Historical films and TV shows are embracing diversity – but real historical voices are still overlooked: In the Disney+ television series, A Thousand Blows, Malachi Kirby plays Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican immigrant in London who is part of an underground boxing ring in the 1880s. The character, like many in the show, is based on …
Insights 2023: from unheard voices and AI to the origin story of a very popular rabbit: An illustration by Beatrix Potter from The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies. The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-ND This year, the Insights series has covered a wide range of important topics but the themes of ‘unheard voices’, …
Trans guidance for schools: the voices of young people are missing: aerogondo2/Shutterstock After significant delay, the UK government has published draft guidance for schools in England on “gender questioning children”, from education secretary Gillian Keegan and women and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch. The guidance is non-statutory, meaning it is not legally enforceable, and the government …
Climate summits are too big and key voices are being crowded out – here’s a better solution: Every year, the official UN climate summits are getting bigger. In 2021 at COP26 in Glasgow there were around 40,000 participants, COP27 in 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh had 50,000. But this year blew all previous records out of …
Catholic synod: the voices of church leaders in Africa are not being heard – 3 reasons why: The Catholic church today is deeply polarised. This has created doctrinal fissures that are seemingly unbridgeable. There are many rumbling contestations on questions of identity, mission, faith and morality. Other questions touch on pastoral life, the nature of …
Zimbabwe’s rulers won’t tolerate opposing voices – but its writers refuse to be silenced: NoViolet Bulawayo, Zimbabwean author of the politically charged novels We Need New Names and Glory. David Levenson/Getty Images The ruling elite in Zimbabwe has always tried to silence opposing political voices and erase histories it does not wish to have aired. …
AI scam calls imitating familiar voices are a growing problem – here’s how they work: Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock Scam calls using AI to mimic voices of people you might know are being used to exploit unsuspecting members of the public. These calls use what’s known as generative AI, which refers to systems capable of creating text, …
Why our voices change as we get older: Sir Elton John set a record at this year’s Glastonbury, becoming the most-watched headliner in the festival’s history, with more than 7 million people tuning in live to the BBC to watch his last ever UK performance. The 76-year-old singer certainly delivered all his characteristic showmanship. But …
Reclaiming Windrush Square: why urban development projects need to heed local voices: Windrush Square is a vibrant public plaza at the heart of Brixton, in the London borough of Lambeth. It was first named in 1998 in commemoration of the arrival of the Empire Windrush, which docked in Essex in 1948, carrying 1,027 passengers, at …
Voices of Preston’s Windrush generation – when I first arrived, I said: ‘Really? I thought there were no slums in this place!’: From the earliest arrivals of what would become Preston’s “Windrush generation”, the status of the Caribbean diaspora was hotly contested in this post-industrial Lancashire town, as elsewhere. Discrimination and prejudice dogged the daily …
Women’s voices are missing in the media – including them could generate billions in income: Women are severely underrepresented in editorial leadership and in news coverage. Stefan Heunis/Getty Images How can the news media represent women’s voices better? The answer might be in a recent report, “From outrage to opportunity: How to include the missing …
Digital activism: study shows the internet has helped women in urban Ghana and Nigeria raise their voices: Women in rural areas have limited access to the internet. Wikimedia Commons Information technology and the internet have proven to be a strong force for building collective action groups and mobilising communities of protesters. Among the main advantages …
Hilary Mantel was one of the great voices of historical fiction – and so much more: PA Images / Alamy Dame Hilary Mantel was a writer of immense skill and originality, and her death represents an incalculable loss to British literature. She will be chiefly remembered for her trilogy on the life of the Tudor politician …
Queen Elizabeth II: the politics of national mourning left no space for dissenting voices: After eleven days of national mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, a full day of ceremonies brought the second Elizabethan era to a close. The official nature of this period – during which all political wrangling was cast to …
Penguins adapt their voices to sound like their companions – new study: African penguins end up "parroting" each other's voices Mike Korostelev/Shutterstock We’ve all known a friend who came back from holiday with a French lilt in their accent. Or noticed an American twang creeping into our voice during dinner with a friend visiting from …
Male voices dominated South African COVID reporting: that has to change: Professor Glenda Gray was the most visible female scientist in South African media coverage during the first six months of COVID. South African Medical Research Council The onset of the COVID pandemic and the many months of uncertainty, anxiety and push for scientific breakthroughs …
Ukraine: voices from hiding – how ordinary families are suffering under Russian shells: So, day 11. I still can’t believe that. It’s been tough in Chernihiv and it doesn’t seem to get better. Yesterday, at night, the plane was [shot down] above where we hide. News is shocking and depressive so we try not to …
Coal mining: we’re documenting the voices of unsung English miners before they disappear: Statue commemorating coal mining in Teversal, Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands. Oscar Johns/Shutterstock For centuries coal has been mined in England’s East Midlands and it has helped to shape the identity of the region. Many pit communities formed around the collieries and …