Media Confidential

This week, Alan and Lionel discuss every editor’s nightmare: what do you do if news breaks just as the papers have gone to print? They also explain “pyjama injunctions”, and are asked about whether the BBC’s Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, is still safe while reporting from Moscow. Plus, Lionel responds to a listener asking about his Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

This week’s guest on  Media Confidential  is Anthony Scaramucci, financier and former communications director at the White House. He now co-hosts  The Rest is Politics US  podcast. Anthony argues that the media needs to stop overreacting to Donald Trump. He explains how the president is undermining the credibility of the press, while using it to his advantage. Alan and Lionel a...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel are asked where they go for analysis of the situation in the Middle East, including the Israel-Iran war.  They also discuss diversity in journalism and how cuts have made it a harder industry to break into. The hosts also are asked about a foreign scheme where young people can access a two year free subscription to news sites…could it work here? If you...

This week on  Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel are joined by Hamish McKenzie, co-founder of Substack. The platform, which now has over five million paid subscriptions, allows writers to self-publish their newsletters and make money directly from readers. Since launching in 2017, it has gained huge popularity with journalists and the public. Alan, Lionel and Hamish discuss what makes it fu...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel discuss a media screw up: who’s to blame for the  Telegraph  publishing a  fake story  about the fictional “Al Moy” and his family? They break down how editors should deal with stories that seem too good to be true. The hosts also discuss award ceremonies for journalists...do they matter? Plus, Alan and Lionel answer a question sent in by...

In this week's episode of  Media Confidential ,   Alan and Lionel are joined by Karen Hao, journalist and author of  Empire of AI . Karen talks about being banned from returning to OpenAI, after being embedded there to write a profile of the company in its early days. She charts the rise of AI companies and the three discuss why journalists and newsrooms should be wary of making dea...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel look back over their journalistic careers and recall their toughest decisions. The former editors also discuss why they left the  Guardian  and the  FT  when they did, and what they read in their free time. Plus, as the  New York Times  signs an AI deal with Amazon, what will it mean for readers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

In this week’s episode of  Media Confidential , Alan and Lionel talk to  Vox  editor-in-chief Swati Sharma. They discuss why  Vox ’s change in style is working for a younger audience, the ways in which the company is responding to new digital challenges—and how AI is pushing them towards more innovative journalism. The hosts also discuss  Business Insider  axing a fif...

In this week’s Q&A episode, Alan and Lionel are asked if they would ever pay for an interview—and if there are any interviewees who would be off limits.  They discuss whether media studies should be added to the UK curriculum for 11-16 year olds to combat misinformation. Plus, will news organisations suffer financially when Donald Trump is no longer president? Send your questions in to us...

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by historian Fara Dabhoiwala to discuss his new book  What is Free Speech? They discuss how the concept of “free speech” came about—and how the notion has always been weaponised. They also analyse the role of media and social media companies and answer: are broadcasters responsible for everything shared on their platforms? And after being called out in a...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel discuss the sale of the  Telegraph  and what comes next for the newspaper. They also talk about whether anything can be done to revive the print newspaper and are asked about what's happening with the sale of Paramount in the US. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Joseph Kahn, executive editor of the  New York Times . Alan, Lionel and Joe discuss editing in the time of Trump, why US media organisations are bending to the president, and whether publications owned by corporations are really equipped to resist the government. Plus, the hosts talk about Gary Lineker’s departure from the BBC—and...

In this week’s Q&A episode, Alan and Lionel discuss their most difficult interviews. They also discuss why journalists are no longer sent out to cover council meetings and whether that has an impact on democracy. Plus, the hosts answer an email about the BBC’s dominance over online news in the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the  Truth Tellers summit  in London, Alan and Lionel sit down with Mark Thompson, the CEO of American media giant CNN.Mark is asked if he has sat down with Trump since he started in office. Does he feel a slide towards state-owned media, monitored by the White House? And why does CNN continue to give the president airtime? “If the rule was [that] we didn't have politicians on the air...

In this week’s Q&A session, Alan and Lionel are asked whether there’s still a market for the  London Standard  and what they would do if its owner Evgeny Lebedev came asking for advice. They also discuss undercover reporting: after  interviewing Harry Shukman  who spent a year infiltrating far right groups in the UK, the editors discuss how to prepare a reporter for covert...

This week on Media Confidential, journalist Harry Shukman joins Alan and Lionel to discuss his year spent infiltrating the far right. Harry’s new book Y ear of the Rat  explores this journey. He shares why he went undercover to report on the story, why he thinks the threat from the British far right has been underestimated, and moments when he risked discovery. Plus, the editors mull over Jon...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel are presented with a thought experiment: if they had to join forces, how would they run a brand new media venture? What’s it all about? Where is the money coming from? And, contentiously…who would be the editor? With half a million households cancelling their licence fee in 2023 alone, the hosts are also asked about alternatives to a TV license fee, as the&n...

Alan and Lionel are joined by Lea Korsgaard, co-founder and editor-in-chief at  Zetland , the Danish media organisation revolutionising the way people engage with the news. She discusses what makes the media platform, which Alan describes as  “ a beacon of optimism”, so unique—and shares the secret to its success. Plus, Alan and Lionel cast their editorial eyes over the first edition of...

Following the death of Pope Francis last week, Alan and Lionel answer how a reporter should prepare for the expected—and the unexpected. They discuss the perks of having a network of correspondents and give their opinions on freelance journalists: is it better to be a lone operator or under the wing of a big publication? To ask Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber your questions, email  mediacon...

What is allowed to be a joking matter? And where does one draw the line? This week, Alan and Lionel discuss the pitfalls of being a satirist in 2025. They talk to political cartoonist Steve Bell, who worked for the  Guardian  for over 40 years before being unceremoniously dismissed after an image of Benjamin Netanyahu drew ire. They’re also joined by former  Spectator  editor F...

Alan and Lionel are asked about Tortoise's imminent takeover of the Observer. The hosts discuss a surprisingly timely encounter, and share some breaking news about Prospect. They also discuss blasting off into space and whether they’d rather put their lives in the hands of Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk.  Plus, has the press regulator IPSO lost its teeth? Has it ever had any? Hosted on Acast. See ac...

Does it matter who funds and owns the media? This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by Rodney Benson, professor and author of  How Media Ownership Matters,  who compares the ways in which newspapers are funded around the world—and how this fundamentally shapes democracy. Plus, Alan shares stories from his recent trip to Perugia, which holds the annual International Journalism festival. He...

In this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel are asked what makes a good story—and which big ones they’ve missed. They reminisce over the hedonistic days of  Vanity Fair  magazine, following the release of former editor Graydon Carter’s swashbuckling new memoir. And they remember the legacies, lives and careers of two former colleagues: Gwen Robinson, former foreign correspondent for the&nbsp...

On Media Confidential this week, Alan and Lionel discuss the world being turned upside down by Donald Trump’s tariffs. As former editor of the  Financial Times , Lionel weighs in on how the press are handling the situation: what are they getting right…and what are they missing? Have financial journalists failed to spot the biggest story yet? And amid a slew of suspensions and politically-moti...

What would you do if you realised your work was putting you in danger? This week, Alan and Lionel are asked if they’ve ever been unsafe because of their journalism. They talk about Tom McTague moving jobs across the political spectrum, from  UnHerd 's political editor,   to editor at the  New Statesman . And as Jim Mullen announces his departure from the media company Reach, the hos...