The Media Show

The Saudi Arabian purchase of Newcastle football club has been a huge news story. But football isn't the only area of British public life in which the Saudis play a part. The Evening Standard and The Independent can both trace their ownership back to Saudi Arabia, while in the US, media giants including Disney and Netflix have large Saudi investments. But does this actually affect the journalism w...

A global investigation and the largest leak of offshore data in history has produced the Pandora Papers. Journalists around the world have had front-page splashes on alleged corruption and money-laundering. Meanwhile in the US, a whistle-blowing former Facebook employee has appeared before Congress, accusing the company of harming democracy. And a piece in The New York Times seems to have brought...

It’s party conference season. Political journalists are dashing around the country from fringe event to meeting room. Politicians beyond government are having their moment in the media spotlight. So how has Labour leader Keir Starmer handled the press attention? Does he have the same level of newspaper backing that Tony Blair or Boris Johnson could count on? Also in the programme, Netflix has reve...

His TV audience is in the millions. His new game show launches soon on ITV. He has over 8 million followers on Twitter. And he wasn’t too bad at football either. So how did Gary Lineker become a media powerhouse? From Des Lynham's presenting tips to the effect of TV rights deals on football, Lineker tracks his transition from superstar player to Saturday night TV host. But does he ever worry his s...

The world is waiting nervously to see what kind of Afghanistan emerges. A power struggle has broken out among Taliban leaders. But much of the Western media seems to have lost interest - right at the crucial moment. So what story are they missing? And why can't some Western news outlets deal with a story as complicated as Afghanistan? Guests: Clarissa Ward, Chief International Correspondent at CNN...

Jack Thorne is the acclaimed screenwriter behind episodes of His Dark Materials, Shameless and Skins. In this year's MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival he set out why he believes the industry has failed disabled people "utterly and totally". Ros Atkins and guests discuss. Also in the programme, David Elstein, former Channel 5 CEO, sets out his case for the privatisation of Channel 4....

To tell the story of the UK more fairly and more equitably there need to be more reporting voices outside London - that seems to be the journalistic mood of the moment. The BBC in March announced plans to shift focus from the capital in a “commitment to better reflect, represent, and serve all parts of the country". When GB News launched, it promised to “reach out to non-metropolitan audiences bey...

Welcome to the era of the reboot. Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen doing up people’s living rooms, Ruby Wax interviewing Hollywood stars. New versions of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Blankety Blank, Sex and the City. So why are there so many rebooted formats? Is it because the 90s and 00s were the real golden age of TV after all? Or is competition for viewers now so fierce that commissioners need trusted hit...

Social media platforms earn a fortune from our unpaid labour. Users share pictures on Instagram, tell stories on Twitter, and offer up their music on YouTube - all for free. But have the tables now turned? Patreon offers fans the ability to pay their favourite artists and writers directly. TikTok and Facebook have started offering cash to the most popular "creators". So what is the Creator Economy...

How hard is it to report on the ground in China? Journalists covering the recent floods found their presence was not always welcome. Major titles - including the New York Times - now have their China correspondents based outside the country. And Steve Vines, The Observer’s man in Hong Kong since the 1980s, said this week that it was no longer “safe” for him to be there. So what is the situation fo...

ITN News is part of the iconography of British television news. But who watches bulletins these days? Younger audiences are moving online for their fix of news. Some older demographics are attracted to more partisan, opinionated platforms, such as GB News. And politicians have openly disparaged the so-called “mainstream media.” How can ITV’s News at Ten and Channel 4 News win audiences back - and...

This is a packed summer of sport, from the Olympics and the Euros, to a new cricket competition called The Hundred on primetime BBC. But in the age of infinite choice, how can broadcasters make live sport more attractive than TikTok, Fortnite or the latest Netflix drama? And has the amount of money TV companies are prepared to pay for sport fallen during the pandemic? Guests: Andrew Georgiou, Pres...

A group of news outlets from countries around the world have banded together to expose the alleged use of a phone hacking tool to spy on leading journalists, politicians and human rights activists. How do you pull off a series of global scoops like this? Also in the programme, the role professional fact checkers now play in journalism. Guests: Laurent Richard, Founder of Forbidden Stories, Paul Le...

Footballers are being racially abused on social media. Why can't social media companies stop this from happening? An investigation by two New York Times journalists says Facebook's approach to moderation reflects a culture within the company. But social media also gives footballers a platform for campaigning - and even lets them shape their own public image. Guests: Henry Winter, Chief Football Wr...

TikTok had a fantastic pandemic, stacking up over 800 million users. Hollywood studios are casting TikTok stars. Record labels are snapping up TikTok singers. Facebook and YouTube have both launched rival services. But the Chinese app is facing the same issues with disinformation and moderation as the Silicon Valley giants - and has become embroiled in geopolitics. What's next for this upstart? Gu...

A scoop in The Sun forced health secretary Matt Hancock to resign. But how did The Sun come to have this explosive story, and what did they do with it once it landed on their desk? The pandemic has helped the British press regain its influence. Tabloids have launched charities and campaigned for people to get jabbed. So what role does the press play in public life - and do papers still have the po...

The government has launched a consultation on the future of Channel 4 and privatisation is being considered. But what could that mean in practice? Would the channel see an influx of private cash, helping it compete with the streaming giants? Or would British TV suffer, with documentaries edged out by mass market gameshows? Also in the programme, the world of entertainment TV has been shaken up wit...

The world’s biggest leaders have been face-to-face in a series of meetings. But as always, nobody from the press was allowed in the room. So how easy is it for journalists to sort the fact from the spin? And do the politicians even want them there – unless it’s to snap them posing grandly on the beach? Guests: Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic Editor at The Guardian; Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Co...

One of the UK’s commercial radio groups is launching ad-free versions of their stations for a monthly fee. Is this radio’s secret weapon to defeat Spotify and the streaming services? Or should more presenters follow Iain Lee's lead and swap network radio for digital platforms? Plus, an Ofcom report shows the new dominance of TikTok and the music streaming platforms. Guests: Paul Keenan, President...

The role of foreign reporter is one of the most glamourous in journalism. But with international correspondents stuck at home during the pandemic, and editors looking to save money, foreign reporting now faces an existential crisis. What would we lose if our perspective on the world didn't come from our own correspondent? Guests: John Simpson, BBC World Affairs Editor; Sebastian Walker, Vice News...

The BBC is facing intense scrutiny. Last week’s Dyson Report revealed multiple lies and deception by Martin Bashir - to secure his famous interview with Diana, Princess of Wales in 1995. Now, questions are being asked about the BBC’s entire governance. So what could actually be done? Are we about to see fundamental change at the BBC? And will this scandal bring about a reckoning for the whole indu...

The Israel-Gaza conflict is a local clash playing out on the global stage, with social media a weapon of war for both sides. But how did TikTok tutorials, Instagram infographics and Twitter posts become influential news sources for millions? Also in the programme, The Week Junior is one of the UK's fastest growing magazines. Are children much more how interested in the news than we expect? Guests:...

The elections are over and the results are in - but a giant inflatable Boris Johnson has captured much of the press attention. So how does our new cycle work? Who gets to decide what stories make the front page, and how much control do politicians have over their depictions in the press? Plus, the 'news wire' agency Reuters provides photos, breaking news lines and copy to much of the world's press...

In his final edition as presenter of The Media Show, Amol Rajan looks at the challenges ahead for journalism. With help from leading journalists, Amol argues that this is a golden age of media - but a dark age for news. Readers increasingly don't trust what they see in newspapers. Journalists criticise each other in public. And editors have seen much of their power shift to Silicon Valley, where a...

Amazon-owned Wondery are launching their first British podcast, while Apple and Spotify are moving some of their most popular podcasts behind a subscription paywall. What impact will this have on the world of podcasts - and should British podcasters worry about the dominance of a few US players? Guests: Declan Moore, Head of International at Wondery, part of Amazon; Caroline Crampton, journalist a...