Backlight is a podcast produced by the investigations team at Lighthouse Reports. Every month we take you inside real world investigations to explain how they work, who works on them and how to get involved. New episode on the last Thursday of every month.
Do you need to go to journalism school? Part 2 (Teacher Edition) w/ Lam Thuy Vo and Ron Haviv
In this episode we speak to two educators from two very different corners of the field who are doing their best to prepare students for a changing industry landscape. We discuss the pros and cons of formal training and the skills journalists need to be industry-read. It’s what you need to know to thrive in today’s media landscape.
Part 2 of a two-part series.
Interviewees
Lam Thuy Vo (https://lamivo.com/), Associate Professor in Data Journalism, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism (CUNY), Investigative Reporter at Documented
Ron Haviv (https://theviifoundation.org/profile/haviv-ron/), Photojournalist and Co-founder of The VII Foundation
Hosted by Beatriz Ramalho da Silva and Tessa Pang
Produced by Lara Bodger
Sound edited and designed by Elli Xypolitaki / Spoovio
Music by mobygratis
Website (https://www.lighthousereports.com/) - X (https://x.com/LHreports) - BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/lhreports.bsky.social) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lighthousereports/) - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com (mailto:backlight@lighthousereports.com)
27 Aug 2026
Do you need to go to journalism school? w/ Laís Martins and Shoeb Abdullah
Does journalism school still matter? This episode follows two early career journalists who got into the field in completely different ways: one who went to J-school twice, and one who never went at all. Part 1 of a two-part series.
Interviewees:
Laís Martins (https://www.laismartins.com/), Investigative Reporter, Intercept Brazil, Pulitzer Center AI Accountability Fellow
Shoeb Abdullah (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoeb-abdullah-827371204/), Co-founder of the Bangladesh Protest Archive
Hosted by Beatriz Ramalho da Silva and Tessa Pang
Sound edited and designed by Elli Xypolitaki / Spoovio
Music by mobygratis
Website (https://www.lighthousereports.com/) - X (https://x.com/LHreports) - BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/lhreports.bsky.social) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lighthousereports/) - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com (mailto:backlight@lighthousereports.com)
21 Jul 2026
Reclaiming the migration narrative w/ Coco Khan, Sakhr Al-Makhadhi & May Bulman
Fear, crisis, invasion. That's the way migration gets spoken about and the far right is often the one setting the tone. So how can journalism push back against this narrative? This episode brings together three people covering migration from very different angles: social media, cross border investigations, and cultural commentary with a pinch of humor.
Interviewees:
Sakhr Al-Makhadhi, Executive Producer at AJ+
May Bulman, Investigations Editor at Lighthouse Reports
Coco Khan, journalist, writer and co-host of Pod Save the UK
Hosted by Beatriz Ramalho da Silva and Tessa Pang
Sound edited and designed by Elli Xypolitaki / Spoovio
Music by mobygratis
Website (https://www.lighthousereports.com/) - X (https://x.com/LHreports) - BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/lhreports.bsky.social) - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lighthousereports/) - and you can email us at backlight@lighthousereports.com
Who has been a guest on Backlight
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Lu Min Lwin
Lucelle Bonzo
Johanna Rüdiger
Johnny Harris
Adam Cole
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
1,048,147
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
29 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
27
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
77
Contact Backlight
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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