Media Confidential

In today’s Media Confidential , Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber discuss Nigel Farage’s resignation in Clacton, triggering a by-election in which he will stand. They discuss Farage’s attacks on the press, including on a Sky News reporter. Did reporting around undeclared donations really cross the line? They also analyse the judgment in Prince Harry’s case against the Daily Mail , which alleged un...

In today’s episode Lachlan Cartwright, the founder of Breaker Media, joins Alan and Lionel to discuss why he went solo and launched the outlet after two decades in journalism. They ask how he treads the line between privacy and public interest when searching for scoops. The Breaker founder also discusses his tumultuous time at the National Enquirer , the US tabloid’s backing of Trump, and his role...

In today’s Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel discuss Donald Trump’s court case against the BBC. As the broadcaster requests the president’s phone records from January 6th, some commentators think it should settle with the president. Do our hosts agree? The Telegraph ’s takeover by major media company Axel Springer is finally complete, and the paper’s new owner Matthias Döpfner has appointed a G...

In this week’s Media Confidential , Alan Rusbridger talks to Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson, authors of Getting Murdoched: How Murdoch’s Media Wields Power and Punishment. The three discuss the structure of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, as well as infamous cases of “Murdoching”—described by the authors as “using media power to bully, manipulate and spread false narratives”. They also talk abou...

In this week’s episode, Alan and Lionel chew over Keir Starmer's resignation. How does a modern politician feed the media—and avoid being eaten? If Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, will he be better at communicating with the media? They also discuss the government’s green paper on public service media and the role of BBC, ITV, YouTube, and Facebook. As presenters Jon Snow and Jeremy Clarkson r...

This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel speak to crossbench peer and activist Beeban Kidron about the Online Safety Act. Beeban has spent years advocating for children's rights in the digital world and has played a role in establishing standards for online safety and privacy across the world. She debunks the misconceptions around the issue—and explains why a social media ban won’t work on...

This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel discuss the Murdoch family’s biggest ever deal, as Lachlan Murdoch’s Fox TV buys streaming service Roku. What does it suggest about the company’s direction under its new CEO? And why isn’t Alan a fan of Roku? They discuss an AI-generated video of Nigel Farage fist-fighting Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey in a Question Time Studio—and how the...

In this Monday’s episode of Media Confidential Alan and Lionel are talking to NPR’s media correspondent David Folkenflik about what is actually happening at American broadcaster CBS. They discuss the popularity of CBS’s flagship show 60 Minutes and how a new leadership is trying to make changes at the programme. They’ll talk about how Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News, is getting along in he...

In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan questions the quality of reporting around the Henry Nowak case, and questions why so many in the media are focusing on the cost of DEI training in the police and neglecting to mention the recent Louise Casey report into racism in the police force. They also discuss how the media is amplifying the messages of politicians such as Nigel Farage when Nowak’s...

In this week’s Media Confidential Alan and Lionel are joined by Joshi Hermann, founder of The Mill.   The three discuss how The Mill has expanded out from Manchester to seven cities in just three years and it’s plans to revitalise and redefine local reporting.  They also discuss The Mill’s funding model and why Joshi believes the method is sustainable, and how he is ensuring that essenti...

Should a politician be allowed to present the BBC’s Today Programme? Former Ofcom chair Michael Grade thinks so. This week on Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel pick apart Grade’s recent interview, where he claimed that mainstream broadcasters are afraid of GB News. They discuss the logic behind the rules of impartiality—and what Grade’s opinions reveal about Ofcom’s controversial decisions unde...

Who do media organisations go to when they get sued?  In today’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk to Gavin Millar KC, an expert in media law.  The three talk about SLAPPs, strategic lawsuits increasingly used by the powerful to silence journalists and stop crucial reporting.  They discuss why the fight against SLAPPs is vital for democracy: after suggestions that a Labour go...

On this week’s Media Confidential Alan and Lionel talk to Peter Geoghegan, journalist, broadcaster and founder of Democracy for Sale. The three discuss the problem of SLAPPs, lawsuits used by the wealthy to silence and intimidate critics. They talk about the chilling effect these lawsuits can have have on democracy, and how they discourage journalists from pursuing stories in the public interest....

In this week’s Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel discuss the changing winds at Ofcom, after its prospective new chair was scrutinised by a select committee. How much was Ian Cheshire briefed beforehand? And will he do anything to tackle GB News? The pair also talk about Trump's latest attack on the BBC—as well as Fran Unsworth’s departure from the broadcaster, after the former news boss claimed...

In this episode of Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel talk to Gabriel Pogrund, newly appointed editor of Insight, the Sunday Times investigative team. After Gabriel exposed £730,000 in undeclared donations to Labour Together, he and other journalists became victims of a smear campaign. He discusses why the thinktank commissioned an investigation into him—and how he was falsely accused of having...

In this week’s Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel discuss Ofcom finally investigating GB News over their second airing of a controversial interview with Donald Trump. Did it fail the impartiality test? After Nigel Farage was confronted about an undeclared £5m donation from a crypto billionaire, the pair discuss how to deal with evasive politicians. They also talk about the Evening Standard runni...

In this episode of Media Confidential Alan and Lionel talk to Liam Byrne, Labour MP for for Birmingham Hodge hill and Solihull and author of Why Populists are winning; and how to beat them. The three discuss the rise of populism and what happens to the media and democracy when they win—including how foreign influence and money can corrupt the UK media landscape. They’ll talk about GB News, with Al...

In today’s Media Confidential Alan and Lionel discuss Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. With recent revelations that he received £5m in personal donations before becoming an MP they’ll talk about stark differences in how the story was covered in the Guardian and the Telegraph . Our hosts also risk the wrath of legal firm Addleshaw Goddard, which has sent letters warning against discussing how one of...

In this week’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk to Yara Hawari, co-director of Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian policy network, about the dangers journalists face in the Middle East. Amal Khalil, a Lebanese journalist and reporter for the daily newspaper Al-Akhbar, was killed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in an airstrike on 22nd April. On the podcast, the three discuss the risks Amal face...

In this episode Alan and Lionel discuss the White House correspondents’ dinner and the alarm at how a lone shooter was able to break through levels of security. They also talk about Donald Trump’s interview with 60 minutes, in which the president claims the BBC used AI to manipulate what he was saying. Our hosts also talk about the chummy relationship between Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison a...

On today’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford to discuss the magazine’s investigative work into the floods of fake experts being quoted in the media. Where do they come from—and who is behind this? The editors discuss journalist Rob Waugh, who helped uncover the truth behind fake or AI-generated experts including “Barbara Santini” and “Esme Geld...

This week on Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel discuss the top story of the week—Peter Mandelson’s failed security vetting before he was appointed as ambassador to the United States. As Keir Starmer goes toe-to-toe with the Foreign Office, the hosts discuss the excellent coverage of Guardian journalists Pippa Crerar, Paul Lewis and Henry Dyer. They also speculate on King Charles’s upcoming stat...

This week on Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel are joined by Sidney Blumenthal, journalist and former adviser to the Clintons. As a judge throws out a $10bn claim from the president against the Wall Street Journal , the trio discuss Trump’s legal battles with the media, including the BBC. Is there hope for the British broadcaster? They also address the president’s mental state and how coverage...

In this episode of Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel reflect on the results of election in Hungary, and how the media coverage of Viktor Orbán’s foreign dealings and corruption allegations may have contributed to his downfall. They'll also discuss why British investor and alleged sexual predator Crispin Odey abandoned his £79m libel claim against the Financial Times —across the pond—whether the...

In this week’s episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Rainey Reitman, writer and civil liberties advocate.  She is the co-founder and president of the board of Freedom of the Press Foundation and is the author of Transaction Denied: Big Finance’s Power to Punish Speech . The three explore financial censorship: how companies like Visa, PayPal, and Mastercard have cut off...