Classless broadcasting: Benefits Street
The controversial documentary series Benefits Street reveals everything that’s gone wrong with Channel 4, argues Mark Fisher
Politics & Conflict
Book review: Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics by Michael Ignatieff
This article is from the Winter 2013 issue of New Humanist magazine. You can subscribe here. Michael Ignatieff’s career could have been specifically scripted to provide the pleasures of schadenfreude…
On the importance of the right to offend
This article is cross-posted from Kenan Malik’s blog Pandaemonium ‘Thank you @Channel4News you just pushed us liberal Muslims further into a ditch’. So tweeted Maajid Nawaz, prospective Liberal Democratic parliamentary…
Channel 4 accused of censorship over Jesus & Mo story
The National Secular Society has written to Channel 4 News to express concern over the programme’s censorship of the Jesus & Mo web comic, which was shown as part of…
Bible comedy sells out after theatre ban reversed, and other stories – our morning round-up
“Banned” Bible comedy sells out Two performances of The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s play The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged) have sold out following the decision to reverse a…
UK agrees to take in 500 Syrian refugees – but is it enough?
More than 2.5 million people have fled Syria since March 2011, as civil war has engulfed their country. These people – around 10 per cent of the population – have…
Tunisia signs new constitution, and other stories – our morning round-up
Tunisia signs new constitution After decades of dictatorship and two years of arguments and compromises, Tunisia’s new constitution has come into force. In a ceremony on Monday in the national…
Liberal Democrats in Jesus & Mo free speech row
Candidate Maajid Nawaz has faced death threats and calls for his deselection since tweeting an image from the popular web comic
UN seeks to bridge Syria divide, and other stories – our morning round-up
UN to hold talks with rival Syrian groups The UN mediator for Syrian peace talks is to hold separate talks with the rival delegations to assess their willingness to meet…
“Benefits tourism”: myth or reality?
Samira Shackle looks at the thinking behind one of the week's top stories.