Empoword Opinions

In our 11th Episode, a few months on from our first look at how Covid affected education and schools, Aarthee is joined by Eva and Shreya who reflect on their last year of school, how their results played out, and the challenges they faced as a result of Covid. From uncertainty, lack of planning, and inconsistency, they discuss the turmoil of the year but also celebrate the resilience and achievements of young people taking external exams in this very unprecedented year.

Aarthee and Sanjana are joined by Holly Hostettler-Davies this week to discuss the easing of restrictions in England and Wales. They look at the difference in lockdown easing across the UK and how both nations have responded to COVID-19. With debates about the efficacy of government leadership and whether we should be prioritising the national or international distribution of vaccines, this episode proves to be a lively one!

In our 9th episode, Eva and Aarthee are joined by Evie Aspinall and Dominic Jones, two delegates to the G7 Youth Summit 2021. From climate change to hypocrisy to youth involvement in global politics, they discuss how the G7 operates and whether this year's summit lived up to expectations. 

Following the recent Local Elections, in this episode, Sanjana and Aarthee chat to Nathan Boroda (he/him), who was recently elected as a Labour councillor for Unsworth. Manchester and Kira Lewis (they/them) who works at Labour To Win, is Chair of LGBTQ+ network at The Cooperative Party and is running for Young Labour’s next LGBT+ Officer about how the Party should respond to and rebuild following the latest results, including the disappointing loss of Hartlepool.

In this special episode, all four of the Opinions Team celebrate Empoword Journalism's first birthday by talking to one of our Editor In Cheif's, Lauren McGaun, and one of our very first workshop guests, News Associate's Lucy Dyer. They discuss the journey this last year has been, both for Empoword and journalism in general, and how the future looks for those keen to break into the media industry.

Please note: This Podcast project is recorded from home over video calls during the Coronavirus pandemic, so please do forgive us for any unexpected background noise or any inconsistent audio quality across the episodes. Thank you!

In our third episode, Eva and Aarthee are joined by guests Heather and Annaleece to discuss education during the Covid-19 pandemic. From remote learning to an almost non-existent social life, they discuss the turmoil that young people have been thrown into throughout the last year, as well as looking towards the future with optimism and hope. 

CW: Racism, sexism, mental health, comments about mental health and sexual harassment are discussed in this episode 

In our second episode, Eva and Sanjana host a debate with our guests Mads and Brooke about the recent actions of Piers Morgan, whether his platform should have been more regulated and the role of journalists and the media as a whole. 

CW: Sexual Harassment is discussed in this podcast

We are excited to present the inaugural episode of the Empoword Opinions Podcast! In this special episode, with International Women’s Day just past, the Empoword Opinion editors, Aarthee, Caitlin, Eva and Sanjana highlight women who inspire them. They discuss why and how we need to be platforming more marginalised voices all year round, and reflect on International Women’s Day, it’s commercialisation and where we need to go next.

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