The Media Show

We discuss why CNN is under pressure after a viral news report from Syria turned out not to be all it claimed to be. As ABC News settles a defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump for $15m, we look at what it means for journalism. Also on the programme, a BBC World Service investigation has found that Steven Bartlett’s Diary of A CEO is amplifying harmful health misinformation with little or no challenge. We hear why health and wellness content has proven so popular on podcasts and social media. One half of the Youtube comedy group Map Men reveal how they turned their passion for cartography into a global phenomenon. Plus the editor-in-chief of Time Magazine tells us why they have selected President Elect Trump as their Person of the Year. Guests: David Folkenflik, Media Correspondent, NPR; Katie Fallow, Deputy Litigation Director, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University; Cécile Simmons, Investigative Researcher, Institute for Strategic Dialogue; Dr Megan Rossi, Dietician, known as The Gut Health Doctor; Nick Hilton, Co-founder, Podot; Jay Foreman, Comedian and YouTube creator; Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-chief, Time magazinePresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Lucy Wai Assistant Producer: Martha Owen

Kholoud Helmi, co-founder of independent Syrian newspaper Enab Baladi and reporter Edmund Bower discuss the fall of the Assad regime. We hear about claims of misconduct at one of the world’s largest LGBT media platforms. Mia Sato from The Verge and influencer Michael McWhorter examine how online communities responded to the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO and we discuss a controversial lawsuit about the ownership of social media aesthetics. Plus Benjamin Strick, an expert in open-source intelligence, reveals simple tools to uncover the truth behind online content.Guests: Kholoud Helmi, founder of Syrian independent newspaper Enab Baladi; Benjamin Strick, Investigations Director, Centre for Information Resilience; Josh Parry, BBC journalist, LGBT and Identity; Mia Sato, Platforms & Communities Reporter, The Verge; Michael McWhorter, social media influencer known as Tizzy Ent; Edmund Bower, freelance reporter covering Syria for The TimesPresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer Lucy Wai

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour talks to Katie about her career and the new exhibition, VOGUE: Inventing the Runway. As more allegations emerge about the conduct of Master Chef host Gregg Wallace, we hear about the on-set rules supposed to protect participants in reality TV. The civil war in Syria has a sophisticated social media front. We get a briefing now the conflict is back in the headlines. Plus we've a guide to getting started on Reddit, the fastest-growing social media platform in the UK.Guests: Jo Hemmings, Duty of Care Psychologist; James Ball, Political editor, The New European; Robert H Peck, Associate Professor, The University of Iowa; Charlie Winter, Associate Fellow, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism; Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue; Hadley Freeman, Columnist, Sunday TimesPresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

We talk to journalists and influencers about how they discuss assisted dying. As staff at The Observer vote to go on strike over the plans, its outgoing editor explains why he's against a proposed sale of the Sunday newspaper to Toirtoise media. We ask if department store Christmas adverts still retain their iconic status in 2024 and we consider what presenter Mishal Husain's departure means for BBC flagship news show, Today. Plus we get the latest on the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which is now heading for the courts.Guests: Alex Farber, Media Correspondent, The Times; Paul Webster, outgoing Editor, The Observer; Franki Goodwin, Chief Creative Officer, Saatchi and Saatchi; Maisie McCabe, UK editor, Campaign magazine; Julie McFadden, end of life care influencer; Janet Eastham, Social and Religious Affairs Editor, The Telegraph; Mark Savage, BBC Music CorrespondentPresenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall Producer; Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

The resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury has sparked renewed discussion about accountability in the Church of England. Cathy Newman, Presenter and Investigations Editor, Channel 4 News, reflects on her investigation which triggered it. Mark Stibbe, one of Cathy's original sources, discusses the impact of coming forward with his story. Colin Campbell, Investigative Journalist, BBC News, shares his experience of reporting on cover-ups and systemic failures in the Church’s handling of abuse cases.Friday’s Netflix boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was more than a fight; it was a media moment. Evan Shapiro, Media Commentator and ‘Media Cartographer,’ sees it as evidence of influencer dominance over traditional media. Oliver Brown, Chief Sports Writer, Daily Telegraph, discusses whether such events mark a shift from genuine sport to spectacle.Games are more than leisure activities; they are now central to media business models. Zoe Bell, Executive Producer of Games, The New York Times, explains how puzzles like Wordle and its new game Zorse contribute to subscription growth. John Halpern, crossword setter, shares insights into his process for crafting puzzles and the timeless appeal of crosswords.Katie Martin, Columnist, Financial Times, discusses her move from X to Bluesky. She reflects on the challenges of platform migration, the persistence of echo chambers, and the broader implications for media spaces.Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

When Donald Trump won in 2016, it boosted cable news and newspaper subscriptions, with some outlets taking an avowedly anti-Trump stance; some even called this the ‘resistance’. What’s going to happen now? We talk to journalists with different approaches. As popular Channel 4 gameshow Taskmaster celebrates its tenth anniversary, creator Alex Horne shares the secrets of its success. And we assess the choices facing BBC Sport after it was announced Gary Lineker will be standing down from Match of the Day. Guests: Edward Luce, Associate Editor, The Financial Times; Megan McArdle, Columnist, The Washington Post; Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director, Wired; Alex Horne, creator, Taskmaster; Caroline Frost, columnist, Radio Times Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer

Donald Trump has pledged to send reporters to jail and strip major television networks of their broadcast licenses. We discuss how the Presidential campaign was covered and what happens next. James Harding of Tortoise Media discusses his plans to buy The Observer, and as a new investigation into the business interests of the Royals is released, we discuss the story, its coverage and the life of the royal journalist.Guests: James Harding, Editor and Founder, Tortoise Media; Claire Atkinson, Media Reporter, Media Mix Newsletter; Max Tani, Media Editor at news website, Semafor; Alistair Jackson, Investigations Editor, Channel 4; Jennie Bond, former BBC Royal Correspondent; Kinsey Schofield, Host, To Di for DailyPresenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

This week, The Media Show broadcasts from Washington DC, and asks what the election tells us about the media's role in modern America. The Washington Post finds itself at the heart of a debate on media impartiality after a reported loss of thousands of subscribers following its decision not to endorse a candidate. NPR's media correspondent, David Folkenflik, joins us to unpack the unfolding crisis. With tech billionaires wielding significant influence, this election has seen figures like Elon Musk openly backing Donald Trump. Critics argue that big tech’s sway over public discourse has become too potent. Jennifer Huddleston, a senior fellow in technology policy at the Cato Institute, and Marietje Schaake, a former MEP now with Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center, debate the issues. For over 170 years, the Associated Press has been at the forefront of election coverage, calling winners across the nation. Anna Johnson, AP’s Washington bureau chief, explains how it does what might be "the single largest act of journalism in the world". Also on the show, Lauren Egan, White House reporter for Politico, talks Ros through her job and what access she gets to the President. And David A Kaplan, former Newsweek legal affairs expert, reflects on the 2000 election—a time when the relationship between the media, the candidates and the public looked very different.Presented by: Ros Atkins Produced by: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai Sound: Ben Martin

George Osborne, presenter of Political Currency, on covering his first Labour budget as a journalist. After it was pulled from the programme of the London Film Festival at the weekend, Katie talks to the makers of the undercover film exposing UK far-right activists some consider too dangerous to show. After Katie's recent interview with Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, we look at how he used the media to promote his message and whether that’s still possible in Russia right now. And we meet the executive producer behind the Real Housewives franchise, Andy Cohen.Guests: George Osborne, Co-host, Political Currency podcast; Claer Barrett, Consumer Editor, The FT; Havana Marking, documentary maker; Nick Lowles, CEO Hope Not Hate; Andy Cohen, Host and Executive Producer, Real Housewives franchise; Francis Scarr, Russia specialist, BBC Monitoring; Daniel De Simone, Investigations Correspondent, BBC News Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

The BBC has announced cuts to its news output including closing the interview show HARDtalk after nearly 30 years. We talk to HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur. The Isis Prisons Museum was established in 2017 when a group of journalists, filmmakers and activists entered deserted Islamic State prisons to collect evidence. We talk to the team behind the project whose public archive was launched last week. Plus we hear what happens when press junkets go bad and talk to the maker of a new BBC Two documentary about one of Hollywood's most notorious scandals when a mysterious bidder acquired MGM Studios only to flee the country while under investigation by the FBI.Guests: Stephen Sackur, Presenter, HARDTalk; David Abraham, CEO, Wonderhood Studios; Kjersti Flaa, journalist and entertainment reporter; Amer Matar, journalist and Director of the ISIS Prisons Museum; Robin Yassin-Kassab, Chief English Editor of ISIS Prisons Museum; Yvonne McDermott Rees, Professor of Law, Swansea UniversityPresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

The BBC's Rushdi Abualouf, The Economist's Zanny Minton Beddoes, how to increase the number of female experts on the news, and the publishing industry's "Super Thursday".Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros AtkinsAssistant Producers: Lucy Wai and Martha Owen

As the Israeli offensive against targets in Lebanon continues, we discuss the challenges for journalists reporting the story from Beirut and Jerusalem. We also look at how the media is reporting on the story and how the fast-moving nature of the conflict makes verifying information difficult. And we hear about one of the biggest flops in video game history as Sony pulls its new game Concord just days after launch. We explore why it failed and what it tells us about the state of the industry. Plus the manager of the biggest YouTube creators in Europe, The Sidemen. Jordan Schwarzenberger reveals their creative process and business strategy.Guests: Lyse Doucet, Chief International correspondent, BBC; Alex Crawford, Special correspondent, Sky News; Yolande Knell, Middle East correspondent, BBC; Shaina Oppenheimer, Journalist, BBC Monitoring; Hesham Shawish, Journalist, BBC Monitoring; Shayan Sardarizadeh, Senior Journalist, BBC Verify; Keza MacDonald, video games editor, The Guardian; Jordan Schwarzenberger, Co-founder, Arcade Media.Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Content Editor: Richard Hooper Assistant Producers: Martha Owen and Lucy Wai

Katie and Ros meet Erica Gornal, director of the BBC’s new investigation into serious sexual abuse allegations by Mohamed al Fayed. Jimmy Mulville, the exec behind the new US version of Have I Got News for You tell us about what makes Americans laugh and we learn what it takes to run Afghanistan’s biggest television channel, still operating under Taliban rule.Guests: Erica Gornall, Director, Al-Fayed: Predator at Harrods; Henry Porter, former UK Editor, Vanity Fair; Jimmy Mulville, Managing Director, Hat Trick Productions; Nayeema Raza, Co-host, Semafor's Mixed Signals podcast; Saad Mohseni, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Moby Group; Chris Blackhurst, Communications Advisor and former Editor of The IndependentPresenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Flora McWilliam

Donald Trump’s ‘migrants eat pets’ claim is the US election’s most viral meme so far. We talk to the journalist who tracked down the source of that story, and an academic investigating the political impact of memes.The Economist’s man in Beijing joins us to discuss life as a foreign correspondent. As his posting comes to an end, he reflects on political and cultural change in China, and what it’s like reporting from a country with ever increasing media restrictions.We’re also looking at the arms race and personal rivalries at the heart of the artificial intelligence industry, with AI authority Parmy Olson. Plus we get the latest on the TikTok ban appeal and the Observer sale with Lara O’Reilly.Guests: Lara O’Reilly, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider; Jonathan Shalit Chair & Founder, InterTalent Rights Group; Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, Chair, Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority; Jack Brewster, Enterprise Editor, NewsGuard; A.J. Bauer, Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Creative Media, University of Alabama; David Rennie, Geopolitics Editor, The Economist; Parmy Olson, Tech Columnist for Bloomberg and author of Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the WorldPresenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

The US Department of Justice says it has uncovered a Russian-influence operation recruiting prominent US right-wing influencers to convey its messages. We find out more. In the wake of the Southport stabbings, could more information from police have filled the information vacuum some believe led to the riots? The government’s Independent Reviewer of State Threat Legislation thinks so. He tells us why. As the public inquiry into what happened at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered seven babies begins, we ask what impact conspiracy theories are having on the ongoing reporting of the story. Plus Jake Kanter from Deadline updates us on the other media stories making the news.Guests: Jake Kanter, Investigations Editor, Deadline; Maggie Miller, Cybersecurity Reporter, Politico; Catherine Belton, International Investigative Reporter, The Washington Post; Jonathan Hall KC, UK Government Independent Reviewer of State Threat Legislation; Judith Moritz, BBC North of England Correspondent; James Coney, News projects editor, Sunday Times Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

As the final report of the six-year Grenfell inquiry is published, we explore the way the story has been covered by journalists. We hear about a boom in exports of Korean TV formats and talk to the British journalist who visited the Ukraine-occupied Russian region of Kursk. Guests: Ed Daffarn, blogger, Grenfell Action Group; Kate Lamble, Presenter, Grenfell: Building a Disaster; Gary Younge, Presenter, Over The Top Under The Radar podcast; Sophie Barnes, former Deputy News Editor, Inside Housing; Catherine Philp, World Affairs Editor, The Times; Franics Scarr, Russian specialist, BBC Monitoring; Lucas Shaw, Head of Entertainment Coverage, Bloomberg; InSoon Kim, Head of Content, Something Special; Regina Kim, entertainment contributor, Forbes Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Asst Producer: Lucy Wai

After the detention in France of Pavel Durov, owner of the controversial Telegram app, we explore what the first arrest of a social media boss means for content regulation and freedom of speech. As a new parliamentary term begins, we find out how the new Labour government is managing the media. Also in the programme, there’s a new Chinese computer game which is breaking records – and revealing details of how the gaming industry is evolving. Plus, satirical outlet The Onion is returning to print. We find out why.Guests: Mike Isaac, Tech Correspondent, The New York Times; Steve Rosenberg, Russia Editor, BBC News; Matt Chorley, Presenter, BBC Radio 5 Live; Eleanor Langford, Political Reporter, The i; Keza MacDonald, Games Editor, The Guardian; Frankie Ward, eSports broadcaster; Chad Nackers, Editor, The Onion Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

To many, we're living through a golden age of TV. But behind the rich offerings for consumers lie several growing structural issues, from a market oversupplied by streamers desperate for subscriptions, to the consequences of the US actors and writers strike, to a downturn in the advertising spend that powers the UK industry. Ros talks to a panel of TV big hitters at the Edinburgh International TV Festival. We hear from the Democratic National Convention where Kamala Harris is about to accept her party's nomination for President - all at a time when the candidate is refusing to do media interviews. Plus, after a spate of newspaper closures and high profile resignations, we explore the state of Scottish news media during a tumultuous period in the nation's politics. Guests: Chris Curtis, Editor, Broadcast; Stephen Lambert, Chief Executive, Studio Lambert, Andy Harries, CEO, Left Bank Pictures; Claire Lundberg, founder, CTL Scouting; Nicola Shindler, Chief Executive, Quay Street Productions Douglas Fraser, Business and Economy Editor, BBC Scotland; Frank O’Donnell, Senior Partner at Charlotte Street Partners; Karin Goodwin, Co-Editor, The Ferret; Nayeema Raza, Co-Presenter, Mixed Signals Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Simon Richardson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Lorna Woods' thinking was central to the new Online Safety Act, designed to tackle dangerous content online. After the recent riots, which many argue were fomented on social media, the law is being put to the test in the courts. We talk to Lorna alongside Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor. We also look at the role the traditional media plays in the discourse around immigration with Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, columnist, at The I and Sunder Katwala, Director of the British Future thinktank. We also explore Elon Musk's X platform's new legal action against advertisers, the role of the media lawyer and Andrew Cotter explains the art of Olympic commentary.Guests: Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor; Lorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law, University of Essex; Lara O'Reilly, Senior Correspondent, Business Insider; Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Columnist, The I; Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future; John Battle, Head of Legal and Compliance, ITN; Gill Phillips, legal consultant and former Editorial Legal Director, The Guardian, Andrew Cotter, broadcasterPresenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson

We talk to Tom Witherow from The Times who's been tracing where the false claim the Southport attacker is Muslim began, as well as reporters covering the riots on the ground. The Editor of The Sun, Victoria Newton, discusses that paper's coverage of Huw Edwards. What qualities do you need to be a journalist? The National Council for the Training of Journalists say the younger generation lacks confidence when it comes to tasks like cold calling and phone interviews. We find out more. Plus get the latest in the legal battle between Netflix and the alleged subject of its drama, Baby ReindeerGuests: Maria Breslin, Editor, The Liverpool Echo; Priyanka Raval, Reporter, The Bristol Cable; Tom Witherow, Reporter, The Times; Stephanie Stacey, Technology Reporter, The Financial Times; Jake Kanter, Investigations Editor, Deadline; Victoria Newton, Editor, The Sun; Laura Adams, Head of the Journalism Skills Academy, National Council for the Training of JournalistsPresenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson