Taking Stock

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston Mandy discusses just how hard or easy it is to set up a new political party. We hear from Political Consultant Stephen O’Byrnes and from Frank Fitzgerald from UL. Newsgroups are in the grip of a long-term battle to retain their audiences, that’s according to the latest Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Liam Collins a former news editor for the Sunday Independent and Emer Connolly is an academic who has looked at the media landscape here in Ireland and they join Mandy to examine the plight of journalists caught up this struggle. Plus we hear we hear what exactly the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund is and why it’s dollars are spreading into all sorts of places.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston exploreS a special investigation by the Financial Times that uncovered shocking allegations of sexual assault and harassment within a prominent London hedge fund company. The FT’s Antonia Cundy tells us more about the investigation and the fallout. Mandy also dives into the captivating world of leadership discussing why figures like Trump and Boris Johnson remain popular. Neil Jurd, OBE, renowned author and former Army Officer shares his insights. Plus, as Dublin Airport unveils its plans for massive expansion Ellie Donnelly from the Business Post and Paul Hackett President of the Irish Travel Association discuss the airport's evolution and future plans.

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Pilita Clark of the Financial Times and Sinead English the founder of Hilt Careers about how the modern worker is drowning in emails and what you can do about it. In the US things are hotting up in the race to decide who the Presidential candidates will be. Ted Smyth of the Clinton Foundation joins Mandy from America to take stock of the current runners and riders. Plus, Mandy talks to the former BBC Royal Correspondent and broadcaster Jennie Bond about this week’s Prince Harry Court Case as well as the complex and compelling relationship between the Royal Family and Fleet Street

This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Mark Paul the London Correspondent with the Irish Times about how Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s honeymoon period is well and truly over as Boris is still looming large as are the myriad of complications from Brexit. And staying in the UK Mandy talks to Lucy Fisher of the Financial Times about the proposed price cap in British Supermarkets. Plus what Jack Dorsey the Twitter founder did next. We hear from Chris Stokel-Walker.

As the dust settles on last week's local elections in Northern Ireland Mandy Johnston looks at the real figures and what they mean for the re=establishment of the Assembly and is joined by Tommie Gorman the former RTE Northern Ireland Editor who now writes on politics north and south for the Currency In San Francisco's a crisis of homelessness, drug abuse and crime threaten the city’s future. Tabby Kinder leads the Financial Times’ coverage in Silicon Valley and across the US West Coast and she talks us through the latest developments in the city that seems at breaking point. Plus as The European Central Bank turns 25 next week it is pushing ahead with the development of electronic currency despite political objection. Cliff Taylor of the Irish Tines is here to decipher what it means for consumers.

With the Covid Emergency now being officially deemed ‘over ‘many countries are now assessing how they managed their response to the Pandemic. This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Jack Horgan-Jones and Hugh O’Connell about their book ‘Pandemonium: Power, Politics and Ireland’s Pandemic’. Often seen as a ‘dirty word’, Sales has a bad reputation in the business world – but selling is a fundamental skill for any founder to successfully drive revenue and business growth. Mandy talks to Rob King the author of ‘Selling Creativity: How Creatives and Agencies can Grow their Business through the Art of Sales’ And ahead of the European Anti-Financial Crime Summit 2023 in Dublin next week Mandy talks to Caroline Costello who is Financial Crime Leader with Deloitte about trends in fraud and money laundering and how to combat the fraudsters.

Some of the big four companies are having to train new recruits with basic communications skills necessary for the workforce. Is it because students were shut off during Covid or is there something more? This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston talks to Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite about what young people may have lost. With the EU’s highest court set to hold a hearing at later this month on the €13 Billion Euro - Apple tax case, Lorcan Allen of the Sunday Business Post reminds us of the background, and assess what might be in the final ruling on the world’s biggest-ever antitrust case. And finally, Machines are learning more than before, while humans learn less. The issue is already hitting Hollywood hills as writers’ strike for safeguards to stop its members’ work being replaced by AI in the future. Mandy talks to Marina Fang of the Huffington Post.

On this week's Taking Stock: Harry Dempsey, commodities correspondent for the Financial Times joins Mandy to discuss Chile's move to take state control of important lithium projects and together they explore what that might mean for it and other South American economies in the years to come. Mandy speaks with Will Hutton, Political economist and writer for the Observer and the Guardian about how the British people's relationship with the monarchy has changed over the decades and asks how relevant the institution actually is in a 21st-century UK. Dr. Ashley Morgan, Senior lecturer in the School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University joins Mandy to discuss the legacy of Tiffany's & its multi-million dollar makeover.

What’s going on with Global Sport? This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston is joined by Nathan Murphy from ‘Off the Ball’ to discuss if the incredible levels of investment in sports nowadays actually make us consumers rather than fans. Mandy talks to the author of “Beyond the wall” - a new book which chronicles the short life of East Germany. It's a book that's getting rave reviews and reveals a colourful history that is full of surprises. And finally, as Tucker Carlson exits Fox News stage right Mandy examines the man, his influence, his departure and what might happen next in a media career that has been defined by politics and division.

It’s shaping up to be the great question of our time; AI is moving at a pace that its creators never really expected. This week on Taking Stock Mandy Johnston asks can we control it before it controls us when she talks to Sarah Mayer West of the AI Now Institute. And back home, as organised crime featured large in the news this week, Mandy looks at the figures involved and where and how criminal gangs are stashing their money in the modern era with John Mooney of the Sunday Times. And finally bumper revenues and exports were outlined this week by Government and Enterprise Ireland. Mandy is joined by Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times to outline what this might mean for the future and if tax cuts will be a major discussion point in the months ahead for the Government.