Beyond Today

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Will you be judged for who you vote for? Dec 10, 2019

Show notes

It is two days until we go to the polls in what we are often told is a ‘divided Britain’. But, exactly how we are divided has changed. 50 years ago our social class was the biggest indicator of party loyalty, whereas nowadays our age is more likely to determine who gets our vote. That’s according to pollster Sir John Curtice, who came into the Beyond Today studio to tell us why voting trends have changed and how racist and homophobic the nation is in 2019. We also speak to Tosin Adedayo, Jenna Davis and Julie Ogiehor from the political podcast Consensus, about being judged for political views and how they could teach politicians to behave better. We also hear from Shona Craven, columnist and community editor at The National, about the political campaign in Scotland.

Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Lucy Hancock and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast and Tom Burchell Editor: John Shields

Why are young people moving back to Mogadishu? Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has been described as the most dangerous city in the world. Many young people from the Somali diaspora who have grown up in countries such as the UK and Canada are now returning to their ancestral home in hopes of bringing positive change, even though there is the threat of violence and terrorism. In this episode we speak to Yasmin about why she decided to relocate to Mogadishu from London, and the BBC’s Africa editor, Mary Harper.

Presenter: Tina Daheley Producers: Wahiba Ahmed and Lucy Hancock Mixed by Nico Raufast Editor: John Shields

Jia Tolentino: is the internet fuelling self-delusion? Dec 06, 2019

Show notes

Jia Tolentino is a 31-year-old American writer who is being hailed as the voice of a generation. Her pieces for the New Yorker magazine nail everything from feminism to capitalism and vaping. Jia was born in Texas and brought up in a Southern Baptist community; as a teenager she starred in a reality TV show. Later she spent time working for the US Peace Corps in Kyrgystan. Her recently published collection of essays has become one of the most talked about books of the year. You can listen to Jia reading an abridged version of it on BBC Sounds. Just search for Trick Mirror.

We speak to Jia Tolentino in New York about the downsides and delusions of living our lives online, and how it means we are like performers who are forever on stage.

Presenter: Tina Daheley Producers: Alicia Burrell and Katie Gunning Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

Why is Trump pardoning war crimes? Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

President Trump’s been in the UK for the meeting of the world’s biggest military alliance, NATO. NATO’s been struggling recently, partly because Trump doesn’t get along so well with America’s traditional allies and now he’s in a row with his own military chiefs. This is because he’s taken decisions without informing them, like pulling out of Syria. And also because they think he doesn’t care about traditional military standards like army discipline. The latest row involves the trial of decorated Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher, who was accused of murdering an Iraqi prisoner. We hear from the BBC’s Whitehouse Correspondent Tara McKelvey about the case find out why Trump has got involved.

Presenter: Matthew Price Produced by Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields.

Does climate activism have a privilege problem? Dec 04, 2019

Show notes

In October, a video went viral after Extinction Rebellion protesters disrupted public transport by protesting on the roof of a train at Canning Town station in east London. The stunt took place during rush hour and the intention was to raise awareness of the climate emergency. But it ended in angry commuters dragging the protesters off the train and the video sparked a debate around climate activism and privilege.

This week Swedish activist Greta Thunberg will be joining world leaders in Madrid for the COP25, a UN conference aimed to tackle the climate emergency. In the UK, Extinction Rebellion is continuing with protests around the General Election. But not everyone can afford to prioritise the cause.

We spoke to Mahatir Pasha, who filmed the incident at Canning Town, and to Karen Bell, a senior lecturer at the University of the West of England. Karen Bell, author of ‘working-class environmentalism’, spoke about both the positive and negative aspects of XR’s campaign and discussed the class divide in climate activism generally. We also hear from climate activist Fatima-Zahra Ibrahim, who explains why the climate movement isn’t as accessible as we may think.

Presenter: Tina Daheley Producers: Seren Jones, Philly Beaumont, Wahiba Ahmed and Hanan Bihi Mixed by Nico Raufast Editor: John Shields

Can terrorists ever really be rehabilitated? Dec 03, 2019

Show notes

The man who killed Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt was a convicted terrorist who had spent eight years in prison. Usman Khan was jailed in 2012 for preparing acts of terrorism. While he was inside he underwent a deradicalisation programme. He was released on licence last December and on Friday he travelled to London to take part in a conference on prisoner rehabilitation. It was there that Jack and Saskia were murdered. We speak to the BBC’s Home Affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani about Usman Khan and to Hanif Qadir, a former jihadist who has worked to de-radicalise extremists.

Presenter: Matthew Price Producers; Philly Beaumont, Katie Gunning Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields.

Is TikTok being censored? Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

The app best known for short, funny videos that have made it the meme engine of the internet found itself hosting a different kind of viral video. Feroza Aziz, a teenager from New Jersey, posted what looked like a makeup tutorial but was actually trying to raise awareness of the detention of China’s Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province. When she woke up her account was suspended. TikTok says it didn’t censor her content, but as Karishma Vaswani tells us, the company is walking a difficult line trying to keep people happy in both China and the rest of the world. We also hear from Vicky Xu, a researcher who uses TikTok to find out more about Xinjiang.

Hillsborough: do we inherit trauma? Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

96 Liverpool FC fans died at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on 15 April 1989. It remains the worst disaster in British sporting history. The tragedy happened over 30 years ago and many say the trauma of Hillsborough has been passed on to the next generation, those who weren’t even born in 1989.

In this episode we speak to the BBC’s North of England correspondent Judith Moritz about what happened at Hillsborough. We also hear from two young women who grew up in Liverpool and have been affected by the disaster; Deanna Matthews, who’s uncle died at Hillsborough, and reporter Layla Wright, who’s been covering the recent trial.

Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Alicia Burrell and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nico Raufast Editor: John Shields

Grace Millane: why is ‘rough sex’ a defence? Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

Last Friday a 27-year-old New Zealand man was found guilty of the murder of British backpacker Grace Millane. During the trial questions were raised over how the press covered the case and how the defence was put together. Campaigners say Grace was blamed for her own death and that other assailants are claiming their victims simply enjoyed ‘rough sex.’

We speak to BBC producer Simon Atkinson who covered the trial in Auckland and discuss why Grace Millane’s sexual history was brought up in court. We also speak to Alys Harte, a journalist for BBC 5 Live Investigates, about her research into the changing attitudes of women towards gagging, choking, slapping and spitting. The responses raise important questions about unwanted violent sex and consent. We also speak to Anna-Louise Adams who has first-hand experience of choking in the bedroom.

Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Producer: Lucy Hancock Editor: John Shields

Special thanks to: We Cant Consent To This, The High Low.

Why is Instagram hiding likes? Nov 27, 2019

Show notes

Instagram has announced that it’s extending a trial where it hides likes from other users. You will still see your own like count, but not that of people you follow. It’s being heralded as a positive thing, and all about improving mental health. Instagram bosses say they want to depressurise the experience, and look after young people. But how far do we trust Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, to do the right thing? What will it mean for all those influencers who rely on likes to impress the brands that pay their wages? We speak to the BBC’s Sophia Smith-Galer, fashion influencer Katherine Ormerod, and Matt Navarra, a social media consultant.

Presented by Tina Daheley Producers: Katie Gunning and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Nicolas Raufast Editor: John Shields

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