Committee Recommends: Week 6

Welcome to the 6th week edition of our ‘Committee Recommends’ series. Congratulations on making it through 5th week, and to reward your efforts here is our selection of the most interesting and engaging from across the media this week, including reflections on a chaotic week in UK politics – to distract us from a chaotic week in US politics – and the soothing tones of Bob Ross.

We’ve got you covered.

LONG READS

The pandemic logs

“Locked eyes with a stag standing just beyond the patio in the backyard while on Zoom with my boss’ boss. Made the fancy boxed pasta for dinner.”

The New York Times has asked its readers to send in logs of quotidian lockdown life, and has collated them in this moving piece, combine the ephemeral and the existential.

The necessity of clear language on slavery

“In order to tear down old myths, he eschews the old language.”

This snappy blog post from September provides illuminating examples of unhelpful and obstructive language norms that work to obscure the horror of slavery.

Is innovation really making cities better?

“It’s perhaps a hard truth that well-designed websites, fast databases and secure data integration would solve many of cities’ pressing technology problems — especially those that most frustrate the public”

This fascinating article from City Monitor makes the point that local governments should focus on having basic technological infrastructures in place before looking to outlandish innovations.

Marina Hyde’s take on #dominicgoings

“Plenty more worst to come, no doubt, so hopefully News at Ten will cheer us all up with a montage of Dom’s best bits set to Goodbye”

Whilst definitely not impartial, this is (at the very least) an incredibly entertaining overview of the inevitably stormy end of Dominic Cummings’ time at the heart of government from Guardian columnist Marina Hyde, including ample Spice Girls references.

IN THE NEWS

More than 110 migrants die in Mediterranean in 3 days

As one NGO commented in response to the latest chilling death toll to come from the Mediterranean, the sea has become a cemetery. Yet, Europe continues to prevaricate. Still there is no end in sight for this needless tragedy.

Pro-Beijing forces reign in Hong Kong

The avenues by which pro-democracy advocates might push for change in Hong Kong are fast disappearing after opposition politicians left their government positions, leaving the Beijing-backed camp to push ahead with a worrying ease.

A BIT OF LISTENING

The Princess Diana interview 25 years on

Seen as one of the biggest scoops of the century, the interview Princess Diana gave to Panorama in 1995 has since been mired in controversy over shoddy journalistic standards and falsified information. Amol Rajan’s The Media Show podcast takes a look at the case.

WATCH LIST

4 minutes of positivity with Bob Ross

There’s no better way to regain some semblance of sanity after the trials of 5th week than a bit of time spent with Bob Ross. You’re welcome.

That’s all for this week. Interested in writing for us? Contact us to chat about submissions.