Media Confidential

This week, Alan and Lionel discuss alarming threats to global press freedom with guests Jodie Ginsberg and former war correspondent Peter Greste. As an award-winning journalist with Al Jazeera, Peter was reporting on the Arab Spring when he was arrested under charges of terrorism. He shares his story of being wrongfully imprisoned in Egypt for 400 days (later dramatised in the film  The Corre...

What would you do if you got added to a messaging group that was discussing top-level classified information? This week, Alan and Lionel are asked about the  Atlantic ’s stunning report that some of the highest level figures in American defence discussed war plans in a Signal group containing its editor, Jeff Goldberg. How have new communication technologies changed journalism—and the search...

In this episode Alan and Lionel talk to journalist and author Michael Wolff, who has chronicled the rise and fall and rise again of Donald Trump across his “Fire and Fury” book series. The latest instalment, “All or Nothing” was published just after Trump re-entered the White House in January. The trio discuss the future of media under Donald Trump, how he has taken control of news cycles and what...

How will artificial intelligence change how people consume media? Alan and Lionel discuss more listeners' questions on this week's Q&A.The editors also chew over how best to tackle conspiracy theories, and how media outlets can avoid being part of the problem. If you have a question for Alan and Lionel send them to  mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers to discuss the new world order...or should that be disorder? They share their views on the threat posed by the second Trump presidency and whether the world has reverted to “might is right”. John raises concerns over the future of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—which consists of the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, a...

Alan and Lionel respond to more listeners ’  questions on this week ’ s Q&A. In this episode they are asked if the amount of low quality journalism available has an impact on public trust in journalism and they discuss the concept of 'flooding the zone' and what can be done by newsrooms to reclaim the narrative. Plus whether or not journalists play a role in promoting and investigating fr...

Journalist and political commentator Ash Sarkar joins Alan and Lionel to talk about her debut book Minority rule, adventures in the culture war , which tackles free speech and how so-called culture wars have been manufactured to stoke division and influence politics. How have cultural battles eclipsed economic struggle in public debate? Ash examines the media’s role in fuelling the culture wa...

Alan and Lionel respond to more listeners ’  questions on this week ’ s Q&A. In a world where the news never sleeps, the editors are asked whether news coverage is proactive or reactive. They also discuss the importance of fact-checking, and whether or not young people are equipped with the tools to pick up on political bias across news platforms. Plus, Alan explains what a “ dead cat ” i...

Gen Z aren't switching on the TV for the 10 o’clock news. They aren't picking up newspapers, and they're less likely to trust the big media names in the same way their parents did. But they  are  consuming vast amounts of news...Alex Mahon is the CEO of Channel 4. She joins Alan and Lionel at Prospect HQ to talk about how journalists can capture the attention and, more importantly, the t...

In this second special episode, Alan and Lionel are joined by aspiring journalists from Oxford Brookes University to tackle their tough questions about the industry’s future. Alan and Lionel discuss optimism: when journalism is suffering a crisis of trust, what can we do to be hopeful? Plus, the editors are asked what sources  they  trust when it comes to keeping informed. Send us your q...

One of the world's biggest media dynasties is in crisis. Last December, in a Nevada court, the Murdoch family battled to decide who would take control of its media empire.  Alan and Lionel are joined by Jim Rutenberg, writer-at-large for the  New York Times , who was one of two journalists who obtained copies of sealed court documents and published details of the case. He shares the stor...

In a rapidly changing world, can journalists still cut through the noise? In this special episode, Alan and Lionel are joined by aspiring journalists from Oxford Brookes University to tackle their tough questions about the industry’s future. They explore why gen Z seems increasingly sceptical of democratic processes, whether Prince Harry’s recent trial signals the need for another Leveson Inquiry,...

If someone wanted to take over British institutions like Trump's government has done in the USA, what would their first steps be—and how could we guard against them? Joining Alan and Lionel in the  Prospect  studios is a panel of expert guests: Jean Seaton is Professor of Media History and the Official Historian of the BBC, Peter York and Patrick Barwise are co-authors of the book ...

Which actor would you want to be played by? Though that question isn’t hypothetical for Alan (shoutout Toby Jones), Lionel shares his own thoughts in this week’s Media Confidential Q&A. And with the recent arrival of digital newspaper  The Londoner , what impact has it had on the capital’s local media landscape? The editors give their verdict on Joshi Hermann’s latest endeavour. Alan and...

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by Prospect columnist Sam Freedman, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government.   Sam reveals the inner workings of the Westminster press lobby—commonly known as “the lobby”. That’s the group of political journalists, usually representing major newspapers and broadcasters, with privileged access to official briefings and the Prime Minister’s spokespe...

This week, we get up close and personal with Alan and Lionel as they discuss dream guests, hobbies and personal media habits.   How does a high-flying editor and news junkie switch off, even for a short time? From piano to cold water swimming, Alan and Lionel share some of their favourite ways to unwind.   With media outlets under attack in the US, what will viewers be left with once the...

Alan and Lionel are joined by American editor and media executive Norman Pearlstine. They reflect on Trump’s second term so far, and how news outlets have reported on some of his astonishing executive orders.   Norm argues that while billionaire media moguls were once lauded as saviours, they have proved to be “poor stewards”, more concerned about their own interests rather than the freedom o...

Alan and Lionel return to answer listeners’ questions on today’s hot topics.   With Lionel currently in New York, attention turns to American news coverage. Has US media gone far enough in its coverage of Trump’s first week back in power? Should journalists in the US be afraid of his second presidency?   Alan and Lionel also discuss how teenagers relying on TikTok might be introduced to...

On 18th June 1994, Catholic pubgoers in Loughinisland, County Down, were watching a World Cup match when a loyalist paramilitary group burst in and murdered six civilians, wounding five others. To this day, no-one has been charged for the crime.   Produced by journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, No Stone Unturned (2017) told the story of the massacre, revealing how the police had co...

Alan and Lionel are joined by Saad Mohseni, the tycoon who reshaped Afghanistan's media landscape. In 2001, Saad was forging a career in international banking. But after the invasion of Afghanistan, and the subsequent fall of the Taliban government, he decided to move to Kabul. There, he co-founded the Moby Group, the country’s largest media company, where he is chairman and executive officer. He...

Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) has finally admitted that unlawful behaviour was carried out by private investigators working for the Sun and the News Of The World . They've offered "a full and unequivocal apology" to Prince Harry for illegally obtaining private information about him—and have agreed to a staggering eight-figure settlement.  So, is that the end of the matter, or i...

The BBC, a broken tape recorder and a fake Meryl Streep. That’s right, it can only mean a new edition of Media Confidential’s Q&A show. Alan is joined by Janine Gibson, in Lionel’s absence, to tackle questions about their first days as editors, their favourite headlines and the future of the BBC. One listener asks: do the editors remember a time when they badly messed things up? From an interv...

How do you solve a problem like Elon? The billionaire owner of X controls one of the world's biggest social media channels, treating the platform as his own propaganda machine. Armando Iannucci—the satirist, writer and producer behind Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and Veep —has, until recently, been using his own Twitter account to fact-check Musk's posts. He joins Alan Rusbridger and guest host...

Alan and Lionel kick off the 2025 with a brand-new Q&A episode. While primetime CNN attracts a mere 400,000 listeners, the  Joe Rogan Experience  reaches over 17 million subscribers on YouTube. What explains the exponential rise of Joe Rogan’s podcast? In a world dominated by social media platforms, where fact and fiction are blurred, the editors make the case for traditional, fact-b...

Alan and Lionel are joined by Janine Gibson, editor of the Weekend  FT , to look ahead to what promises to be a “yuge” year for journalists. As Trump enters his second term in the White House, should we expect authoritarian clamp-downs on the press? And as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg promises free-speech and the end of fact-checking at Facebook, will opinion trump truth? The editors also discuss n...