• Editorials Mastering Politics: China’s Uighur genocide
    In the news for the past few months have been stories about an ongoing genocide in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Most of the population living in the north-western region are Uighur Muslims and they are currently the victims of horrific government-sanctioned abuse. Please note: this article features mentions of rape and torture. Who are […]
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  • Editorials Is EURO 2020 using vaccine passports a good idea?
    It has recently been revealed that for the upcoming group stages of EURO 2020, vaccine passports will be used as a means of allowing fans into Wembley for the group stages. But is this fair for most supporters? Although the initial headlines may have created concerns for younger fans who haven’t had an opportunity to […]
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  • Editorials Instagram activism and its fundamental flaw
    It’s easy to ridicule large corporations for their callous approach to social issues. Their indifference to the bigger picture is pretty obvious and the PR teams usually slap together a sanctimonious piece of virtue signalling. All for the promise of profit. Everyone in the world has talked about this kind of activism – it is […]
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  • Editorials The History of Section 28 – Britain’s Dark Side
    In 1988, the Local Government Act brought in by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government introduced Section 28 to Britain. It is one of the most controversial and deeply harmful pieces of legislation ever seen in Parliament because of what it meant for the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Section 28 prevented schools from “promoting the teaching of […]
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  • Editorials Cryptocurrency (and the price crash) explained
    Cryptocurrency as an emerging market has caused numerous headlines both positive and negative throughout its time on the scene. Recently, following weeks of all-time records for Bitcoin and other Altcoins in terms of value, the market has found itself falling steeply in value. In order to understand the recent events of the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency […]
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  • Editorials Will the reversal of China’s two-child policy be enough?
    Recently, China has announced they will be ending their controversial two-child policy, allowing Chinese couples to now have up to three children. In the announcement, the CCP stated that the new regulations would “improve China’s population structure” – but will this be the case, or has Chinese society adapted to the one-and-two-child policies? The one-child […]
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  • Editorials Diana and the press: The history and scandal
    The story of Diana, Princess of Wales exemplifies the tragedy that the media has evoked, and continues to evoke upon the lives of many. The history of Diana and her experience with the media is one of the most well known instances of mass media bullying that the world has ever seen. Diana’s own brother, […]
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  • Editorials Prince Harry is braver than he gets credit for
    Ever since Prince Harry said in a 2017 interview that he sought professional counselling, I have always found everything he does strikes a chord with me. That kind of raw, open honesty from someone in his shoes was unheard of – and it meant way more than he could have ever known. Recommended Reading: Prince […]
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  • Editorials 10 Northerners You Didn’t Know Were Northern
    The North is one amazing place to live, work, and study – but you didn’t need us to tell you that. We all know that being Northern is the best gift we could have been giving, even if our region’s achievers are oftentimes the forgotten folk. So, we’ve devised this list of ten amazing Northerners […]
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  • Editorials The gender health gap: How the medical system treats women
    As a young adult, I know that the realities of healthcare can sometimes cause failure in looking after patients. What if you found out that half of the world’s population is being failed? It’s well-established that your race, class and wealth can affect your quality of healthcare. But one of the less obvious ways, and […]
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  • Editorials Understanding the gender discussion
    Train Operator LNER has recently set twitter alight after a non-binary rail union representative complained about the gender language a conductor chose to use. Passengers were greeted with ‘good morning ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls’. LNER’s apology has caused a lot of debate, with some praising them on their response, and some calling it […]
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  • Editorials Will you miss anything about lockdown life?
    Every cloud has a silver lining. And in this pandemic era, that silver lining has arguably been the copious amount of time we’ve all had for self reflection. Lockdown life has given a lot of us time to focus on things we’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time to get around to.  […]
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  • Editorials Top 5 ways to handle exam stress
    It’s that time of year. You’ve learned what you need to have learned, the days are getting longer, the weather is getting better and here we are: consumed by exam stress. It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and stressed at the thought of doing a test right now, especially after a year of online learning. […]
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  • Editorials Helen McCrory’s most iconic roles
    Helen McCrory, the prominent big sister of Thomas Shelby in the BBC cult show Peaky Blinders, lost her battle with cancer last week. Having kept her illness secret, the 52-year-old actress appeared to battle the dreaded disease with as much determination as she did her roles on screen and stage. Comments from fellow thespians and […]
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  • Editorials What I’ve Learned in 21 Years
    In case the headline isn’t clear, let’s just say it: I’m 21 today. That’s 7,665 days, or 183,960 hours, alive on this random planet in the Milky Way. When you put it like that, 21 years seemingly doesn’t equate to much at all. But, as every person who has lived to this point will testify: […]
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  • Editorials Are single-sex schools the safest prevention of sexual harassment?
    There is a timely, outdated belief that has parents wanting their sons to go to mixed-sex schools to benefit from the civilising influence of girls, and for their daughters to go to single-sex schools, to protect them from the corrupting influence of boys. Or, as reported now, to protect them from sexual harassment. Of course, […]
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  • Editorials Is Keir Starmer doing a good job as Labour leader?
    Following the Corbyn era, the position of Labour leader was going to be difficult to fill. Low and behold Sir Keir Starmer. Starmer has noticeably reached out to former Labour voters who turned their backs on the party in 2019 by wrapping himself in a union jack. When making a speech, he will often emphasise […]
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  • Editorials Netflix vs Disney+
    Following Netflix’s recent announcement that there will be limitations set on device sharing between households, a huge question has been posed in my mind as to whether or not my Netflix subscription is actually worth it. Other services, such as Disney+, Apple TV and Amazon Prime TV have been gaining a lot of traction recently. […]
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  • Editorials Should the Royal Family be abolished?
    It comes as no surprise that the Royal Family is a controversial topic. Drama from every drop of the bloodline. Prince Andrew’s involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit — and crucially, the couple’s allegations that their son was subjected to racism from within the royal household— begs the question […]
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  • Editorials Netflix cracking down on password sharing
    Netflix has begun to test a feature that asks viewers whether or not they live in the same household as a Netflix account holder. This feature is intended to crack down on those who share passwords between family and friends. It is reported that some users of the streaming service have encountered a message asking […]
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  • Editorials Easing into life after Covid
    I can guarantee that we have something in common. Regardless of background, age or interests. We’re all sick of Covid. This Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of the UK lockdown and, honestly, it was nice to have some new way to keep track of time. We’ve all gone through so much in the past […]
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  • Editorials National Day of Reflection: An Avoidable Disaster
    Today marks one year since Prime Minister Boris Johnson took the decision to put the UK into its first lockdown. Since then, we’ve had a tiered system, a summer free-for-all which likely contributed to the increase in cases throughout August and September, and another full-force lockdown. But as we pause today to remember the almost […]
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  • Editorials Why is there still no law against street harassment?
    Sarah Everard’s tragic story has sparked such a valuable conversation, with many women sharing their experiences surrounding sexual harassment and discussing how vulnerable they feel walking the streets alone. According to a survey from UN Women UK, 97% of women between the ages of 18-24 said they had been sexually harassed, with 80% of women […]
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  • Editorials How Coronavirus favours the wealthy
    This week, a study was released by Sheffield council suggesting that the working poor has been the worst hit by Coronavirus. The study shows people in low-paid jobs, with insecure contracts and thus unable to afford to take time off work to isolate, have been hardest hit by the disease in the city. The council […]
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  • Editorials Reflecting on Durham’s vigil for Sarah Everard
    This past week has seen an outpouring of grief for so many victims of sexual harassment and assault. The kidnapping and murder of Sarah Everard, a woman who was just trying to walk home, and who did everything that she could to keep herself safe, has incited such anguish in response to her treatment. Her […]
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  • Editorials Could the school day be changing?
    Earlier this month, Gavin Williamson called for a “transformative” reform to the school’s system following the pandemic. What this can be assumed to mean is lengthening the school day and altering holidays to make room for catch up lessons and the missed hours of in-person teaching that has come as a result of the pandemic. […]
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  • Editorials The Interview and The Aftermath
    As the country reels after the Oprah interview on Monday night with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Nicholas offers up his opinion on what effect the interview has had on him. My views Before having seen the interview, I believed the media narrative that Meghan was the sole reason for Harry abandoning his royal […]
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  • Editorials ‘If I were PM, I’d fire all men’ – does Amber Rudd have a point?
    Former Conservative MP Amber Rudd has recently stated in an interview with ITV’s Acting Prime Minister Podcast that she would “fire all men” if she was Prime Minister, and instead put in place an all-female Cabinet. This recent comment is part of a plethora of comments Rudd has made regarding the blatant inequality of the […]
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  • Editorials Stories of Endometriosis: Persistence and Pain
    Endometriosis is a condition affecting one in ten females of reproductive age in the UK, and 176 million worldwide. It has the potential to devastate the lives of sufferers and their families, not least because this chronic, intensely painful condition takes on average eight years to be diagnosed. As March is endometriosis awareness month, Beep […]
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  • Editorials Dealing with Lockdown: Annie’s Story
    As part of Beep’s ‘Dealing with Lockdown’ series, Annie shares her experience as a student at the University of Manchester – from rent striking to starting a brand new university in a pandemic. September 2020. The beginning of a new academic year, which meant for many students a reunion with people actually in their age […]
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  • Editorials International Women’s Day 2021
    It’s International Women’s Day and here at Beep, as we do every year, we’re celebrating women around the world, past and present. This year’s theme is ‘Choose to Challenge’, meaning that it’s up to every one of us to call out gender bias and inequality. Wherever we see it – be it in the workplace, […]
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  • Editorials NHS workers’ 1% pay rise is a national disgrace
    It’s not difficult to believe I’m sitting here writing this, given that it is Boris Johnson’s government we’re talking about. What have they done this time? Proposed that NHS workers should get a 1% pay rise. That’s right: 1%. Considering the government’s arms had to be bent to give doctors and nurses free parking at […]
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  • Editorials Harry and Meghan: The definition of doing what you want
    Around 99% of all people in the world have no idea what it is like to be famous. Obviously there are benefits to the situation, such as a platform to speak, virtually no worries concerning money, and a constant, special treatment wherever you go. However, the ability to escape the limelight and maintain some level […]
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  • Editorials What to expect from new Demi Lovato documentary
    The recent announcement from Demi Lovato of a new documentary, Dancing with the Devil, has definitely left fans speculating. Just how will the YouTube original differ from her 2017 documentary Simply Complicated? What to expect In the new documentary, we expect to hear more information about Demi’s 2018 drug relapse, and its impact on her […]
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  • Editorials Rent refunds for students are needed
    As a student myself, this subject really hits home, as I’m sure it will do for a lot of people my age. Due to the pandemic, there are student houses all over the country that are empty as a result of the travel restrictions.  As if isolation wasn’t enough stress being induced, students are being […]
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  • Editorials Priti Patel refusing to take the knee is dangerous
    It is a dangerous time for England. With the Home Secretary publicly refusing to take the knee for the Black Lives Matter movement, she is also refusing to support the numerous lives who have saved so many in the COVID-19 pandemic. Patel is also not supporting the mental health professionals, or the Black lives that […]
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  • Editorials Mastering Politics: India farmers protest
    Welcome back to Mastering Politics – the column where we break down complex issues into simple explanations. This time, we’re looking at the India farmers protest, which has been happening since September 2020. What’s going on? At the moment, India is living through its largest agricultural protest in history, with tens of thousands of farmers […]
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  • Editorials The tragedy of Caroline Flack and the media
    This week marks a year since the tragic death of TV presenter Caroline Flack. Flack, 40, died at her flat in London on the 15th of February 2020, just weeks before she was due to go on trial for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend. She had taken her own life after learning that the hearing would […]
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  • Editorials Culture Guide: The Inuit of Canada
    Inuit culture has recently come under the spotlight thanks to the new wave of TikTok influencers, as well as Inuit controversy in Alaska towards the end of Trump’s presidency. This article will give you the information you need to join the discussion. The history of Inuit Inuit have lived in Canada for 1000 years. They […]
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  • Editorials Musicians vs Brexit
    When considering the impacts of Brexit on the UK, my personal first thoughts were about fishing, trade and holidays abroad. It wasn’t until the lovely Elton John appeared on a BBC interview via zoom that I realised there would be huge implications for musicians. As if Covid-19 hadn’t disrupted the careers of upcoming artists enough, […]
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  • Editorials Mastering Politics: Myanmar military coup
    Welcome back to an edition of ‘Mastering Politics’ – the place where we explain something complex in politics in a way that’s easy to understand. This time, we’re looking at the Myanmar military coup. First things first: what’s a coup? Yes, we know, nobody is born knowing what a military coup is. And, in case […]
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  • Editorials Mental health without exercise
    A day never goes by without us hearing, watching or seeing someone on the news, in The Guardian or on Instagram preaching about how running, yoga and swimming helps their mental health. It’s great that exercise helps people (obviously) keep on top of their mental wellbeing, but what about if you have a disability, or […]
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  • Editorials The Decline of the Social Media Influencer
    According to Google, a social media influencer “is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.”  Okay, what’s the big deal about them? As a result of Covid-19 in […]
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  • Editorials The Dogs, Rats and Cats of Insta
    I love animals -probably an understatement. I have six beautiful cats and a Staffordshire Terrier mix called Buster, so it is quite the mad-house at times. I love Instagram. So you should know what’s about to go down. This article is dedicated to the animals of Instagram I have grown to love over the years. […]
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  • Editorials The demise of the Tech Titans?
    Google. Over 56% of the world’s population use the search engine alone on a monthly basis. The company undoubtedly plays a key role in twenty-first-century life. We access the online world through Youtube, Gmail, the Google Play Store. People see targeted ads based on data gathered by Google. The population use Google fonts, Google docs, […]
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  • Editorials Our Top Stories of 2020
    Beep has been here all through this year in one form or another. We’ve even re-launched a YouTube channel. But, of course, our love of the written word prevails and we have collated our top stories of 2020. Believe it or not, they aren’t all about C*VID-19. So, without further ado, here are Beep’s top […]
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  • Editorials An Ode to 2020
    When we sat around television last year on New Year’s Eve watching the fireworks boom in London at 12am on 1st January 2020, there was a sense of hope. I remember hoping that this would be a good year – that things would be a little bit brighter for everyone than they had been before. […]
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  • Editorials The Crucial Next Stage of COVID
    Boris Johnson and his government have come under serious fire over the course of the pandemic because of their response (or sometimes lack of) to the severity of rising cases of COVID-19. Now that a new variant of the virus has been discovered, and its transmission rate is faster than the original variant, there is […]
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