Media Confidential

The BBC is under attack. Alan and Janine go to heart of the biggest media story of the week, and reveal what really happened at the disastrous board meeting that toppled BBC leadership. Under fire from powerful enemies at home and abroad, does the broadcasting service have a future? 

They're joined by Pat Younge, chair of the British Broadcasting Challenge, which promotes public discussion about UK public service broadcasti...

Do you have the nerve?

Carole Cadwalladr and Sarah Donaldson join Alan and Janine to discuss their new independent media platform the Nerve which focuses on culture, politics and tech—and share why they felt there was no room for their work at the Observer under new management.

The four discuss the all-female founding team, the driving mission behind the project and how they are already ahead of...

Alan is joined by Janine Gibson, editor of the Weekend FT and this week’s guest host on Media Confidential.

The pair discuss the media response to a train stabbing incident in Huntingdon.

They also weigh in on the Telegraph’s attacks on the BBC, amid reports that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by selectively editing a Donald Trump speech during the storming of the Capitol. Should heads roll?

Alan and ...

In this week’s Media Confidential, the co-founder of podcasting giant Goalhanger, Tony Pastor, reveals the drama behind The Rest is Politics and the secrets to the podcast’s success.

He, Alan and Lionel chat about the podcast revolution and how the Covid-19 pandemic transformed the audio landscape in the UK.  

Plus, Tony explains how each host gets ‘chemistry tested’ before a new series, which podcasts aren't worth ...

As American firm RedBird continues its bid to take over the Telegraph, Alan and Lionel discuss concerns about foreign influence and what it means for media ownership in Britain.

They weigh in on Ofcom updating its guidance on politicians being news presenters. Does it open the doors to a Fox News equivalent in the UK?

Plus, Alan and Lionel talk about Michael Wolff counter-suing Melania Trump, after she threaten...

Is the British media complicit in the Gaza genocide?

This week, things heat up as Alan and Lionel are joined by Peter Oborne, former Telegraph chief political commentator, whose most recent book is Complicit: Britain’s role in the destruction of Gaza.

Peter discusses the influence of pro-Israel lobbyists on British politics, his own political evolution, and the challenges of reporting fairly. He asks why the BBC never reporte...

In this week’s special episode, Alan and Lionel are grilled by Sheffield University’s third-year Broadcast Journalism students.

The pair are asked about using artificial intelligence in newsrooms, how to cover Gaza with fairness, and whether they think China is being underreported on.

They also discuss imposter syndrome in the media world, and how to report stories that people don’t want to hear (but also get them to pay for ...

More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict in history.

This week, the editor-in-chief at Reuters, Alessandra Galloni, joins Alan and Lionel to reflect on the last two years of covering the war on Gaza.

She discusses the Israeli Defence Force’s killing of journalists in both Gaza and Lebanon, amid ongoing calls for accountability, and reveals why the news agency stopped giving the coordinates of their...

In this week’s Media Confidential, Alan has returned from a trip to Israel that coincided with a ceasefire brokered in Gaza. The hosts discuss his visit to the West Bank with Gideon Levy of Haaretz and how Israeli news outlets have covered the war.

Alan and Lionel also talk about the Pope being an unexpected voice against clickbait and review “The Nerve”, a new publication launched by ex-Observer journalists.

Some news outlets insist that London is a city in crisis—but who profits from that message?

On the first anniversary of the launch of London Centric, its founder and owner Jim Waterson joins Alan and Lionel to talk about the new London-focused publication.

Within four months of launching the newsletter, the news outlet hit its three-year targets. Jim unpacks this wild success, what makes his approach different, and ...

How do you turn one of the biggest media scandals into gripping television—and what unfinished business still lingers off-screen?

Media Confidential hosted a live episode at Prospect HQ, with Toby Jones, Patrick Spence and Jack Thorne, about the real story behind the ITV drama The Hack. In this episode, the panel takes audience questions on press freedom, and whether it’s time for a long-delayed Leveson 2 to investigate criminal...

He’s officially next in line to the Murdoch empire, but what is Lachlan Murdoch’s story?

Alan and Lionel are joined by Paddy Manning, investigative reporter and author of The Successor: The high-stakes life of Lachlan Murdoch. 

With Lachlan set to take the helm, the trio discuss the machinations at the heart of the Murdoch media empire and the origin of the family rift. They also discuss who his fictional counterpar...

Do you always have to offer the people you’re reporting on a chance to give their side of the story? In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel share when giving the right of reply has backfired on them.

They also discuss Fox News, after one listener asks a tongue-in-cheek question. 

And the hosts talk about whether media reports about Donald Trump’s mental state are responsible, as well as the sale of the conse...

This week’s special episode of Media Confidential coincides with ITV’s new drama The Hack, about the phone-hacking scandal which led to the closure of the News of the World, the Leveson Inquiry, and a national reckoning on press ethics.

This week, Prospect’s Alan Rusbridger is joined by actor Toby Jones—who plays him in the series—along with Emmy award-winning writer Jack Thorne, executive producer ...

Alan and Lionel are joined by special guest Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lisa responds to Elon Musk’s allegations that free speech is being muzzled in Britain.

The editors also challenge her on the government refusing to sanction GB News, despite its political motivations.

They also discuss the future of the BBC, trust in the media, and the UK’s decision to regulate US big tech, in the face...

How have Trump’s defamation lawsuits affected press freedom?

Alan and Lionel discuss Donald Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against the New York Times with NPR’s media correspondent, David Folkenflik.

David shares an insight into NPR’s future amid funding cuts, and talks about the importance of local journalism and publicly-owned media.

Plus, the trio discuss the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk.

As Donald Trump visits the UK, Alan and Lionel consider: if you were given one question to ask at Thursday’s press conference, what would it be?

The editors are asked about the media coverage of Saturday’s far right march, led by Tommy Robinson.

And following new revelations of Peter Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein—and his subsequent removal as US ambassador—what part did the media play in taking him down?

They also dis...

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by journalist and researcher Ayala Panievsky to talk about her most recent book The New Censorship: How the War on Media is Taking Us Down.

Ayala, whose research focuses on populism and democratic backsliding, explains the biggest threats to journalism today—and how reporters are fighting censorship all across the world. 

She explores media censorship in Israel, social media, and how...

After a gruelling few years and a bitter legal battle, Rupert Murdoch’s heir has been chosen.

This week, Alan and Lionel discuss the conclusion to the real-life Succession, as Lachlan Murdoch looks set to take control of his father’s media empire. What will it mean for the political direction of the business?

The hosts also discuss AI company Anthropic’s $1.5bn payout to authors and publishers, after being sued for using...