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On Assignment: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Reuters
Dive into the stories behind the news with a new podcast from Reuters. We take you past the headlines right to the heart of the action. From the frontlines of war to corporate boardrooms and the centers of political power, listen to our award-winning investigative journalists around the world make sense of the most important stories today.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago23 min
Wildfires: A photographer's perspective
Wildfires are blazing across the world. Veteran Reuters photojournalist Michael Blake shares his experience documenting wildfires over the last 40 years. Hear what it is like to travel into the flames when everyone is leaving and how covering the Palisades fires in his own community changed his perspective on capturing these natural disasters.
- 1 weeks ago24 min
Data centers: Small town politics turn into a national fight
As AI transforms our lives, companies are racing to build data centers, the physical infrastructure needed to power such a technological revolution. On this week's episode of On Assignment, energy reporter Valerie Volcovici and video journalist Eric Cox travel to Middleton Township, Ohio. There, a new Meta data center and power station have sparked a debate about whether jobs and promises of investment are worth the cost of building this infrastructure. Hear how this small town's fight is being replicated around America and the world. 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.
- 2 weeks ago28 min
Collateral damage: The war comes for Iran’s ancient past
As U.S. and Israeli strikes hit targets across Iran, some of the country's most treasured cultural sites found themselves in the blast zone. Reuters reporters gained rare access to historic palaces and the UNESCO-listed heart of Isfahan, documenting shattered windows, damaged mosaics and centuries-old architecture scarred by war. On this episode of On Assignment, Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist Michael Pell explains how Reuters combined eyewitness reporting, satellite imagery and forensic analysis to uncover what happened—and why the loss of cultural heritage matters, even amid a conflict measured in human lives. Further reading Shattered tiles, trembling domes: An inside look at how the war has damaged Iran’s historic sites
- 3 weeks ago34 min
Fourth of July from inside the White House
What's it really like to cover the most powerful office in the world when the news never stops, the facts are constantly in dispute, and access can be cut off without warning? On this episode of On Assignment, Reuters White House correspondents Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, and Humeyra Pamuk pull back the curtain on life inside the press corps. 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.
- Jun 27, 202619 min
Understanding Europe’s heatwave
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.
- Jun 6, 202620 min
Turkmenistan: A reporter’s rare journey
Felix Light is the first Reuters journalist to travel to Turkmenistan in more than 10 years. The former Soviet state, bordered by Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has strong economic ties to China, but has isolated itself from Russian and western influences. Now Turkmenistan is starting to show signs of cautiously opening up. 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.
- May 30, 202625 min
Exposing a massacre
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.
- May 16, 202626 min
Covering Cannes
The red carpet. The stars. The parties. But behind the glamour and extravagance, it’s blood, sweat and tears. This week, Reuters showbiz reporter and Cannes veteran Rollo Ross takes us behind the scenes of the world’s most famous film festival. 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.
About On Assignment
Dive into the stories behind the news with a new podcast from Reuters. We take you past the headlines right to the heart of the action. From the frontlines of war to corporate boardrooms and the centers of political power, listen to our award-winning investigative journalists around the world make sense of the most important stories today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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On Assignment publishes weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
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On Assignment covers topics including News, Documentary, Culture, Society & Culture, Daily News. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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