Media Confidential

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...

Does the First Amendment have a future?

This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk to Greg Lukianoff, the lawyer, best-selling author and president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

They discuss the Trump administration’s effect on free speech in the United States, and how censorship on university campuses has come from both sides of the political spectrum.

Greg also discusses the ...

Media Confidential is back for Season 3!

Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber take a dive into the world of media. What—and who—drives it? What do they get right... And what do they get wrong?

This week, as right-wing protests continue outside hotels housing asylum seekers, the hosts discuss the media’s role in pushing the “Broken Britain” narrative. Has the British press has been caught up in the whirlwind of Nigel Farage?

P...

You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE.  

For Apple podcasts, click HERE. 

Has Trump's America become an autocracy?

While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. Back in April, Ellen and Alona were joined by scholar of authoritarian...

To subscribe to the Prospect Podcast on Spotify, click HERE.  

For Apple podcasts, click HERE.  

Will AI achieve superintelligence—and, if so, when? 

While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. 

In June, Prospect’s tech columnist Ethan Zuckerman joined Ellen and Alona to talk about billionaire tech bros, social media...

You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE.  

For Apple podcasts, click HERE. 

Has mainstream media failed?  

While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of the Prospect Podcast. 

Back in February, broadcaster and author Mehdi Hasan visited Prospect HQ. After MSNBC cancelled the Mehdi ...

You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE.  

For Apple podcasts, click HERE. 

Does the Left need its own Trump? 

While Media Confidential takes a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. 

In April, Prospect’s Ellen Halliday and Alona Ferber were joined by Slavoj Zizek, the p...

Has the media contributed to “tinderbox Britain”? Alan and Lionel discuss in this week’s Q&A episode, in light of protests outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, as authorities anticipate a summer of unrest.

The hosts also explore whether journalistic freedoms are under threat, and the responsibility of the press when reporting—or speculating on—medical diagnoses. Do we need a UK equivalent of the “Goldwater rule”...

What turns a loyal devotee into a whistleblower seeking revenge? And what would you do if an anonymous source handed over reams of sensitive information on one of the biggest companies in the world?

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by the co-author of The Tesla Files, Sönke Iwersen, an investigative journalist at Germany’s top business newspaper Handelsblatt.

Sönke reveals exactly what happens at the heart of E...

In this week’s Q&A episode, Alan and Lionel are asked how much an editor’s personal opinions and politics affect their judgements.

They also discuss Mehdi Hasan’s viral debate against far right Republicans on the latest edition of Jubilee’s ‘Surrounded’.

Plus, which place captures the national mood of the UK? And which publications are doing the most exciting work at the moment?