-source project that develops secure apps…

1
All journalism starts local, with Nic Dawes 12:36

2y ago12:36

12:36

We spoke to The City's Executive Director Nic Dawes about the role of local journalism in New York City. Nic Dawes is the Executive Director of The City, a non-profit newsroom covering local stories in New York. He serves on the board of investigative journalism organisation AmaBhungane, Coda Story and the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Be…

1
On equal pay and equal credit in journalism, with Unbias The News 13:58

2y ago13:58

13:58

This week, we’re bringing you our interview with the managing director, Mercy Abang, and editor-in-chief, Tina Lee, of Unbias The News (a newsroom by Hostwriter). We wanted to speak to them about the work they do and how they see their work as an effort to increase representation in media. We talked about some ways that journalists are affected by …

1
Tips for journalism startups with Splice 15:38

2y ago15:38

15:38

Alan Soon and Rishad Patel have made it their mission to help out media startups in Asia. They are the co-founders of Splice, and they host courses, meet-ups and a growing community space on Slack called Planet Splice, where over 200 journalists and media professionals share ideas and opportunities. Their audio course on building a viable media bus…

1
Why a sustainable future for journalism starts with supporting journalists, with GroundTruth Project's Kevin Douglas Grant 11:17

2+ y ago11:17

11:17

Kevin Douglas Grant is the co-founder and Chief Content Officer of The GroundTruth Project, a non-profit news organisation with the mission of supporting early-career journalists. To achieve its mission, The GroundTruth Project helps pay a portion of the salary and benefits of a local journalist at publications in the US, India, Nigeria and Brazil.…

1
Reclaiming narratives and serving communities with Camille Padilla Dalmau 45:18

2+ y ago45:18

45:18

Camille Padilla Dalmau is the founding member and editorial/product lead of 9 Millones, a media platform from Puerto Rico that launched during the pandemic. Through 9 Millones, Camille works with journalists, creators and nonprofits to reclaim Puerto Rican narratives. Before launching 9 Millones, Camille was a journalism professor at Universidad de…

1
Why media literacy is its own journalism vertical, with HR Venkatesh 29:55

2+ y ago29:55

29:55

HR Venkatesh describes his career path as ‘restless.’ He's had many roles within the journalism industry, from being a reporter, to an anchor, editor and even an entrepreneur. Venkatesh was a founding editor at The Quint, and he’s been a Tow-Knight fellow, ICFJ Fellow and a John S. Knight fellow at Stanford University. He’s now the director of trai…

1
Special Message to Listeners 1:08

2+ y ago1:08

1:08

After 10 seasons of the award-winning GroundTruth Podcast, we’re excited about what might come next. But to find the best way forward, we want to hear from listeners like you: What stories do you feel are under-reported and need to be told? What questions do you have about the podcast? Give us your feedback and ask us questions about the GroundTrut…

1
The Whistleblower - Epilogue: Truth Is the First Casualty 18:19

3y ago18:19

18:19

In war, truth is the first casualty. It's a military maxim attributed to Aeschylus, the father of Greek tragedy. In the lead up to the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and ahead of the withdrawal from a war that became the longest in American history, GroundTruth's founder Charlie Sennott returns to Afghanistan and revisits a conflict he has covered on the…

1
The Whistleblower - Extra: Into the Archive 18:26

3y ago18:26

18:26

A class of college students at UMass Amherst became the first group of researchers to take on Daniel Ellsberg's vast archive. For two students, it's more than a history project: It's a family story. We’d like to hear your thoughts about the podcast. Call us and leave a voice message with your feedback at (339) 365-3754. We listen to everything you …

1
The Whistleblower - Episode 5: The Doomsday Machine 40:02

3y ago40:02

40:02

Before he was helping plan the Vietnam War, Ellsberg was working at Rand Corporation as a nuclear war planner. In the late 1950’s and early 60’s, he came across a classified policy document that called for killing a fifth of the human population. “This, to me, was pure evil.” When he was facing trial for releasing the Pentagon Papers, he held anoth…

1
The Whistleblower - Episode 4: Most Dangerous Man 34:02

3y ago34:02

34:02

Now facing a possible 115 years in prison, Daniel Ellsberg awaits his federal espionage trial. Meanwhile, Nixon unleashes his Plumbers in an attempt to silence Ellsberg, and Barbra Streisand sings for the defense! In this episode we trace the series of events that tied Daniel Ellsberg’s espionage trial to the fate of Richard Nixon’s presidency. Thi…

1
The Whistleblower - Episode 3: The Presses Roll 44:26

3y ago44:26

44:26

On September 30, 1969, Daniel Ellsberg opened his newspaper to a story out of Vietnam that would act as the trigger for copying the Pentagon Papers. We pick up on this wild ride when he offers the papers to members of Congress, who shrugged him off. He then went to the New York Times, the first publication of the papers landed on the front page on …

1
The Whistleblower - Episode 2: The Force of Truth 39:05

3+ y ago39:05

39:05

Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the press knowing he could face the rest of his life in prison. But what turned this Cold War hawk into an anti-war dove? What were the motivating events and people who influenced his transformation? At 15, a tragic car accident would shape his sense of responsibility to the wider world. His time in the…

1
The Whistleblower - Episode 1: The Lying Machine 53:01

3+ y ago53:01

53:01

In the series premiere, we pick up on Ellsberg’s first day at the Pentagon, the day he became acquainted with what he came to call the “lying machine.” It was August 4, 1964. Contradicting accounts of an attack in The Gulf of Tonkin would give President Johnson the green light to lead the country into war in Vietnam based on a lie. We follow this t…

1
The Whistleblower: Truth, Dissent & the Legacy of Daniel Ellsberg TRAILER 4:19

3+ y ago4:19

4:19

Americans across the country opened their newspapers to the first reports based on classified documents leaked by a government insider, Daniel Ellsberg. Consisting of 7,000 pages of top secret documents, the Pentagon Papers revealed in cold, analytical detail how four presidential administrations lied to the American public: the reasons for enterin…

1
101Reporters' Hemant Gairola on bridging the gap between the field and the newsroom 22:04

3+ y ago22:04

22:04

101Reporters has been helping freelance journalists across India get their stories placed in national and international publications. After 5 years in the business, the agency is now turning publisher while continuing to work with news organizations across the world. We talk to their News Editor, Hemant Gairola about everything from their process t…

1
On the Ground: Election Episode – 2020 and Counting 46:56

4y ago46:56

46:56

The turmoil of the 2020 presidential election campaigns has raised questions about just what it means to vote. Who gets to pull the lever? How can someone cast their ballot? Will all of the votes be counted in time? GroundTruth’s Voting Rights Fellows share local stories of voters, activists and election officials working to preserve the process th…

1
On the Ground in Kentucky's District 67 12:31

4y ago12:31

12:31

When you think about Kentucky's deep red politics today, it's likely the face of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his laconic drawl that comes to mind. But one northern corner of this solidly Republican state is streaked blue by its state house representation. Covering local government in northern Kentucky through our Report for America p…

1
On the Ground in the Mississippi Delta 23:05

4y ago23:05

23:05

The origins of Blues music is a complex weave of traditions, and the genre echoes suffering and endurance through centuries of hardship. Evolving from blended musical forms brought to the United States by enslaved Africans, then taking on the rhythm of work in the fields and heart of spirituals, the oppressive environment of the Jim Crow South ulti…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Woods Hole, Massachusetts 13:11

4y ago13:11

13:11

For most of us, it's hard to ignore the rising threat of climate change. But the sheer magnitude of the devastation it could cause is daunting. For those journalists trying to convey the sense of urgency to the public, it can become overwhelming. Living on Cape Cod, where towns and residents are trying to beat back rising tides with seawalls and sa…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Chicago's South Side 19:07

4y ago19:07

19:07

For many growing up in Chicago, the barber shop is a refuge. Raised on the Windy City's West Side, Report for America corps member Manny Ramos knows that fact well. "Barbers do more than just cut hair," he says, "they record history." They hear about the aspirations of the people whose hair they trim, and whose major life events they mark together.…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Inside Mississippi's Prison System 19:23

4y ago19:23

19:23

In August 2018, well before any thought of a pandemic sweeping the country, Mississippi’s prison system saw a spike in inmate deaths. Correctional officials attributed many of these to “natural causes.” But these deaths aren't the only concerns for inmates and their families. Conditions in some of these prisons – men sleeping five to a cell or the …

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Bird Singers of the American Southwest 24:27

4y ago24:27

24:27

Bird Singing is an oral tradition that has been passed down for centuries among the tribes across the American Southwest. These stories are sung by male members of tribes – from young boys to elders – whose only accompaniment is a gourd fashioned into a shaker. But the threat of COVID-19 has forced these traditions online, in isolation. See video o…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Deadly Force--An Investigative Report 22:09

4y ago22:09

22:09

“Deadly Force,” a new podcast series from Report for America host newsroom WPLN in Nashville, focuses on the trial of the first Nashville police officer to be charged with murder for shooting someone in the line of duty. Through newly uncovered documents, original interviews and audio footage, Deadly Force gets a glimpse into the mind of a police o…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Almost Independence Day 11:04

4y ago11:04

11:04

July 3, 2018. It was almost Independence Day. Lee Eric Evans straightened a flag pole on his aunt’s front porch. He carefully unfurled an American flag so that it hung properly, making sure it didn’t touch the ground. Lee, who is 26 years old, was fussing over the flag for the 4th of July celebrations in the Farish Street Historic District which wo…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 2 21:33

4y ago21:33

21:33

Report for America corps member Chris Ehrmann continues on his road trip across America, picking up in St. Louis, where economic recovery depends on where you live. Chris listens to protesters from Denver to Los Angeles, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, who are wondering, is this a tipping point? https://thegroundtruthproject.org/on-the-…

1
On the Ground with Report for America: Pandemic and Protest, Coast to Coast, Part 1 22:09

4y ago22:09

22:09

Report for America corps member Chris Ehrmann embarked on a road trip across America, literally, from Times Square to Los Angeles, California. He traced the new landscape of COVID-19 across time zones and state lines. He spoke to those whose loved ones have been directly impacted by the virus, squaring off against those impacted by a devastated eco…

1
On the Ground with Report for America - Trailer 6:22

4y ago6:22

6:22

The 9th season of the GroundTruth Podcast is a playlist of stories from across America. We shadow our Report for America corps members as they bring us into their communities, and share the stories of people who’ve often felt unheard. Amid a pandemic and nationwide demands for justice and reform, the audio road trip begins with an actual road trip …

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Bonus Episode - Guardrails of Democracy 24:28

4+ y ago24:28

24:28

As a thick morning fog was still lifting over the hills here above the San Francisco Bay, Ellsberg sat at his dining room table, sipping a cup of coffee and reading The New York Times. It was Friday, December 13th, the House Judiciary Committee had just sent the articles of impeachment for a full house floor vote. It feels like deja vu, 50 years on…

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Eroding Truth in America 34:50

4+ y ago34:50

34:50

As Donald Trump took the oath of office and became the 45th President of the United States, journalists’ role of covering the White House and the presidency was turned upside down. It started day one with the inauguration and the very first press conference. Sean Spicer: “This was the largest audience to ever watch an inauguration, period. Both in …

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Dividing and Conquering in Poland 30:57

4+ y ago30:57

30:57

LGBT communities face challenges in all parts of the world. But in Poland, the right-wing populist Law and Justice party spent the last year insisting that pro-LGBT stances were a western import meant to weaken Poland internally. They claim that progressive social values have no place in polish identity, and refer to values pertaining to the LGBT c…

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Exploiting Religion in India 35:43

4+ y ago35:43

35:43

In August, 1947, British colonial rule officially ended in India. Within 6 months, Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement, was assassinated by a Hindu nationalist who rejected Gandhi’s openness to India’s Muslims. For more than 70 years, India more or less remained a constitutional democracy granting religious equality to all. …

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Rewriting History in Hungary 30:02

4+ y ago30:02

30:02

It is often said that journalism is the first draft of history. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s dominance of Hungarian media gives him the power to not only write the first draft, but to rewrite history, in step with his own nationalist narrative. Over the past 9 years, media outlets in Hungary have fallen victim to Orban’s campaign to expand governm…

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Undermining Institutions in Colombia 31:12

4+ y ago31:12

31:12

In September, 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia, and Timochenko Jimenez, the rebel leader of the FARC--the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia--signed a historic agreement that formally ended more than 50 years of conflict. It was a remarkable scene. Guests were dressed in white to symbolize peace, and a childrens’ choir sang B…

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Targeting Outsiders in Italy 32:10

4+ y ago32:10

32:10

Matteo Salvini is one of Italy’s most popular politicians. His harsh rhetoric against migrants, the media, and cultural integration has resonated with Italians, especially the youth. His party is the Lega, or league in English, and in the last 6 years, their support among Italians under 35 has grown from 8% to over 20%. And even more broadly, Lega …

1
The Authoritarian's Playbook: Weaponizing Fear in Brazil 36:06

5y ago36:06

36:06

Since taking office in January, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has weaponized the fear of widespread crime, and tapped into the country’s anger with the rampant corruption. The former army captain has given the police carte blanche to fight violence with violence. But his policy of “the only good criminal is a dead criminal” has also taken the l…

1
Democracy Undone: Series Intro 3:37

5y ago3:37

3:37

The hallmarks of populist nationalism are gaining ground in many of the world’s largest democracies, from Modi’s India to Bolsonaro’s Brazil and Trump’s America. In these, and many other countries, elected leaders are flirting with aspects of authoritarianism in an extreme era of mass migration, digital disruption and the looming threat of climate …

1
Unheard in Appalachia 31:18

5y ago31:18

31:18

Crossing the Divide is a collaboration with WGBH that brought together a team of five reporters from red states and blue states to travel across the country in a van, exploring issues that divide us and stories that unite us. In this episode, Unheard in Appalachia, we take you through beautiful, mountainous Eastern Kentucky, where local economies a…

1
New American Songbook: For My Ayeeyo 28:03

5y ago28:03

28:03

Somalia is often called a land of poets, a place where everything from teenage romance to legal disputes has been recorded and passed down through poems. As conflict and drought have driven hundreds of thousands of Somalis from that homeland, the poetry has travelled with them. But here in the U.S., Somali-American poets must find new words and met…

1
Memorial Day Special - The Eleventh Hour 39:55

5y ago39:55

39:55

In honor of Memorial Day, we’re looking back at World War 1, the Great War. It’s been a century since the world powers gathered in Paris to hammer out terms for peace. No Germans were present. In fact, they were not invited to participate in the deliberations. But their worst fears were realized in the punishing terms of the treaty: Germany would p…

1
The End of Days - Part 3 - A New Jerusalem - Shaping Mideast Policy 24:06

5+ y ago24:06

24:06

The Dead Sea lies at the lowest elevation on earth. And in the arid valley that stretches to the salt lake's western shore sits Ein Gedi, a nature preserve and oasis that ranges from lush, spring fed gardens, to parched craggy rock, dotted with palm trees. Here, among this barren but beautiful landscape, a massive stage is perched amid the dusty ro…

1
The End of Days - Part 2 - The Armies of Heaven - Inside the Movement 24:51

5+ y ago24:51

24:51

In the second chapter of this series, we go inside the Christian Zionist community in Jerusalem and the settlements in the West Bank. Micah Danney, our GroundTruth Fellow and guide for this episode, was a unique choice for this reporting assignment. He grew up steeped in Christianity. His father was a mainline Protestant preacher in Nyack, New York…

1
The End of Days: How Christian Zionism is Transforming US Policy in the Middle East 29:35

5+ y ago29:35

29:35

Twenty years ago, a movement known as Christian Zionism was on the furthest fringes in the land of Israel. Back then, mainstream theologians — Christian and Jewish alike — dismissed Christian Zionism as a dangerous interpretation of biblical prophecies; the ideology was flawed at best, at its worst, inherently anti-Semitic. Today, Christian Zionism…

1
The Eleventh Hour 39:48

5+ y ago39:48

39:48

After four years of fighting, 20 million soldiers and civilians dead, and three collapsed empires, World War One ended and a new world order emerged. But the armistice held only temporarily and the promise to end all wars was repeatedly broken over the last 100 years. Charlie Sennott has been tracing how this war is the source of so many modern con…

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