Interested in the news but sometimes find there is a whole lot of assumed knowledge which makes it confusing and time-consuming to get across? We hear you. Squiz Shortcuts is an Australian short-form podcast series on news topics, historical events, big personalities, and complex situations. It’s the backstory to the big news stories. If reading is more your thing, there’s a written explainer to accompany each topic.
Have a Squiz Shortcuts idea for us? [email protected]
We take a look at Jack Ma himself, his rise and success, what it means to run a business venture in Communist China and the reasons a usually very public character is thought be laying low.
21 January 2021
We take a look at why these decisions have been taken, the rise of alternative social media platforms, and what it all means in the ongoing free speech debate.
14 January 2021
We dig into the background of our national anthem, how it came to be the song for our nation, and what changes have been made to it over the years and why.
7 January 2021
We revisit the big local and international stories that shaped September through to December.
31 December 2020
We revisit the big local and international stories that shaped May through to August.
30 December 2020
We revisit the big local and international stories that shaped January through to April.
29 December 2020
Take a lighter look at year that was 2020 by joining us for The Great Big Squiz Quiz.
18 December 2020
We catch you up on where some of the big issues are at so you can impress your friends and family over the Christmas break.
17 December 2020
We take a look at the problem news organisations have with Big Tech, the counterarguments from Facebook and Google and what Australia’s new media code will do to address each parties issues.
10 December 2020
We take a look at Australia’s history of shark attacks, why they seem to be becoming more prevalent, and what experts are suggesting we can do to prevent them.
3 December 2020
We take a look at what master recordings are, the power relationship between a record label and an artist, and how this battle has played out before.
26 November 2020
We take a look at the events leading up to the release of the Brereton Report, as well as what we know about the report’s findings, and what happens next.
20 November 2020
We take a look at how America voted, how the House and the Senate vote played out and what happens next.
11 November 2020
We arm you with handy information that’ll help as you tune into see the results.
2 November 2020
We take a step back from the personality contest, and look at the what each candidate will bring to to the table on policy.
28 October 2020
We tackle the Presidential Race – so we’re talking the electoral college system and how a the President actually wins the election…
22 October 2020
In the first in our four-part series in the lead up to the US Election on 3 November, we take a look at the implications these elections have for governing in the US, and what’s happening in those races.
15 October 2020
Thailand is one of the few places in the world with lese-majeste laws, which is tricky because their current king is quite a colourful character…
1 October 2020
In this episode of Squiz Shortcuts, we look at why our borders closed in the first place, how it has unfolded and the impact it has had.
24 September 2020
In this episode, we take a look at how Australia’s ties with China were established, how we’ve thrived together – and how we’ve recently hit some very choppy waters.
17 September 2020
We look at how the aged care sector is set up, who’s responsible for it, and the massive challenges it faces during COVID-19.
3 September 2020
We take a look at how US elections work, what mail-in voting is, and the issues surrounding it.
27 August 2020
We take a look at the role of the Vice President of America, and learn a bit more about the current veep, Mike Pence, and the potential veep, Kamala Harris.
20 August 2020
We look at what a vaccine is, how it’s developed, and the challenges public health officials are facing with developing one for COVID-19.
13 August 2020
We step through the origins of the conflict in Yemen, and what it means for its people.
6 August 2020
Vaping comes up a bit in the news due to concerns about the health effects.
30 July 2020
Facebook is the biggest social media platform in the world, so inevitably, it’s in the news a lot. In this episode we take a look at how Facebook makes money, how it collects and uses our data and how at times that has caused a bit of strife. How did Facebook come about? Facebook might […]
23 July 2020
TikTok is the hugely popular, Chinese-founded social media app that is in the news of late for more than just it’s funny videos.
15 July 2020
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is long and complex. At its core, it’s a fight over territory…
9 July 2020
Donald Trump is probably the most talked about person on the planet…
2 July 2020
He’s the Democratic candidate running against Donald Trump in November’s presidential election. A former vice president, Biden’s been around American politics a long time.
25 June 2020
Officially called One Belt, One Road it is one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s most ambitious foreign policy and economic initiatives…
17 June 2020
What a Royal Commission is, the power and effectiveness of Royal Commissions, and a quick look at the ones currently running.
11 June 2020
We take a look at the history of slavery in America, the fight for civil rights, and what’s happening now.
4 June 2020
With the coronavirus crisis requiring a coordinated response between the federal government and our states and territories we take a step back and look at how the federation operates
13 May 2020
The World Health Organisation really is in the spotlight at the moment. Get the backstory to how it operates, the guy in charge, and some of the criticisms centred at it.
7 May 2020
Who are the people we’re paying attention to during this coronavirus crisis…
29 April 2020
We’ll take you through some fundamentals on what a recession looks like, and what governments can do.
21 April 2020
As the world braces for the impact of COVID-19, we’re going to take a look back at some of the big infectious disease outbreaks of the past. Where they started, their devastating mortality rate, and how they were eventually contained.
6 April 2020
Dame Mary Gilmore, Mary Reibey, Edith Cowan, and Dame Nellie Melba are four notable Australian women whose significant achievements are honoured through their inclusion on our currency. So let’s get to know them – who they were, what they achieved, and their legacies.
8 March 2020
Who can become US President , how the parties elect their candidates, the all-important numbers; and what to watch out for in the 2020 election.
3 March 2020
How the Australian education system works, where Australia ranks relative to the rest of the world, and the debate about how to lift our game.
26 February 2020
The Rohingya and the Uyghur are two predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities. The UN considers them to be victims of human rights abuses. Here we explain who they are, as well as why and how they’re being persecuted.
18 February 2020
The background to the bloke to our Prime Minister, and the bloke who wants to be.
10 February 2020
What coronavirus actually is, where it came from, the broader implications, and how we stop the spread….
4 February 2020
What the date marks, how it evolved, the argument for and against moving it, and what our leaders think…
23 January 2020
What is a ‘senior royal’, how are the Royal Family funded and what it all means for Harry and Meghan…
22 January 2020
It’s the Chinese tech company that’s been banned from rolling out 5G networks here in Australia…
13 January 2020
It’s defined the Australia summer of 2019/2020…
9 January 2020
We’ve wrapped up the biggest stories from each month in 2019, and pulled out the most clicked items in the Squiz Today email. You’re welcome…
31 December 2019
This is all things Brexit since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister….
13 December 2019
How has online shopping changed the face of retailing? And what are the major shopping events that now landmarks on the shopping calendar?
28 November 2019
How Islamic State came to be, the power it had at its peak, and the push to defeat it.
18 November 2019
Who are these worlds leaders we hear about all the time…
12 November 2019
The background to one of the most commonly used phrases in news…
28 October 2019
West Papua is seeing an uprising that has led to deadly riots and mass arrests…
20 October 2019
The context behind the fallout of the US withdrawal from northeastern Syria…
16 October 2019
Turns out there’s a history of people messing with time…
2 October 2019
Understand why the relationship between the US and Iran is so significant for the world…
25 September 2019
It has more twists and turns than a good soapie, but far fewer good looking people…
4 September 2019
It’s been in the news every day for the past few months, here’s the context…
27 August 2019