philipberman.bsky.social
@philipberman.bsky.social
Previously, Associate Media Relations for Public Participation Charity Involve
Produce, edit and host the Ecotextile Talks podcast
Produce and edit the Politics on the Couch podcast
wish the BBC would lead on micro-economic aspects of budget rather than the politics and macro-economic sides. Overall tax takes are meaningless to most of us, and what's the point in asking Reform, Greens, Lib Dems, SNP and Conservatives unbiased opinion? I mean Kemi said it was worst one ever 🤨
November 26, 2025 at 5:55 PM
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Brilliant, as ever. The content was so rich I had to listen to it 3 times to get all the points.
November 21, 2025 at 5:01 PM
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📉London has recorded the lowest number of murders in 2025 since monthly records began!

😮That number represents a fall of almost 60% compared to 2003.
November 25, 2025 at 3:51 PM
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Excellent podcast, not least for Dr Buchanan recalling the great Cialdini quote “The media doesn’t tell you what to think, it tells you what to think about”.

Distraction just as much a threat as disinformation to make some issues more or less salient.

#merchantsofdistraction
November 12, 2025 at 7:29 AM
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Fantastic episode. Informative and enlightening. I'm going to listen again straight away.

[Politics on the Couch] Changing minds about immigration #politicsOnTheCouch
sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/646... via @PodcastAddict
sphinx.acast.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:44 AM
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New Politics on the Couch - the world’s most erratically scheduled politics podcast - this time on immigration, storytelling and changing even the most hostile minds (maybe). shows.acast.com/6462652801a2...
Changing minds about immigration | Politics on the Couch
How to talk about immigration with ‘authoritarian’ voters: Rafael Behr in conversation with Dr Tessa Buchanan from the Cambridge Political Psychology Lab
shows.acast.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Anyone know whether Milner was still playing football professional football when Dowman was born?
November 4, 2025 at 7:24 PM
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All in the Mind is back! We kicked off today by finding out what AI therapists actually say to you and what the evidence says about them. Every Tues at 9.30am @bbcradio4 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 4 - All in the Mind, The rise of AI therapy
Why are people turning to human-like AI chatbots for therapy - and are they any good?
www.bbc.co.uk
September 30, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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Interested in learning about the psychology of laughter, lies, and gambling? Come to Think Again!, hosted by broadcaster @claudiahammond.bsky.social on 18th Nov in Brighton, UK. I'll be joined by @gillyforrester.bsky.social & Tom Ormerod from Sussex Uni. Tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/think-agai...
September 1, 2025 at 10:56 AM
In my latest podcast for Ecotextile News I talk Trump, Tariffs and Textiles with Kim Glas from the National Council of Textile Organizations to discuss the impact of Trump’s tariffs on the US's manufacturing base - which employs 471,000.
open.spotify.com/episode/0sCd...
Trump, Tariffs and US Textiles
open.spotify.com
September 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
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Must listen: Excellent episode on why there is so much distrust in our institutions, what we can do to reinvigorate democracy (based on Demos report recommendations) and where it already works (spoiler: locally).
July 12, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Small excerpt from the latest edition of Politics on the Couch podcast (clip from: @appgfairelections.bsky.social)

Full edition available here:

Apple
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...

Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/3o7N...
July 8, 2025 at 2:09 PM
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Also, Origin Story podcasts with Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynsky and, of course, Rafael Behr's Politics on the Couch
June 27, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Thanks for kind comment. Here's the @demos-uk.bsky.social paper if you want to read more:

demos.co.uk/research/upg...
July 8, 2025 at 2:04 PM
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❓Do you think our democracy is in trouble?

Read our latest paper 'Upgrading Democracy', where Polly sets out the democratic doom loop threatening British politics, and how we can fix it. ⬇️

demos.co.uk/research/upg...
Upgrading Democracy: A new deal to repair the broken relationship between citizen and state
Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.
demos.co.uk
July 8, 2025 at 10:09 AM
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This podcast is always worth your time.
July 2, 2025 at 8:07 AM
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Polly Curtis at Demos just published a report that very much aligns with my thinking on the topic, really its about direct democratic empowerment, she explains it here player.fm/1BwkPRX
How to break the ‘democratic doom loop’
<p>Rafael Behr talks to <a href="https://demos.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Demos</a>' CEO <a href="https://demos.co.uk/people/polly-curtis/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Polly Curtis</a> about the ...
player.fm
July 3, 2025 at 8:14 PM
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Excellent from @pollycurtis.bsky.social weaving a powerful narrative linking people’s trust in government, politicians’ trust in people, public services, participatory and deliberative democracy, mandatory voting and proportional electoral systems.
July 6, 2025 at 4:52 PM
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Calling regular listeners to Politics on the Couch. We - that is me and @philipberman.bsky.social - want your input. Has been fun 5 years, but what next? Survey link in show notes to latest episode here: shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
How to break the ‘democratic doom loop’ | Politics on the Couch
Host Rafael Behr talks to Polly Curtis, Demos CEO, about the urgent case for upgrading democracy
shows.acast.com
July 4, 2025 at 1:32 PM
The Media Show presented by Katie Razzall and @rosatkins.bsky.social is almost certainly the most interesting, balanced and nuanced programme on the BBC at the moment.
open.spotify.com/episode/4WHM...
Broadcasting Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, Tim Franks, F1’s media strategy
The Media Show · Episode
open.spotify.com
July 2, 2025 at 6:42 PM
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Upgrading Democracy, the new report from our Chief Executive Polly Curtis is out today.

💡Read the report: demos.co.uk/research/upg...
🎙️Hear the deep dive on Politics on the Couch with @rafaelbehr.bsky.social: lnkd.in/e2rVEup3
🧵 Insights from @eliothiggins.bsky.social Founder of Bellingcat below
🧵 Just finished reading Upgrading Democracy by @pollycurtis.bsky.social at @demos-uk.bsky.social .
It’s a sharp, hopeful intervention in the face of democratic breakdown, and it aligns in profound ways with the epistemic collapse I’ve been tracking in my own work.
demos.co.uk/wp-content/u...
July 2, 2025 at 11:18 AM
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Just to be clear: this is a transaction, and it's profoundly corrupt. www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/...
CBS owner Paramount settles Trump lawsuit over Harris interview for $16M
The money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to him directly, according to the agreement. Paramount will not apologize as part of the settlement.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 2, 2025 at 10:41 AM
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Podcast! New Politics on the Couch, and a timely one, too, on breaking the "democratic doom loop". Conversation with the excellent @pollycurtis.bsky.social shows.acast.com/politicsonth...
How to break the ‘democratic doom loop’ | Politics on the Couch
Host Rafael Behr talks to Polly Curtis, Demos CEO, about the urgent case for upgrading democracy
shows.acast.com
July 2, 2025 at 7:57 AM
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Column: The methods that won power for Labour don't work in government and Starmer needs to give his old supporters new reasons to stick with him. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
After the welfare vote debacle, this much is clear: Starmer must change. Labour MPs will demand it | Rafael Behr
The anti-Tory energy that won the PM a majority last year has gone. He needs to give his old supporters new reasons to keep him in office, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
www.theguardian.com
July 1, 2025 at 8:00 PM
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The 2024 summer riots showed how urgently we need stronger community ties in the UK. A national strategy for community cohesion is welcome, but it must be shaped with people, not imposed on them.

This week, our interim co-CEO Carly Walker-Dawson gave evidence to the HCLG Committee on this.

🧵
June 26, 2025 at 9:31 AM