Ad-funded news: Who pays for hate & clickbait?

Ad-funded news: Who pays for hate & clickbait?

Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast]! There are loosely three main funding models that make up our mainstream media. The first is public service models that are not run for profit, like the BBC, the second is donor-led journalism and the third is the big one – advertising. And we have the advertising model to thank for the acceleration of sensationalist, clickbait journalism. Because if you’re selling adverts, you’re selling your readers’ attention. When news outlets have to meet advertiser-set traffic quotas, that creates a lot of pressure for quantity over quality. Digital journalists are often desk-bound, required to produce dozens of articles a day out of recycled online material, with no time to pursue quality investigations or seek out minority lived experience. And the more money a broadcaster or a paper are paid for advertising, the more they will do anything to get traffic to their channel or website.  So in comes dangerous media malpractices, like opinion masquerading as fact, sensationalism and scapegoating. This episode, we speak to Richard Wilson, founder of the Stop Funding Hate [https://stopfundinghate.info/] campaign. The pressure group, which is celebrating a decade this year, asks companies to stop advertising in - and therefore stop providing funds for - certain British news outlets who spread disinformation and hateful rhetoric. In the shorter term, following the efforts of Stop Funding Hate supporters, GB News has reportedly lost over £131 million. In the long term, they're building a movement which can make hate unprofitable for good, by tackling the systemic failures which currently make publishing hateful clickbait more lucrative than responsible journalism.   This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mathildamall/?hl=en]) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/helenawadia/?hl=en-gb])  Edited by Toka Omer The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/soundofsamfire/?hl=en] Follow us⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Deport. Detain. Deter: The moneymaking anti-migrant machine

Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.patreon.com/MediaStormPodcast]! The EU has just passed a controversial law, hailed by the far-right as the start of "the era of deportations". Passed on World Refugee Week, the law allows EU countries to detain migrant families for years, and deport them to countries they have no connection to. This echoes the UK's failed Rwanda scheme, and Trump's existing deals with South Sudan, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo and more. It also unlocks expansive budgets for surveillance, detention and deportation. This money is likely to end up enriching the same corporations underpinning ICE raids in the US, and notorious migrant containment camps such as Australia's Nauru. Traffickers and smugglers often make headlines for profiteering off the refugee crisis, but the corporate industry that has grown up around it goes largely invisible in our news. These companies are paid billions of taxpayer dollars - not to tackle the roots causes of displacement, but to keep it away from wealthy countries' shores. But is what they're doing even working? How much public money is being directed away from essential services to feed the deportation machine? And what about the human cost? In this episode, Mathilda and Helena are joined by Sudanese refugee Mahamat Daoud, a survivor of EU-funded Libyan detention and the 2022 massacre at the Melilla-Nador border between Morocco and Spain. He describes what 'migrant deterrence' looks like up-close, and why it didn't work on him. Researcher Nathan Akehurst also joins the group, to breakdown the latest border strategy that Western governments call 'externalisation'. It comes as 2026 marks the deadliest year so far for small boat crossings on the Mediterranean Sea. News outlets that report obsessively on dinghy crossings - but how many headlines have you seen on that? Pre-order Nathan's book, Along the Watchtower, here. [https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com/zer0-books/our-books/along-the-watchtower] This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mathildamall/?hl=en]) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/helenawadia/?hl=en-gb])  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/soundofsamfire/?hl=en] Follow us⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Surveillance nation: Palantir, facial recognition and the UK

China, Russia, and... the UK? We’re talking about mass surveillance. Did you know the UK is in the 5 most surveilled countries in the world? AI facial recognition technology is causing alarm for its recent deployment at protests. It’s being rolled out across the UK at a pace outstripping the rules designed to govern it. More than 6.6 million faces have been scanned since 2023. And guess what? Black and Asian people are most likely to be mismatched and criminally pursued in error. But surveillance these days isn’t always as obvious as cameras on police vans. In today’s world, it’s about data. And governments aren’t collecting it on their own – they’re contracting private corporations to do it: via shady contracts that pay these companies not just in multimillion pound deals, but goldmines of our private information. Palantir is at the top of that list – and the US tech firm that’s been providing ICE agents with private health data to help them target migrant communities has now got its claws in the NHS. Social media platforms are surveillance companies in their own right. And the media that’s supposed to hold them to account often functions as a tool in the data-gathering industry. How are we supposed to navigate this minefield?! To help us through the maze, we’re joined by Jasleen Chaggar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasleen-chaggar-29a568177/], Senior Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch [https://www.instagram.com/bigbrotherwatchhq/], and investigative tech reporter Jade Ruyu-Yan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-ruyu-yan-48a847136/]. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mathildamall/?hl=en]) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/helenawadia/?hl=en-gb])  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/soundofsamfire/?hl=en] Follow us⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

News Watch: Hantavirus v Ebola. Teenage rapists avoid jail.

Content warning: This episode contains discussion and description of rape, sexual assault and male violence against women and girls.  “THE TERROR OF THE MEDIEVAL PLAGUE SHIP HAS RETURNED TO HAUNT THE WORLD!” The Telegraph [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/07/fear-of-plague-ships-has-a-long-history/] compared the Hantavirus cruise outbreak to the literal bubonic plague which wiped out 50 million people. Hantavirus killed three. These unhinged headlines exposed a news industry pining for the next pandemic, when Covid clickbait saw news traffic and subscribers hit record growth. But if the media wanted a catastrophic outbreak with a death rate twice as high as the hantavirus cruise, they had one at their disposal. The Ebola epidemic in the Congo and Uganda began at the same time as the Hantavirus outbreak. It has killed a hundred times more people and been officially declared a global emergency by the WHO. In this news watch episode, Media Storm compares coverage of hantavirus and ebola across UK and US outlets. The findings are telling. In part two: three teenage boys in Hampshire, UK, were convicted of ten counts of rape against a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old girl, in two separate, calculated attacks. Their punishment? Community youth rehabilitation orders, restraining orders with an expiry date… and a £26 fine.  Plenty has been written in the press about Judge Nicholas Rowland’s lenient sentence and ‘himpathy’ for the boys: they have ADHD, low IQ and need not go to prison! The media outrage did achieve change (the Prime Minister spoke up). But what was found in only ONE article may be the most crucial part of the story: the rapist boys had been reported to police multiple times, including for alleged sexual violence.  Why does our media fail to point to wider patterns of control and manipulation when it comes to cases of extreme sexual violence? If this is a systemic failure of policing and justice, who will hold them to account?  You can sign the petition for a Judicial Accountability Framework here [https://www.change.org/p/investigate-judge-nicholas-rowland-and-introduce-a-judicial-accountability-framework-now].  Write to your MP about how the EHRC’s new code will affect trans people here [https://www.instagram.com/p/DYxYs2HiEYF/?hl=en&img_index=1].  You can call Rape Crisis 24/7 for free on 0808 500 222.  This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mathildamall/?hl=en]) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/helenawadia/?hl=en-gb])  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/soundofsamfire/?hl=en] Follow us ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod/] Edited by Toka Omer Qassem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Angry Young Women: Did the media manufacture the femosphere?

Last month, an article in the New Statesman went viral. “Meet the Angry Young Women”, it was titled. “Across Britain a radical new feminism is rising”. What makes someone radically left-wing according to this article? Disliking billionaires, feeling anxious about social injustice, caring about Gaza, and of course – having pink hair and a nose ring. How very radical! The New Statesman article was then seized upon by The Times and The Telegraph in particular, who bemoaned that we should "Forget the Manosphere" and instead focus on "Angry leftie women" who are apparently "the vanguard of the Left’s toxic empathy". 6 in 10 women wouldn't date someone who doesn't have the same view as them on Israel-Palestine, they gripe. Yet the articles fail to mention that the data set also found that 5 in 10 men feel the same. Can angry young women who are exercising their democratic right to vote really be compared to the angry young men of the manosphere, who are perpetuators and some even proven perpetrators of sexual violence? What is the media's real aim behind these lazy comparisons? And is the femosphere even real, or did the media manufacture it? Joining us on Media Storm to actually discuss why women are so bloody angry, is therapist and activist Megan Cooper [https://www.instagram.com/higherlove_withmegan/] (who was misrepresented and misquoted in the original article) and founder of Cheer Up Luv [https://www.instagram.com/cheerupluv/?hl=en], Eliza Hatch [https://www.instagram.com/elizahatch/?hl=en]. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/mathildamall/?hl=en]) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/helenawadia/?hl=en-gb])  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/soundofsamfire/?hl=en] Follow us ⁠@mediastormpod [https://www.instagram.com/mediastormpod/] Edited by Toka Qassem Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]