Reflecting on “The Long Way Around” Radio Program and Podcast Hosted by Malcolm Burn

Shortly after I was Malcolm Burn’s guest in March 2022 on his weekly radio program, “The Long Way Around” on Radio Kingston he asked me to be the producer of the show. I was incredibly honored and immediately agreed as Malcolm and I saw eye-to-eye on virtually all topics and issues. And having been a radio producer since 2002, first in DC and then in several other media markets, I was confident that I had the ability to do a good job for him.

Every week on “The Long Way Around,” Malcolm took his listeners on a musical journey exploring history, culture, current events — and much more. Malcolm said his show was more personality and music driven but current events also were a critical part of the format. A goal was to draw listeners to alternate views of the world around us. Guests submitted music to accompany their conversations with Malcolm. This is what I think was really engaging about the show and kept many listeners’ attention throughout the two hours that it aired. Music — in its universal and always magical way — sparked memories and innumerable, amazing stories.

I heard from more than one listener and guest that the show’s format was unique. To me, it also was an important vehicle to introduce U.S. listeners, in particular, to information, analysis and insights that mainstream U.S. media consistently ignored and even censored.

Guests over the next few years were many giants in the spheres of anti-war activism, comedy, economics, film, geopolitical analysis, journalism and alternative media, law, literature, music, non-fiction and politics and included:

Benjamin Abelow, David Andersson, Eva Karene Bartlett, Medea Benjamin, (the late) Christopher Black, Lee Camp, Alex Christoforou, Randy Credico, Jacob Dreizin, The Duran (Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris), Rabbi David Feldman, George Galloway, Eleanor Goldfield, Danny Haiphong, Professor Kenneth Hammond, Chris Hedges, Tadhg Hickey, Jackson Hinckle, Jesse Jett, Taral Kauf and Ellen Davidson, Anne Keala Kelly, Journos (Bryan Russo and Ryan Abbott), Daniel Kovalik, Dimitri Lascaris, Daniel Maté, Ray McGovern, Susan Neiman, Garland Nixon, Kevin Gosztola, (the late) John Pilger, Tara Reade, Adolph Reed, Jr., Wyatt Reed, Scott Ritter, Diane Sare, Ahmed Shameya, Jill Stein, Ken Stone, Jose Vega, Roger Waters, Max Wilbert and Professor Richard D. Wolff.

Malcolm would often connect with guests living in many other parts of the world. Fellow Canadian Dimitri would join him regularly from Toronto, Ontario and occasionally from Greece.

It was always an honor to have Co-Hosts Alexander Mercouris and Alex Christoforou from The Duran join Malcolm. Their first appearance was shortly after Russia's special operation in Ukraine started in February 2022. They joined Malcolm for annual updates in 2023 and 2924. Alexander is based in London, UK and Alex reports from his bases in Athens, Greece and various locations in Cyprus. Their knowledge and analysis is impeccable, making them my personal daily "go-tos" for geopolitical news.

Tadhg Hickey from Cork, Ireland is super smart, funny and incredibly warm. His perceptive and biting social and political satire and commentary is worth looking up on his social media platforms. He will make you laugh, cry and — especially - think!

George Galloway is one of my favorites and was Malcolm's guest twice. He and his lovely wife Gayatri host "The Mother of All Talk Shows," a popular twice weekly TV program with prominent guests from around the world that's available on many social media platforms. There’s only one George Galloway. Seven-time British Parliamentarian, freedom fighter, man of the world. Writer, broadcaster, filmmaker. Football and boxing enthusiast, movie-goer, box-set binger. Husband, father of five children, Scottish of Irish background, honorary Palestinian, Iraqi, Syrian, Egyptian. Friend of Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Benazir Bhutto, Yasser Arafat, Tariq Aziz. Trembling with indignation at any injustice, anywhere! Catch his show and you'll be hooked.

A few guest accolades:

“Thank you for doing a show that breaks through the very thing that we were talking about at length — the propaganda that comes like a tsunami at us in so many burning issues. Thank you for raising it, questioning it, and discussing it. It’s what radio has been doing – the best medium. – it’s the one medium that I’ve only worked in, filling in for others, but I’ve always regarded it as the best medium.” — John Pilger, guest, Sept. 4, 2022

“I appreciate that there are programs like yours that have the courage to bring these kinds of conversations into the public sphere. This should be going on all over the country, all over the internet, all over radio and television and everything. Because literally the future of the world and of this country depends on this — and instead of having the kind of denial plus propaganda overkill, we ought to have the kinds of hard conversations where we can open up about our ambivalences. Ambivalence about the United States. Ambivalence about China. Neither one of these is the paragon of virtue. That Puritan notion of the good guys and bad guys is an obstacle to coming up with workable solutions.” — Richard D. Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts; Founder of Democracy at Work and Host of the nationally syndicated show Economic Update, Guest, Sept. 25, 2022)

We heard time and again how valuable the show was in its distinct ability to communicate another way of looking at current issues of global importance that didn’t relay a western narrative. Sadly, though, as I should have guessed, and was bound to happen sooner or later due to guests and issues considered too controversial and too outside the prescribed western narrative, “The Long Way Around” was cancelled in spring 2024.

Producing “The Long Way Around” for Malcolm was a profoundly rewarding experience for me. I have had the opportunity to meet people that I admire and respect and with whom I continue to have ongoing relationships. Their dedication to telling their truths that consistently challenge western biases has enriched and broadened my global knowledge and opened my eyes to different ways of seeing and understanding the world.

Most episodes of "The Long Way Around" can be found on the show's YouTube Channel. Malcolm also has a Substack where he posts his conversations wit guests and, quite often, his own commentary (it's free to subscribe).

(“Between the Grooves” hosted by Malcolm Burn — which I also produce — has replaced “The Long Way Around.” It airs in the same time slot on Sundays from 8-10 pm ET on Radio Kingston. It's an excellent show and has featured a number of prominent guests, including Bruce Cockburn, Peter Buffett, Jim Moginie and Tony Levin.)