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‘What I see in clinic is never a set of labels’: are we in danger of overdiagnosing mental illness? -podcast Mar 06, 2026

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Our current approach to mental health labelling and diagnosis has brought benefits. But as a practising doctor, I am concerned that it may be doing more harm than good By Gavin Francis. Read by Noof Ousellam. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: China’s troll king: how a tabloid editor became the voice of Chinese nationalism Mar 04, 2026

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We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Hu Xijin is China’s most famous propagandist. At the Global Times, he helped establish a chest-thumping new tone for China on the world stage – but can he keep up with the forces he has unleashed? By Han Zhang. Read by Emily Woo Zeller. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

I used to report from the West Bank. Twenty years after my last visit, I was shocked by how much worse it is today Mar 02, 2026

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Among the many people I met, there was a pervasive feeling of hopelessness and a sense that resistance is slowly becoming a memory By Ewen MacAskill. Read by Greg Stylianou-Burns. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Out of the ruins: will Aleppo ever be rebuilt? Feb 27, 2026

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Years of civil war have turned whole areas of the city into rows of empty husks. But after the fall of Assad, Syrians have returned to their old homes determined to rebuild By Ghaith Abdul-Ahad. Read by Mo Ayoub. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: Why can’t we agree on what’s true any more? Feb 25, 2026

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We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2019: It’s not about foreign trolls, filter bubbles or fake news. Technology encourages us to believe we can all have first-hand access to the ‘real’ facts – and now we can’t stop fighting about it By William Davies. Read by Andrew McGregor. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

A century in the Siberian wilderness: the Old Believers who time forgot Feb 23, 2026

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In 1978, Soviet scientists stumbled upon a family living in a remote part of Russia. They hadn’t interacted with outsiders for decades. Almost half a century later, one of them is still there By Sophie Pinkham. Read by Olga Koch. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Inside voice: what can our thoughts reveal about the nature of consciousness? Feb 20, 2026

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Scientists and philosophers studying the mind have discovered how little we know about our inner experiences Written and read by Michael Pollan. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

From the archive: ‘Who remembers proper binmen?’ The nostalgia memes that help explain Britain today Feb 18, 2026

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We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2022: Idealising the past is nothing new, but there is something peculiarly revealing about the way a certain generation of Facebook users look back fondly on tougher times By Dan Hancox. Read by Dermot Daly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

What technology takes from us – and how to take it back Feb 16, 2026

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Decisions outsourced, chatbots for friends, the natural world an afterthought: Silicon Valley is giving us life void of connection. There is a way out – but it’s going to take collective effort By Rebecca Solnit. Read by Laurel Lefkow. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

The crisis whisperer: how Adam Tooze makes sense of our bewildering age Feb 13, 2026

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Whether it’s the financial crash, the climate emergency or the breakdown of the international order, historian Adam Tooze has become the go-to guide to the radical new world we’ve entered By Robert P Baird. Read by James Sobol Kelly. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

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