Unfortunately, this otherwise excellent podcast is tainted by quotes from the Iranian government agent and NIAC apologist posing as a reporter, Rana Rahimpour.

EDIT: Thank you for removing the paywall on the final episode of Season one, and I’m loving Season two even more than the first. Just please, learn from the past and don’t retroactively paywall this important reporting. Don’t become like the entertainment focused podcasts. No other investigative journalism in the UK or the whole of Europe is as dedicated and thorough as Tortoise Media. I’m a listener from the US, and have learned so much. Paul Galizia is making his mother proud. I hope this reporting partnership continues for a very long time. Stay true to an honest podcast model and don’t make the mistake of removing episodes like the rest presently caught up in this fever dream of 🍏+ greed. The same platform that keyword censors reviews if I include the name of the company CEO Tim Cook works for. RSS is key to a future of a free and open press. ORIGINAL: Dear Tortoise Media: Why was the bonus episode paywalled MONTHS after this podcast came out? I’m finally finishing this series, and now I can’t listen to the final episode in this series because Tortoise+ was launched and you retroactively paywalled free AD-Supported episodes! I support Tortoise as an earlier listener, but no, I cannot pay $60/year just to listen to one 33 minute bonus episode. MORE ads were already added to the entire series. How much money is going to get in the way of the impact of investigative reporting. If you actually care about reporting, remove the RETROACTIVE paywall. This is unethical beyond imagination. Are you no different than Wondery? Is this all about money? RE-RELEASE THE BONUS EPISODE back to the feed, which is what was promised to listeners. Going back on this is bait & switch. And TELL listeners when you DELETE episodes from feeds. Whether it’s censored or it’s paywalled — I shouldn’t have to investigate and get upset about missing episodes! Just be transparent and honest. This new model is unsustainable, goes against real podcasting — which is RSS only — and will have massive backlash when the costs of running all these + platforms far outweigh any potential revenue, and inevitably come to an end; you’ll want to be on the right side of history. I’m going to stop listening to ALL podcasts by Publishers practicing this heinous act of retroactively making old podcasts into paywalled “Exclusives.” If you want to grow, then stop betraying your most loyal listeners.

Three episodes in and I'm not sure I've learned anything eye-opening from this show yet but will keep going. It's hard to be outraged by rich Russian oligarchs buying failing, second-tier British newspaper to peddle influence given what Rupert Murdoch has already done to the UK press, but what's most aggravating is the endless use of intrusive music. It's unnecessary and distracting. There's good, well-synthesized reporting here, but I'd be more invested if the producers didn't feel the need to layer everything with music.

The most important podcast you are likely to listen to in the this year definitely, but maybe even the last decade or two…. especially if you are a British citizen. Listen and review, this is historic.