Episodes
Sunday Jan 02, 2022
Stephen Gibbs - Venezuela - The Times/Economist/CGTN
Sunday Jan 02, 2022
Sunday Jan 02, 2022
What drew so much media attention to Venezuela only a few years ago and why has it fizzled out? Stephen Gibbs (@STHGIbbs), a freelancer based in Caracas, tells us about covering the unrest and his encounters with Hugo Chavez and Maduro. As a former longtime BBC correspondent, Gibbs also talks about covering Cuba - including Castro revealing his relationship with Ernest Hemingway and a chance meeting with a rogue CIA agent.
Countries featured: United Kingdom, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Brazil, Venezuela
Publications featured: BBC, The Times (of London), The Economist, CGTN
Stephen discusses getting his start writing gossip items and producing news for children (8:36), making the jump to producing the nightly news at the BBC and transitioning to on-camera newsman in Cuba (15:35), meeting Fidel Castro at an event about Ernest Hemingway (23:34), Cuba revoking his media accreditation (28:11), moving to Mexico and covering swine flu there (35:15), going freelance and moving to Brazil and Venezuela (41:36), being in the middle of turbulent Venezuelan politics while juggling assignments from three publications (46:30), a story that got away about a fugitive former CIA agent living in Cuba (55:25), covering the coup that ousted Haiti’s president in 2004 (1:00:20) and finally the lightning round (1:08:20).
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Stephen’s documentary on Easter Island - https://bit.ly/3zgJT7n
Observer article on fugitive CIA agent - https://bit.ly/32JORO9
Stephen’s interview with Brazil’s Bolsonaro - https://bit.ly/3sQQC6W
Private Eye - https://bit.ly/3qCYQNb
BBC interview with Belarus leader Lukashenko - https://bit.ly/3FNDoeW
Harry’s Garage - https://bit.ly/3eGc4mL
Allen Whicker interviews dictator Papa Doc - https://bit.ly/3zdLRpe
The Quiet American book - https://amzn.to/3mNh6m7
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
James Griffiths - China - The Globe and Mail
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
Sunday Dec 05, 2021
Writing a book isn’t easy, but James Griffiths (@jgriffiths) of Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail sure makes it look that way. Griffiths talks about getting his start in journalism in Shanghai and Hong Kong just as the Chinese government was ratcheting up censorship of the internet. That became the subject of his first book, which he wrote while also covering years of protests in Hong Kong. He also discusses his new book on efforts to preserve minority languages, like Hawaiian and Welsh.
Countries featured: China, Wales, USA
Publications featured: CNN, South China Morning Post, The Shanghaiist, That’s Shanghai, The Globe and Mail
James discusses moving from the UK to China to get his start at the blog The Shanghaiist (9:48), moving to Hong Kong to join the South China Morning Post and covering the Umbrella Movement (14:56), joining CNN where he covered the larger 2019 Hong Kong protests (22:14), a traumatic moment when protestors turned on each other at the Hong Kong airport (30:13), joining the Globe and Mail (34:08), the difficult reporting environment in Mainland China (40:09), advice on not waiting for permission to go do reporting (45:36), how he wrote his two books and the impact on his life (48:23) and finally the lightning round (1:03:25).
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Covering Climate Now awards featuring Jake’s work - https://bit.ly/3dn3glk
James’ first book The Great Firewall of China on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3DjRiTP
His second book Speak Not on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3pkKuAw
A review of Speak Not - https://tgam.ca/3EolTBe
The Global Times in English - https://bit.ly/3GinQ2H
Today in Tabs newsletter - https://bit.ly/32PU9Y8
Vittles newsletter - https://bit.ly/3In6NhN
The story of Henry the Vacuum Cleaner - https://bit.ly/3xSihoF
Ariel Sabar’s book Veritas - https://amzn.to/2ZVcfa5
Pam Colloff’s The Innocent Man in Texas Monthly - https://bit.ly/3dh0PAG
Kathy Gannon’s book I is for Infidel - https://amzn.to/3GcjdqK
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
*Bonus* Mitch Moxley on the business of magazine writing
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Mitch Moxley (@mitch_moxley) talks about the world of book writing, agents and getting your magazine stories optioned by Hollywood.
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Mitch's Rent a White Guy story for The Atlantic - https://bit.ly/39YlbwO
His book Apologies to My Censors - https://amzn.to/3B64BqR
His true crime story Knives Outback - https://bit.ly/3opBATu
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Mitch Moxley - Magazines - NYC/China
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Going viral. North Korea. Anthony Bourdain. Beijing Olympics. Long-form magazine journalism. Narrative non-fiction. Stage plays. Executive editor at Maxim. Mitch Moxley has done a lot of stuff. As a magazine editor and freelance writer, previously in China and now in New York City, Mitch tells us about his careers highs and disappointments, as well as the brutal realities of being a freelancer.
Countries featured: Canada, China, North Korea, USA
Publications featured: GQ, China Daily, Truly Adventurous, The Atlantic, Maxim, Penta
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Penta magazine - https://bit.ly/3mmK7nl
Mitch's story on Agent Orange survivors - https://bit.ly/3mnhsyA
His Rent a White Guy story for The Atlantic - https://bit.ly/39YlbwO
His book Apologies to My Censors - https://amzn.to/3B64BqR
His story Rat Hunters of New York - https://bit.ly/3uxVHjr
His story about Anthony Bourdain for Maxim - https://bit.ly/3oqfLD9
His play inspired by Bourdain - https://bit.ly/2WBA3hJ
His story on the North Korean film festival for GQ - https://bit.ly/2Yawxvc
Jennifer Senior's piece on a family grieving a 9/11 victim - https://bit.ly/39YDVMT
His story about kidnapping survival schools - https://bit.ly/2YdVmGh
The movie The Paper on IMDb - https://imdb.to/3FdJ55J
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
Sue-Lin Wong - The Economist - China
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
Sunday Sep 26, 2021
The journalist’s holy trinity: the right time, the right place, the right beat. You’re lucky if you find it once in your career. Sue-Lin Wong (@suelinwong) tells how she thinks she hit it in the Hong Kong protests in 2019. Now working as a China correspondent for The Economist based in Hong Kong, she also has the unusual distinction of having been based in Shenzhen for years.
Countries featured: China, North Korea, Australia
Publications featured: Reuters, Financial Times, Economist
Sue-Lin discusses taking a gap year to teach English at a sketchy school in China (6:04), taking three years off from university to live in China and the US (10:11), joining Reuters with Jake as a trainee (21:20), becoming a Reuters correspondent in Shenzhen in southern China and quickly joining the FT (34:55), covering the Hong Kong protests (41:38), joining The Economist (46:50), a story that got away about an alleged rape (54:37), following a Chinese student protest and the dystopian crackdown on it (1:00:09), and finally the lightning round (1:14:30).
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Sue-Lin's FT Magazine story on the HK protests - https://on.ft.com/3zQCPNL
Her stories on Chinese student protestors -
Her series of stories on the North Korean border - https://reut.rs/3kEqx6q
端傳媒Initium Media - https://bit.ly/2XW82lz
The Ezra Klein show - https://apple.co/3i72Kuf
故事fm (storyfm) - https://bit.ly/3CKYRmU
Megan Twohey on Twitter - https://bit.ly/3lVRUIO
Jodi Kantor on Twitter - https://bit.ly/3zF1Mvl
Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell wiki - https://bit.ly/3i4TYx8
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Jamie McGeever - Reuters - Financial Markets
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Sunday Sep 12, 2021
Financial journalists don’t get the respect they deserve. Scottish journalist Jamie McGeever (@ReutersJamie) has traveled the world covering financial markets, including NYC, London, Madrid and all over Brazil and Europe. His work at Reuters put him at the center of the chaos of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Also discussed: bullfighting, Celtic football and the most charming world leaders.
Countries featured: Brazil, Scotland, England, Spain, USA
Publications featured: Dow Jones, Reuters
Jamie discusses moving from his native Scotland to Brazil to teach English out of university (5:53), bullfighting and Ernest Hemingway (8:28), being thrown in the deep end of journalist at the Dow Jones news wire in Rio de Janeiro (14:02), an extremely rapid succession of jobs and moves that eventually take him to Reuters and Wall Street (19:49), the 2008 financial crisis as the story of a lifetime (27:25), why he's such a big deal on Twitter (36:56), his stint in TV news (43:51), switching from the news side to being a columnist (56:21), a story that got away about possible financial wrongdoing (1:01:40) and finally the lightning round(1:05:30).
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Jamie's Reuters columns - https://reut.rs/3noQGrL
Toros Twitter account - https://bit.ly/2XgBGBI
Daniel Dale on Twitter - https://bit.ly/3A6F00i
John King on Twitter - https://bit.ly/3hpsIca
Clarissa Ward on Twitter - https://bit.ly/3EcelSb
The Football Men documentary part 1 - https://bit.ly/3hl4u2z
The Thick of It on IMDb - https://imdb.to/3ntqNHl
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
*Bonus* NYT‘s Abdi Latif Dahir talks about Rwanda and Mogadishu
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Abdi Latif Dahir, The New York Times' East Africa Correspondent, talks more in-depth about his coverage of Rwanda and shares a special moment reporting in Mogadishu. This is a bonus content from FoCo's interview with Abdi. For the full interview, please check out episode 54.
Note: Apologies that this is not the usually scheduled full episode that I normally release twice monthly. I will return to our normal programming in a couple of weeks.
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Abdi's jail house interview with Paul Rusesabagina - https://nyti.ms/2VnhIUu
His main story on Paul Rusesabagina - https://nyti.ms/3rIYHb6
His story on artists in Mogadishu - https://bit.ly/3j4ZpNj
The book spawned from the above article - https://amzn.to/3z5g20J
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Emily Green - Mexico - Vice
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
The long road to a Pulitzer. Now a Mexico-based reporter for Vice, Emily Green (@emilytgreen) has had a couple career booms and busts. The WSJ job that doesn't pan out leads her into radio reporting. The pandemic leads her to flee Mexico. But you never know, maybe you'll be sitting in your childhood bedroom and feeling sorry for yourself, when you get that call about the big award.
Countries featured: Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, Philippines, USA
Publications featured: NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The San Francisco Chronicle, PRI’s The World, The Daily Beast, Vice News
Emily discusses going to the Philippines on a Fulbright grant after college (5:00), the wrong job at WSJ leads to working in hometown radio then Sacramento then the SF Chronicle (12:21), moving to Mexico to freelance (19:57), some lessons for freelancers (27:18), how a Vice story on a migrant kidnapping in Mexico led to an NPR piece that won a Pulitzer (34:00), a couple of stories that got away (47:35), a short doc for Vice on the massacre of migrants in Mexico after they were deported from the U.S. (50:24) and the lightning round (58:20).
Here are links to some of the things we talked about:
Emily's WaPo story on a Filipino judge - https://wapo.st/3sdDTsC
Her first story in Vice on the migrant caravan - https://bit.ly/3iK85bF
Her original story on Nuevo Laredo kidnapping for Vice - https://bit.ly/3AL64Cr
Her Pulitzer winning audio story - https://bit.ly/3AF5Dt3
Pulitzer winner page for the story - https://bit.ly/2UgJOR7
Her Vice doc on Guatemalan deportees killed in Mexico - https://bit.ly/37IVXkQ
Day X podcast - https://nyti.ms/3lWTDzc
Lisa Hagen's podcast on guns - https://n.pr/2UftUGG
Jon Lee Anderson's ride along with Chavez - https://bit.ly/2VVD0Zu
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Abdi Latif Dahir - Kenya - The New York Times
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Sunday Aug 01, 2021
Childhood journals lead to journalism. Abdi Latif Dahir (@Lattif) started journaling as a way to process the violence around him when, at 8 years old, his family returned to Somalia from Kenya. He tells us how that experience influences his reporting on conflicts as East Africa Correspondent for The New York Times. He also talks about his reporting on the recent arrest of the man portrayed in Hotel Rwanda, as well as his passion for running.
Countries featured: Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, USA
Publications featured: Quartz, UPI, The Daily Nation, The New York Times
Abdi talks about growing up in Mogadishu (7:17), moving back to Kenya for university and to get his start in journalism (15:40), why his parents moved from peaceful Kenya to war-torn Somalia and how it influences his reporting on conflicts (31:36), going to Columbia J-school and working for Quartz (41:45), getting hired for a dream job at The New York Times (50:53), a profile that Abdi wasn't able to do after the death of the subject (56:14), his reporting on the arrest of Rwanda's Paul Rusesabagina (1:05:32) and finally the lightning round (1:15:00).
Here are like to some of the things we talked about:
Abdi's story on the death of a Somali entrepreneur - https://bit.ly/3li0FhG
His interview with Rwanda's Paul Rusesabagina in jail - https://nyti.ms/2VnhIUu
His full story about Rusesabagina - https://nyti.ms/3rIYHb6
The China Africa Project - https://bit.ly/3lhjmSz
The Continent - https://bit.ly/3ie3UEM
Nipe Story podcast - https://apple.co/3xg35zF
CBC's Writers and Company podcast - https://apple.co/2VkEk87
Learning to Swim Taught Me More Than I Bargained for - https://nyti.ms/2WHY724
House of Stone by Anthony Shadid - https://amzn.to/3ibyMWy
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org
Sunday Jul 18, 2021
Bryan Curtis - The Ringer - Sports/Culture
Sunday Jul 18, 2021
Sunday Jul 18, 2021
An Editor-at-Large is not someone who is wanted for arrest by the police for crimes against journalism. Bryan Curtis (@bryancurtis) fills us in on what it means to be an Editor-at-Large for The Ringer, which includes hosting the popular media analysis podcast The Press Box.
Countries featured: USA
Publications featured: Nightline, The New Republic, Slate, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, Grantland, The Ringer
Bryan discusses how he started writing about sports in middle school upon realizing he’d never be a pro athlete (5:40), early internships at Nightline and The New Republic plus a first job at Slate (11:17), a huge opportunity at an ill-fated New York Times sports magazine (18:52), Tina Brown scoops him up for the launch of The Daily Beast (22:28), getting in on the ground level of Grantland and The Ringer (27:17), whether he is a “sports journalist” (35:17), how he started The Press Box podcast (38:00), his story on why the Oklahoma City Thunder players were so combative with reporters (48:30) and the lightning round featuring George Lucas (54:45).
Here are like to some of the things we talked about:
Bryan’s “The Old Guy’s Still Got It” story - https://bit.ly/2Up4aI3
His story on the OKC Thunder vs the media - https://bit.ly/3wMO1t5
BBC’s In Our Time podcast - https://apple.co/3irZt8u
Tom Junod’s “The Hero of Goodall Park” - https://es.pn/3z8zfyf
Bryan’s profile of George Lucas - https://nyti.ms/3etDrkp
Broadcast News on IMDb - https://imdb.to/3z951Lz
Humphrey Bogart’s Deadline U.S.A. on IMDb - https://imdb.to/3xPEt1E
Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod
Music: LoveChances (makaihbeats.net) by Makaih Beats
From: freemusicarchive.org