On Assignment

As a record-breaking heatwave scorches Europe, the scenes—children hosed down in London, shoppers scrambling for fans in Paris—offer a glimpse of a continent struggling to cope. On this episode of On Assignment, host Jonah Green speaks with data journalist Ben Welsh, who built Reuters’ new Climate Monitor to measure just how unusual this moment really is. By comparing today’s temperatures to historical norms, the tool illustrates how today’s hot weather truly is a sharp departure from the past, and a glimpse of the future. Check out the Climate Monitor for yourself here.

In this episode of On Assignment, set against the backdrop of Sudan’s civil war, Reuters journalists Nafisa Eltahir, Suzanne Vanhooymissen and Reade Levinson investigate what happened during the assault on al‑Fashir, a besieged city in Darfur. They reveal how they verified videos filmed by fighters and matched them with survivor testimony to reconstruct events in their documentary Death in Darfur: 3 days of horror caught on camera. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Reuters journalists received Pulitzer prizes for investigations into Meta and Trump's campaign of retribution, and were finalists for Illustrated Reporting and Breaking News Photography. We talk to the journalists and editors about the obstacles they overcame on their assignments in order to bring these stories to light. Beat Reporting - Jeff Horwitz and Engen Tham of Reuters National Reporting - Staff of Reuters, notably Ned Parker, Linda So, Peter Eisler and Mike Spector Illustrated Reporting (Finalists) - Adolfo Arranz, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot Ghoshal and Han Huang of Reuters Breaking News Photography (Finalists) - Photography Staff of Reuters On Assignment - Meta’s flirty chatbot and the man who never made it home On Assignment - Tracking Trump’s retribution targets Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Joshua McElwee, who covers the Vatican for Reuters, has just returned from the pope's 10‑day journey across Africa. Joshua walks us through what it's like to cover America's first pope (Joshua is also a Chicago native) as he comes under increasing fire from the president. Plus, what it’s really like inside the Vatican and on the papal plane. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Space reporter Joey Roulette takes us inside his day job to give a unique viewpoint of the Artemis II launch. Watch Joey unpack what's at stake for the astronauts trying to get further from earth than anyone before them and the geopolitical rivalries at stake. And get a glimpse of his unusual office in the sky this week. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Follow two Reuters journalists Simon Gardner and Blake Morrison, on their international journey to unravel the true identity of Banksy, the enigmatic British street artist that's kept his identity just out of reach for decades. Hear how this mystery took them from a bombed-out Ukrainian village, through Bristol’s music scene, Manhattan’s high-rise art world and hundreds of documents to uncover a name. And so much more. Read the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/global-art-banksy/ Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

It’s the glitziest night of the year but behind the sparkle and the acceptance speeches lie big money and PR maneuvers. Entertainment reporters Dawn Chmielewski and Lisa Richwine pull back the curtain on the political-style machinery of awards season. And as Hollywood grapples with AI threats, studio mergers, and declining viewership, this year's Oscars remain refreshingly unpredictable. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

A pre‑dawn raid that killed cartel leader El Mencho triggered nationwide chaos, but our reporters say daily life in Mexico often looks very different from what goes viral online. Reuters correspondents Laura Gottesdiener and Emily Green join On Assignment to describe what it’s like to cover these criminal organizations. They also break down the cartel’s deep social and economic reach, and what El Mencho’s death means for Mexico now. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

The Australian social media ban seemed like an outlier when it was first introduced in December. Now, countries around the world are considering tough regulations to manage the online lives of children. On this episode, hear from teenagers no longer scrolling Instagram, and their parents, about how the first months of the ban are going. Are children now riding their bikes and playing footy, as the Prime Minister has claimed? Listen to Kim Vinnell and reporters Byron Kaye and Cordelia Hsu as they try to find out. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Listen to the journalists who have been on the ground in Minneapolis documenting actions by ICE agents, the protests and the fallout for this Midwestern city. Get a view from behind the camera and go inside the communities affected by Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Reuters journalist Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen has been traveling to Greenland as a reporter for years. On this assignment, the story dramatically changed. Listen to Jacob’s account of how Greenlanders are dealing with being at the center of an international tug-of-war after President Donald Trump vowed to buy or seize the country “whether they like it or not.” Check out photos from our Greenland gallery. Visit the ⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.

Syria’s new rulers are trying to win over the Alawites after months of violence. But the reconciliation effort is controversial. On this episode of On Assignment, Reuters' Timour Azhari travels to Syria’s coastal provinces, the heartland of the Alawite religious minority which counts former President Bashar al-Assad among its number. He reports on the sectarian tensions and threat of violence that still stalk Syria more than a year since Assad's fall. Read our text story on this here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising.

In this special year-end edition of On Assignment, Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni sits down with host Jonah Green to reflect on the tumultuous 2025 news cycle. Galloni discusses the challenges of covering Trump’s second term, keeping journalists safe in war zones and how AI-generated misinformation complicates the pursuit of truth. Plus we look ahead on what to expect and how to prepare for the coming news cycle. Listen to Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the ⁠⁠Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement⁠⁠ for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit ⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠ to opt out of targeted advertising.