Strong Message Here

By: BBC Radio 4
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  • Summary

  • In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe.

    Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried?

    You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political language from two people both baffled and beguiled by it. They'll walk you through the various verbal fiascos of the modern political lexicon so that by the end you'll be oven-ready for an appearance on Newsnight.

    Warning: this podcast features strong political language that some listeners may find nonsensical.

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.
    (C) BBC 2024
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Episodes
  • Words of the Year

    Words of the Year
    Dec 20 2024

    In a year where Labour secured a 'loveless landslide' in the UK and Trump sealed his return to the White House, Helen and Armando will be 'laser-focussed' on their 'mission' to skewer the use and abuse of political language. From 'freebies' to 'fascism', 'weird' to 'working people', all of the strong messages that helped Make 2024 Great Again will be put under the microscope.

    A witty, illuminating exploration of the verbal tricks of the trade from two people both mesmerised and baffled by our political discourse. Helen and Armando will identify the worst political doublespeak, discover where it comes from, examine why it spreads - and look at what effect it has on the rest of us.

    Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

    Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
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    30 mins
  • The Tepid Bath of Managed Decline

    The Tepid Bath of Managed Decline
    Dec 19 2024

    Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

    This week, Helen and Armando are having a splash around in the tepid bath of managed decline. When does a phrase become accidentally too evocative? What is the remedy to a tepid bath? And is the desire for 'start up culture' within the government the right thing?

    Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

    Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

    Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
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    29 mins
  • Reset, NOT Relaunch

    Reset, NOT Relaunch
    Dec 12 2024

    Comedy writer Armando Iannucci and journalist Helen Lewis decode the utterly baffling world of political language.

    This week, following Keir Starmer's 'Plan for Change', Helen and Armando look at what a reset actually means. From Jaguar's rebrand to Miliband's Ed Stone, do resets work?

    Listen to Strong Message Here every Thursday at 9.45am on Radio 4 and then head straight to BBC Sounds for an extended episode.

    Have you stumbled upon any perplexing political phrases you need Helen and Armando to decode? Email them to us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

    Sound Editing by Charlie Brandon-King Production Coordinator - Katie Baum Executive Producer - Pete Strauss

    Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Audio production for Radio 4. An EcoAudio Certified Production.
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    33 mins

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