Making Common Ground Podcast - March 2021 Episodes

Landecker Democracy Fellow Catherine Neilan’s podcast Making Common Ground launched in January 2021. Catherine, a journalist who currently serves as Politics Live Editor at the Telegraph, created this podcast with the goal of creating in-depth conversations amongst different groups of people.

Throughout March, she has launched four new episodes of Making Common Ground.

In episode 9, Catherine spoke with journalist and author Phoenix Andrews about fandom, how it plays out on social media and how it is feeding populism, as well as its part in increasing polarization. (Listen: Apple | Spotify)

Making Common Ground episode 10 was devoted to Brexit, as Catherine talked to Cardiff University’s Thomas Prosser about how Brexit has shifted the UK’s political tribes, and why self-interest might hold the solution to polarization. (Listen: Apple | Spotify)

The guest of episode 11 of Making Common Ground, was China Research Group’s Julia Pamilih, with whom Catherine discussed Beijing’s steps towards disinformation, how it compares to Russia, and why the UK’s relationship with China is proving surprisingly resilient to tensions over Hong Kong and Uighur abuses. (Listen: Apple | Spotify)

Finally, episode 12 returned to the Making Common Ground focus group to discuss flags, pride over the UK’s Covid vaccine programme, the fall-out from Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview and whether people consider themselves “British” or “English.” (Listen: Apple | Spotify)

For further news and future podcasts, visit Making Common Ground’s website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Catherine is one of thirty Landecker Democracy Fellows. This fellowship, a collaboration between the Alfred Landecker Foundation and Humanity in Action, was created to strengthen a new generation of leaders whose approaches to political and social challenges can become catalysts for democratic placemaking and community building. Read more about the fellowship here.