After such an endless and sad winter, this fact from The Economist\u2019s The Jab<\/strong><\/a> cheered me up no end: \u201cThere are now more injections than infections.\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a few interesting podcasts focusing on the vaccination rollout. Before we introduce them, I know what you\u2019re thinking. When the news is so dominated by the coronavirus, why would you want to hear more <\/em>about it? Well, actually, it\u2019s all about hearing less. By listening to a 30 minute podcast once a week, I hear all I need to, so I can then switch off the coverage from everywhere else. It\u2019s good for the mind, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s start with The Jab<\/strong><\/a>, which comes out every Monday. It has an international perspective on the vaccine rollout. Their first episode<\/a> looked at whether we are at a turning point against the virus, or whether the variants could derail that process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BBC\u2019s How to Vaccinate the World<\/strong><\/a>, which has been running since 2020, recently looked at how we can make the rollout of vaccines<\/a> faster than it already is. They also have a knack at booking high-profile guests, with Dr Anthony Fauci<\/strong><\/a> being one of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ITV News\u2019 Coronavirus: What You Need To Know<\/strong><\/a> recently looked at whether we\u2019ll be needing annual boosters<\/a> on top of our existing jabs. And finally, there\u2019s New Scientist Weekly<\/strong><\/a>, which usually has the most scientific take of the lot. They recently explored the consequences of the slow rollout on low-income countries<\/a> in ending the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GUESTS ON PODCASTS THIS WEEK:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have heard a great guest on a podcast, let us know! Fill in this form<\/a> and it might get featured in an upcoming newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are our podcast picks for the week ahead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want your podcast featured, or you have a great recommendation, all you need to do is fill in this simple form<\/a> <\/strong>and might get featured in a future newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bottoming<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>An amazing name for a podcast, Bottoming <\/em>is an LGBTQ+ podcast that explores mental health (and dealing with your own rock bottom), presented by Brendan Geoghegan and Matthew Riley. They\u2019ve been exploring some interesting issues to coincide with LGBT+ History Month, from the horrors of conversion therapy<\/a> to homelessness<\/a>, with queer youth making up a quarter of the youth homeless population. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I especially liked their most recent episode, which explores how growing up<\/a> in the country could cause issues in shaping your identity, especially if there\u2019s poor representation of LGBTQ+ role models on television and in wider media. A lot of the time seeing someone like you somewhere else makes yourself feel seen and validated. Things are changing for the better, but are they moving fast enough?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Talking Politics – History of Ideas<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>I\u2019ve always had a soft spot for podcasts that explain a well known topic in its most simplest form, in case you weren\u2019t taught it at school or, if you were, you didn\u2019t understand it the first time round. This podcast, which has just returned for a second series, explains the work of some of the biggest thinkers in politics you hear all the time, from Jean-Jacques Rousseau<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>to Marx and Engels<\/strong><\/a>. If you want to leave lockdown smarter and more informed than where you went in, this is a good place to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Spotify Podcast of the Week: <\/strong>Blurb<\/em><\/strong><\/a> – <\/em><\/strong>You may not know this, but Spotify has a selection of curated podcast playlists to help you discover your new podcast favourites. As it’s LGBTQ+ History Month, we thought it would be the perfect time to highlight our Loud and Proud playlist which features some great LGBTQ+ podcast content. It currently includes episodes of Busy Being Black, Passing Out, Amrou Al-Kadhi’s recent spot on Anthems and loads more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hugh\u2019s Joy of Food<\/strong><\/a> – Hugh Smithson-Wright, who you can follow on Twitter<\/a>, is behind this great little 15 minute podcast that features a restaurant or food delivery service he\u2019s tried recently, with a few other tidbits about how the industry is reacting to the lockdown. Like a lot of great podcasts, the presenter\u2019s passion is the thing that keeps you listening. It also makes you realise that restaurant reviews don\u2019t have to be something you\u2019ve read. Like a lot of other criticism, it too can be spoken word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bias Diagnosis<\/strong><\/a> – <\/strong>Finally, a compelling new documentary podcast series. Ivan Beckley, who is about to become a fully qualified NHS doctor, has got a problem: \u201cThe problem I\u2019m grappling with is one that lies beneath the surface. There\u2019s a huge obstacle when it comes to equal access to healthcare and you\u2019d only know about it if it directly affects you.\u201d <\/em>In this Audible Original, Beckley explores racial injustices within healthcare. Despite us all using the same healthcare system, why is it that Black and Minority Ethnic communities have a higher death rate and worse outcomes in treatment than everyone else? This is not just something that has come up from the pandemic. It has happened with a range of illnesses, dating back hundreds of years, throughout the history of western medicine. All of the episodes of the podcast are available to listen too now, but you have to be a subscriber to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, before we go \u2026 thought to let you know that some new podcasts we\u2019ve featured recently have been topping the podcast charts of late, so it’s always worth keeping an eye on some of our older newsletters in case there\u2019s anything you\u2019ve missed. Such podcasts currently high up on the charts have included Alan Carr\u2019s Life\u2019s a Beach<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(an engaging podcast where guests talk about a travel \u2013 a weird healer at a time like this), Power: The Maxwells<\/strong><\/a> (looking into the Maxwell media empire) and Sideways<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(a topic that you might know a bit about, but from a completely new angle). We also post podcasts (and this newsletter) on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After such an endless and sad winter, this fact from The Economist\u2019s The Jab cheered me up no end: \u201cThere are now more injections than infections.\u201d There\u2019s a few interesting podcasts focusing on the vaccination rollout. Before we introduce them, I know what you\u2019re thinking. When the news is so dominated by the coronavirus, why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n