Beyond Today

BBC Radio 4

4.5 (990)
NEWS

Beyond Today is the daily podcast from Radio 4 that asks one big question about one big story in the news - and beyond. Tina Daheley, Matthew Price, and a team of curious producers search for answers that change the way we see the world. They speak to the BBC’s unrivalled global network of reporters, plus occasional special guests, to tell stories about identity, technology, and power - where it lies and how that is changing.

17/03/2020

Do we really understand drill?

Drill music has a reputation for inciting violence and crime. The Metropolitan Police believes the genre is linked to the rise of stabbings and murders across London, and the Met chief Cressida Dick has said social media platforms should be more vigilant of drill content being uploaded online. But many argue that drill is not only a form of expression, but it’s also the reality for many young black men who live in urban areas across the country. With attempts being made to ban the genre, what does this mean for those who socially and financially rely on it? The BBC’s Oliver Newlan explores how an attack on one of the country's biggest drill artists led to a number of deaths in north London, while Professor Forrest Stuart at Stanford University explains why we need to understand drill in order to understand the perspective of young black and brown men living in urban poverty. Presenter: Matthew Price Producer: Seren Jones Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

24 min
16/03/2020

Will coronavirus take away our jobs?

At first coronavirus was just a health story, but now it’s pretty clear employment and the economy are taking a massive hit. Travel bans have led to airlines cutting jobs and the hospitality sector is in trouble as people stay at home. In this episode we ask what will happen to workers. It’s a global problem so we speak to Harriet and Ray, a freelance couple in New York, as well as documentary director Emily in London. We also speak to Chris Giles, Economics Editor at the Financial Times, about some of the things being done elsewhere to help people who lose work because of the virus. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Duncan Barber and Philly Beaumont Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

17 min
13/03/2020

Is wokeness just white guilt?

Kiley Reid’s debut novel shot into the bestsellers list and has been lauded by critics here and in the US. Such A Fun Age follows the lives of babysitter Emira Tucker, a young black woman, and her wealthy, white employer Alix Chamberlin in post-Obama America. Kiley’s book explores race, class and wealth, and how well-meaning wokeness can actually exacerbate those issues. Presenter: Tina Daheley Producers: Alicia Burrell and Katie Gunning Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

17 min
12/03/2020

Is coronavirus 'worse' than flu?

The world is in the midst of a pandemic. For most people, symptoms of the virus are mild, they might develop a cough and a fever before getting better. This has led many people to compare the new coronavirus to seasonal influenza. But, for a minority of those affected, particularly older people and those with underlying heart or lung conditions, the new coronavirus can cause severe difficulty breathing, and in about 1% of cases, death. Infectious diseases expert, Dr Nathalie MacDermott tells Matthew Price how seasonal flu compares to pandemics past and present, why Trump’s travel ban won’t work and the lessons she’s learned from the front line of Ebola. We also speak to a British man in isolation in Wuhan, China about his experience of the virus. Presenter: Matthew Price Produced by Rory Galloway and Lucy Hancock Mixed by Emma Crowe Edited by Philly Beaumont

24 min
11/03/2020

Why would you transition twice?

Most people who transition to another gender do not have second thoughts. In fact de-transitioning is thought to be relatively rare. There are no accurate figures revealing how many people reverse or change their gender, as academic researchers have never studied a large group of transitioning people over a long period of time – but some studies suggest that fewer than 0.5 per cent of trans people choose to return to the gender they were assigned at birth. Whatever the numbers, we know that more people are telling their stories. Around the world there are trans men and trans women who have decided to de-transition, and it’s often not an easy choice. Others have chosen to re-identify as non-binary or gender-fluid. We speak two BBC journalists, Linda Pressly and Lucy Proctor, who’ve made a documentary for the World Service called The Detransitioners. They’ve spent the last year talking to people who had transitioned, but then returned to their birth gender. Presenter: Tina Daheley Producer: Katie Gunning Mixed by Emma Crowe

26 min
10/03/2020

Why are teens getting pregnant in Middlesbrough?

Middlesbrough has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in England and Wales. Even though national figures show rates have dropped by nearly 60 percent over the past 10 years, the number of pregnant teens in the north-eastern town rose by 20 percent from 2015 to 2017. When the average age of a mum in England and Wales is 30 years old, why are there so many teens having babies in Middlesbrough? We speak to Charley and Robyn, two teenagers who tell us what it’s like to have been fast-tracked to motherhood. And the BBC’s Philippa Goymer tries to makes sense of the growing trend in the area. Presenter: Tina Daheley Producer: Seren Jones Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

21 min
09/03/2020

What made Dubai’s princesses run away?

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the 70-year-old billionaire ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, has been found by the High Court in London to have abducted and forcibly returned two of his daughters to Dubai, and to have conducted a campaign of intimidation against his former wife, Princess Haya. Princess Haya used to speak of a perfect family life in interviews, but cracks began to appear in 2018 when Sheikha Latifa, one of Sheikh Mohammed's adult daughters with another wife, tried to flee the UAE with the help of a former French spy and a Finnish fitness instructor. A boat carrying them was intercepted at sea off the coast of India and Sheikha Latifa was returned to Dubai. Journalists Vanessa Grigoriadis from Vanity Fair and Haroon Siddique from the Guardian have been following the story. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Duncan Barber and Rory Galloway Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

15 min
06/03/2020

How do you fight anti-Semitism?

It was just before 10 o’clock in the morning on 27th October 2018 when a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle and three pistols opened fire on worshippers at a synagogue in the US state of Pennslyvania. 11 people died that morning at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. It was the deadliest attack on American Jews in US history, and it sent shock waves around the world. For the writer and New York Times columnist, Bari Weiss it felt personal. She grew up in Pittsburgh and used to go to the Tree of Life. In response to this attack she’s written a book on how to fight anti-Semitism. She argues that such hatred was, until recently, relatively taboo but is now migrating toward the mainstream; amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy. Anti-Semitism is on the rise across Europe, the US and the Middle East. We speak to Bari Weiss about where anti-Semitism comes from and how to fight it. The episode includes some offensive language. Presenter: Matthew Price Producers: Alicia Burrell and Katie Gunning Mixed by Emma Crowe Editor: Philly Beaumont

20 min

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4.5

out of 5

990 Ratings

More please

11/12/2021

zennington

Bring it back. Perfect length, stimulating topics. Still catching up with old episodes but hope it returns soon
Please come back

14/09/2021

KatieT000

This was a must listen for me every day - always an opportunity to learn and understand more about important issues in a really engaging way. Now I’m travelling into the office more I’ve come back to listen to it and saddened that’s it’s gone.
Awesome podcast

11/09/2021

Pepsifarr

Please come back. It was a fascinating insight into interesting news stories. It would have been perfect for the Afghan crisis
Come Back!

19/08/2021

Beelzebutch

This was a perfect little summary of important issues, with everything that’s going on at the moment it would be really useful to have that again.

Beyond Today is the daily podcast from Radio 4 that asks one big question about one big story in the news - and beyond. Tina Daheley, Matthew Price, and a team of curious producers search for answers that change the way we see the world. They speak to the BBC’s unrivalled global network of reporters, plus occasional special guests, to tell stories about identity, technology, and power - where it lies and how that is changing.