The Story
The Times and The Sunday Times
We specialise in audio-led original investigations, which we run alongside explainers, eye-witness accounts from people living through history as it happens, and news-making interviews with key figures.
In a podcast market crowded with punditry, our goal is to help listeners understand the world in depth, drawing on the work of our journalists around the world. The podcast reaches audiences beyond the papers’ traditional subscriber base: 70% of listeners are aged under 45, and 60% are women.
This entry focuses on three of our best stories since November, 2023. All were high profile and consequential. And all were reported in audio and print simultaneously, requiring considerable coordination with two major newsrooms. In each case, the podcast gave listeners a behind-the-scenes look at how investigative journalism is done.
In March this year, Paul Morgan-Bentley, Head of Investigations at The Times, went undercover to reveal a lack of security at a prison housing some of Britain’s most dangerous criminals. His work and our podcast led to an urgent investigation by the Ministry of Justice.
Producer Edward Drummond worked with Morgan-Bentely to bring to life his undercover reporting. It’s one of the most downloaded episodes since The Story podcast launched four years ago.
In February, we followed Gaza based journalist Amal Helles. As internet access was too unstable for lengthy interviews, Amal exchanged voice notes with producer Olivia Case. When western journalists couldn’t enter the area unaccompanied, as a Palestinian, Helles gave unfettered access to the developing humanitarian crisis which the unique medium of podcasting allowed us to document in real time. In October, our crime correspondent David Woode - who was one of the first on the scene after Chris Kaba was shot dead by a Metropolitan Police office - delivered a comprehensive analysis of what happened on the day and the subsequent trial that saw firearms officer Martyn Blake cleared of murder.
Producer Sam Chantarask worked with David on the podcast to create a balanced, insightful and revealing piece of reporting in audio format. Following the verdict anger had built on both sides as many questioned how an unarmed black man had been shot dead, while firearms officers questioned if it should ever have gone to trial.
The podcast dealt sensitively with the issues, while revealing new information about Kaba’s gang background and ultimately asked; what did the verdict mean for policing in England and Wales?
The Story gets around one million monthly downloads and is consistently in the Apple charts top shows.