Today in Focus, the Guardian’s flagship daily news podcast, has launched a new four-part mini series covering the office of progressive Black district attorney Jason Williams on the heels of his election win in New Orleans in 2020. Recorded over a period of six months, the series follows the work of a new civil rights division in his office, tasked with re-examining past harms in the criminal legal system of America’s most incarcerated state.
Launched on Friday 6 May and concluding today (Monday 9 May), The Division - New Orleans, is the latest offering from the Guardian’s award-winning Today in Focus podcast. The series follows several cases, including a previously unreported story of Kuantay Reeder who, for 28 years, has claimed he was wrongfully convicted of murder.
The Division - New Orleans analyzes how the criminal justice system in New Orleans has, for centuries, disproportionately punished and condemned Black residents. The series also shows how a small team of prosecutors and investigators within the district attorney’s office have been attempting to reckon with the city’s past, and explores Williams’ election promises of greater fairness in the criminal legal system during an increase in violent crime.
Presented by US southern bureau chief Oliver Laughland, and accompanied by two narrative longform pieces, the podcast series is the latest example of The Guardian’s continued investment in audio journalism and commitment to finding engaging ways to reach audiences with evolving formats, compelling narratives, and topical, in-depth investigations.
Nicole Jackson, head of audio at the Guardian, said:
“Podcasts are an important part of the Guardian’s strategy, allowing us to connect more closely with listeners, produce original impactful audio journalism and to tell stories in new and interesting ways. The Division, a new four-part investigative mini series for Today in Focus, is the perfect example of what our daily news podcast does best - working closely with the Guardian’s global newsroom to connect listeners with some of the best journalists in the world who have access to extraordinary stories. I’m excited to hear the response from listeners to The Division, especially as we look to do more original investigations and mini-series in Today in Focus over the coming year.”
Oliver Laughland, Guardian US southern bureau chief and presenter of The Division - New Orleans, said:
“Some investigations lend themselves more naturally to a long-form, immersive approach; it allows for greater context, placing listeners squarely in the story. I’m delighted to bring the investigation to life with The Guardian’s support and grateful to the civil rights division for allowing me to observe their work as well as the many people—both formerly incarcerated and victims of crime—who so generously shared their experiences with me.”
The Guardian has been creating podcasts for over fifteen years, and the term podcast was first coined in the Guardian in 2004, by its columnist Ben Hammersley. The Guardian’s combined podcast network now enjoys millions of listens every month, with global monthly listens to Guardian podcasts having increased by over 60% since the start of the pandemic (Feb 2020-March 2022).
The Division - New Orleans, a four-part mini series from Today in Focus, runs across four consecutive days, from Friday 6 May to Monday 9 May. For additional insights on the investigation, two accompanying long form pieces are available for reading: Inside the division: how a small team of US prosecutors fight decades of shocking injustice and Life in prison for stealing $20: how the Division is taking apart brutal criminal sentences.
The series is presented by Oliver Laughland. The series executive producer is Nicole Jackson. Joshua Kelly served as series producer, with additional development production by Katie Fernelius and Pete Sayle. Sound design and original music is by Axel Kacoutié. Today in Focus is overseen by Phil Maynard and Mythili Rao. Christian Bennett is the Guardian’s executive editor for multimedia journalism.
Today in Focus is available on theguardian.com/audio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast or the podcast app of your choice.
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