After months of diligent work, the Guardian’s UK political editor, Pippa Crerar, shared the testimony of an alleged victim of sexual assault by a Conservative MP. The accuser claims that the party failed to properly investigate the allegations, instead putting its reputation first. Also in British politics, David Conn’s reporting on minister Michael Gove failing to declare the VIP hospitality he received from a Tory donor has led to the opening of an investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog.
Guardian Australia launched a major investigation, The wanted, led by Ben Doherty, about two men who have been indicted for allegedly playing a part in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, and who are believed to be living in Australia.
Rafael Behr wrote a moving opinion piece in light of intemperate arguments in Britain about Islamophobia and antisemitism, outlining his frustration at the toxicity and superficiality of the political debate in the UK.
An investigation by Observer reporter Jon Ungoed-Thomas revealed how “smart keys” have fuelled a new wave of car crime. Jon obtained CCTV footage showing how it took just 20 seconds for a thief to walk up to one London resident’s £40,000 car and drive away.
Èlia Borràs reported from Burkina Faso where extreme temperatures have forced architects to consider new and innovative designs to cope with more than 40-degree heat without using air-conditioning.
The question of how we protect children online was explored by Hannah Nwoko, who initially felt happy to share photos of her son on social media until she realised the extent to which it could harm him. Her testimony resonated with our readers, hundreds of whom shared their experiences in response.
Women’s Football Weekly co-host Faye Carruthers wrote a lovely piece about what it’s like to present the podcast. She recalled with delight her favourite moment so far: recording an episode just minutes after England’s historic 2022 Euros win.
We published two inspiring interviews this week. Anna Moore interviewed Kathy Kleiner, who survived an attack by the serial killer Ted Bundy in 1978. Bundy and his killings have often been grotesquely glamorised, but Kleiner’s words provided an important corrective, describing him as a “sad little man”. Meanwhile Simon Hattenstone spoke to Glynn Simmons, victim of one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in US history, who spent 48 years in prison after a wrongful conviction for murder. Simon’s words were beautifully illustrated by Scott Slusher’s portraits.
Emma Brockes’ piece on voice notes, and how her fellow generation Xers are suddenly sending them all the time, was very funny.
A new Guardian US series, Bots v Ballots, examined how artificial intelligence will affect the 2024 US election and revealed how one tech company, supported by Donald Trump’s former lawyer, is using AI to facilitate mass challenges to voter registration in swing states. Our video team also looked at how the use of AI in advertising and beyond is distorting modern beauty standards.
On a similar theme, I was moved by our interview with artist Laurie Anderson in which she confessed to being “addicted” to talking to a chatbot version of her late husband Lou Reed. Anderson’s story said a lot about how even the most fundamental parts of the human condition, such as grief, are beginning to be transformed by technology.
Finally, this week we launched the new Deeply read feature on our digital homepages, which shows the articles readers are spending a longer time with. We’re the first news organisation to do this, and we hope the tool will promote a wider range of our journalism beyond the trending topics of the day. You can find it at the bottom of the homepage next to the Most viewed table.
