It's a wintry night in November 2018 and I'm in the car on my way back from Manchester. Outside it's dark and pouring with rain. Inside the bluish glow of my phone illuminates a burgeoning back catalogue of podcasts. At the top of my list is Today in Focus, The Guardian's new daily news podcast. A quick swipe across the screen and I'm transported to a noisy north London pub with Carole Cadwalladr and Arron Banks: Guardian journalist meets the man who bankrolled Brexit - and suddenly I'm a fly on the wall.
Within seconds, I'm plunged into a shadowy world of money, data and electoral law as Cadwalladr narrates a story that wouldn't be out of place on the big screen. She unravels a complex web that has Brexit and Trump, Russia and Cambridge Analytica at its core. Cadwalladr explains who Arron Banks is and why she's investigating him, and crucially, why this story matters so much. Not only that, but Cadwalladr describes the painstaking process of following a trail of politically-explosive crumbs at great personal cost, from hostile tweets to alarming embassy emails.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Cadwalladr is a fantastic storyteller and very funny too, pointing to the starring role of her Peugeot 309 - which she describes hilariously as "the oldest crappiest car in Britain" - and showcasing her flawless Russian accent.
It's a story that's enormous in scope and devastating in its claims. But this is the beauty of a podcast that takes a deep dive into an issue. You get a front row seat to a show performed by the person who knows its script best.
Today in Focus, then, is a daily news podcast that zooms in on a single story. The Guardian invites you to "listen to the story behind the headlines for a deeper understanding of the news". Countering - or perhaps complementing - a fast paced 24/7 news cycle by taking a close look at an issue of the day. It's presented brilliantly by Anushka Asthana - and occasionally Rachel Humphreys - and is cleverly edited and produced. More than that, I love the sound of it. The dramatic single note opening sets you up for a gripping and unmissable tale, while the minimalist soundscape immerses you in the drama and power of news.
Asthana orchestrates a calm and forensic conversation with the journalist who's brought the story to our attention and asks succinct, perceptive and probing questions that untangle the plot and its intricate details, piece by piece. This is part of its appeal, especially for news fanatics or anyone interested in journalism. You get to hear directly from a journalist and learn more about the process of reporting on a story. It draws back the curtain and gives you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of journalistic endeavour. Occasionally, this involves turning the lens on the person holding the pen and unearthing the personal impact of reporting, of being an investigator, inquisitor and storyteller.
Let's be honest. The news podcast world is a crowded market. A casual scroll through your app of choice and you'll be bombarded with options. Today in Focus was launched off the back of the New York Times' The Daily and as a rival to the BBC's Beyond Today. Like the newly launched Times Radio - more on which in a future post - it aims to pull young(er) listeners into The Guardian and The Observer's written journalism. Converting podcasters into readers and visa versa. But while it's a busy marketplace, for me, there are clear front-runners. Today in Focus moves effortlessly between the local, national and global, and is always an intelligent and thoughtful listen. I come away having heard the unexpected or learnt something new, and often self-critical that I haven't read about the issue in question before! This isn't to say I tune in every single day. Like you, my phone is a constant reminder that I have a million and one pods ready and waiting to be clicked on. But when I do, I'm never disappointed.
In the last week, I've been transported to the White House by Jonathan Freedland who gives a run down of John Bolton's fiery new memoir; visited Number 10 with Luke Harding who probes why Boris Johnson hasn't released the Russia report; learnt about spyware technology allegedly used to hack WhatsApp users from Stephanie Kirchgaessner; shocked by Erin McCormick's reportage into crew members still stranded onboard cruise ships months after the pandemic first rocked the industry; enraged at millions of Americans being deprived of running water due to rising bills as uncovered by Nina Lakhani; and flown to the depths of Antarctica with Jonathan Watts to hear sounds of melting glaciers, penguin colonies and whale calls.
It's telling that episodes often end with solutions, positive stories or lessons learnt. They finish on upbeat, optimistic or productive notes that ensure you don't flounder in the depths of despair or leave feeling hopeless in the face of towering issues. In the Antarctica episode, for example, which is in essence about the climate crisis, Jonathan Watts points to the reversal of whaling in the latter half of the 20th Century and the restoration of humpback and minke numbers to pre-hunting levels. An environmental success story that shows what can be achieved through international cooperation and decisive action. Meanwhile, Lakhani highlights the federal Water Act which calls for affordability and infrastructure investment in response to the US water scandal, and city programmes in Philadelphia and Baltimore that base your water bill on your income level or wipe household debt altogether. Positive steps that seek to reverse social, economic and racial injustice in 21st Century America. What's clear is that Today in Focus isn't just in the business of uncovering problems, it's committed to solving them too.
It's not often you can remember where and when you first listened to a show. But such was Cadwalladr's journalism and the sound of Today in Focus that I can still picture that rainy drive back from Manchester - and I haven't stopped reading her work or listening to The Guardian's daily news podcast since.
Today in Focus: https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus
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