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The Slow Newscast

Walter's War: An English gentleman

The Slow Newscast

Alice Sandelson

Society & Culture, American, Documentary, News, Uk, Us, International, News Commentary, Investigations, Usa, British Politics, Journalism

4.6895 Ratings

🗓️ 21 November 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

To listen to the full series subscribe to the Tortoise Investigates feed.


It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying to find her feet in the world. They meet online and she falls in love. A few months into the relationship, and with his encouragement, Charlie applies for a job in British intelligence. She's feeling optimistic, the interview goes well. Then, she receives a text message that turns her life - and her relationship - upside down. 


10 years later, a mystery is still hanging over her.


Walter's War is an investigation into what happened next – a journey through big tech and national security, hype and hucksterism, where anyone who can tell a good story can go far. But how much is true?


This is episode one of four. To continue listening to Walter's War just search for Tortoise Investigates. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. 


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts. If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello, it's Bashar here and before this episode starts, I just wanted to say thank you.

0:04.8

It's five years since we made our first ever podcast.

0:08.8

Since we're at the beginning, we should, I think, do the polite thing and make some introductions here.

0:13.2

Basha, do you want to start?

0:14.2

That was the beginning of our weekly investigative show, the slow newscast.

0:18.0

And while we have hopefully gotten a bit better at this since then,

0:21.9

what we care about hasn't changed.

0:24.0

Because we still investigate injustices.

0:26.9

Until recently, everything I'm about to tell you was a secret.

0:30.2

We tell gripping stories with a human heart.

0:32.9

It's a screwed up crazy kind of love story,

0:35.6

filled with death, lies and witness protection programs.

0:39.2

But still, it's a love story.

0:41.9

And we investigate in the public interest.

0:44.4

We've won landmark legal battles.

0:47.0

Hello.

0:47.6

I thought you'd like to know we've got the judgment.

0:49.9

It's going to be published.

0:52.2

Oh my God.

0:52.8

You can find our chart topping and award-winning series on Tortus Investigates.

0:58.7

What I uncover is a global game of cat and mouse.

1:03.1

A catch me if you can.

...

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