Podcasting is the new battleground for original news content, and TVNewser is getting an inside look courtesy of BBC News’ The Global Story.
Last month, the BBC launched The Global Story podcast, hosted by Tristan Redman and Asma Khalid. The podcast, which is available weekday mornings at 5 a.m. ET, explores the complex relationship between the U.S. and the rest of the world, with each shaping the other on a daily basis.
Validating this endeavour is the fact that Redman is based in BBC News’ London offices while Khalid operates out of its Washington, D.C. office. This cross-Atlantic tandem ensures audiences are provided with context regarding U.S. actions and the global consequences.
“We want to zoom out from the day-to-day minutiae, take a breath, and think about global stories with height and perspective,” Redman told TVNewser.
Each episode focuses on a single theme, which is advantageous to the podcasting medium. Khalid notes they are able to merge “the rigor of reporting with the aesthetics of audio to turn big ideas into thought-provoking, digestible episodes.”
TVNewser recently caught up with Redman and Khalid to gauge their early impressions of their new podcasting venture:
Question 1: How is the podcast going so far?
Redman: Great! We have been energized by the first few weeks of launch. There have been big, consequential stories to tell. There’s been the surprise Israeli attack on Qatari soil, the transatlantic debate on free speech, and the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk, which has rocked the US. These are all difficult and sensitive stories to grapple with. But as a journalist, important news creates momentum and purpose. And we’re motivated that our show has been really landing with listeners.
Khalid: I’ve been loving it. It’s a show I deeply believe ought to exist in our world in this moment. We’re trying to tell stories that aren’t being told elsewhere and connect the dots between the U.S. and the world. One of my favorite episodes we’ve done to date is the one from September 18th on free speech. The episode was so timely, given the headlines in America, but we didn’t just explore the domestic debate. We looked at why free speech (or the perception that it’s under threat) has become a rallying cry for conservatives in America and how that fits into a broader global conversation.
Question 2: How do you pick a theme for each podcast episode?
Redman: It’s kind of a permanent conversation within the team. We have formal news meetings every day where we’re debating ideas for the coming days. But then a show idea is just as likely to ping in from a member of the team who’s sitting on the bus. And some days it’s just obvious what you need to be doing: The story jumps out at you.
Question 3: With the two of you in different countries, walk us through the process of producing an episode of the podcast.
Redman: We have team members across the time zones, from Washington to London to Sydney. It’s a huge advantage. It enables us to use almost 24 hours of the day to produce the show. London kicks off with an early news meeting to set the agenda, before D.C. is awake, but not always — Asma is often up very early. Then there’s a window where we are all online, focused on recording. Later, London hands off edits to D.C. and then Sydney before we publish.
Khalid: It’s a bit tiring, no doubt! After all, we’re building a show across an ocean with a team spread across the Atlantic, and, naturally, we’re spread across time zones. So, yes, that has meant some late nights for Tristan and the London team and some early morning tapings for me. And anyone who knows me will be shocked to hear this (because I’ve never been a morning person). But I’ve been waking up so early — often without an alarm — because I’ve been so energized to work on this podcast.
The time zone spread and the differing global perspectives are a huge benefit in the news industry. We all look at stories in a slightly different way, and that makes the news meetings richer as we try to hash out a story idea.
Question 4 for Khalid: What do you want American listeners to take away from the podcast?
Khalid: I covered politics in the U.S. for years — reporting from the White House and countless counties and campaign rallies. And I think, sometimes, we, as Americans, tend to think of politics and global news as distinct, unrelated ideas. When, in reality, what happens in Washington undoubtedly affects the world. And, likewise the world also affects us. I’m hoping that our show helps listeners connect the dots and better understand how major headlines — like the recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations or the murder of Charlie Kirk — have ripples around the globe and here at home. And the BBC has such a strong newsroom of journalists scattered around the globe to help us tell these stories in a way that few other news outlets could.
Question 4 for Redman: How are global audiences reacting to U.S. stories dominating international headlines?
Redman: International audiences are pretty on point when it comes to U.S. news. It’s no surprise to us when the U.S. dominates the headlines. I’m often struck by how pleasantly surprised many Americans are when they encounter the depth of knowledge that visitors to the U.S. have about what’s happening there. Everyone on the planet is somehow affected by events in the United States, and the U.S. is increasingly shaped by what’s happening elsewhere, too. Our show is about that interconnectivity. We’re not a show about U.S. news exclusively. We’re telling, quite literally, a global story, and the U.S. is an immovable and crucial part of that.
Question 5. What do you hope audiences learn from this podcast?
Redman: To borrow an expression, we hope listeners will feel they’re hearing less about the weather and more about the climate. We want to zoom out from the day-to-day minutiae, take a breath, and think about global stories with height and perspective. And to help us do that, we can call on expert correspondents from BBC’s newsrooms and bureaus all over the planet. We have an incredible range of journalists in every corner of the globe.
Khalid: I want people to feel like they spent 20+ minutes with people who help them better understand the world around them. And I hope our podcast does that in a way that entertains and informs. What I’ve loved about the show is that we’re not just giving people a headline they could get via a push alert. We’re doing a deep dive on one story with an incredibly talented group of producers who make the story sound beautiful.
