

The Media Show
BBC Radio 4
Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 1, 2023 • 28min
BBC's Modi documentary controversy
In India, a BBC documentary about India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is causing controversy. The documentary explores tensions between Narendra Modi and India's Muslim minority. The Indian government says it has ordered Twitter and YouTube to take down video clips from the documentary, but what are the implications for press freedom in India? Also in the programme, how Spotify's podcast strategy is changing and what it means for how we listen to radio and podcasts in the future.Guests: Rishi Iyengar, staff writer at Foreign Policy magazine; Supriya Sharma, Executive Editor of the news website Scroll; Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia policy director at Access Now; Nick Hilton, podcast industry analyst and founder of Podot; Arielle Nissenblatt, founder of the EarBuds Podcast Collective newsletter.Producer: Dan Hardoon
Presenter: Ros Atkins

Jan 25, 2023 • 28min
The Story Behind the Nadhim Zahawi Scoop
The story of Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs was broken thanks to the work of journalists and investigators. Katie Razzall meets two of them. Also in the programme, why Netflix has bought its first Welsh language crime drama.Guests: Anna Isaac, City Editor, The Guardian, Dan Neidle, Founder, Tax Policy Associates, Adrian Bate, Co-founder, Vox Pictures, and Llinos Griffin-Williams, Chief Content Officer, S4C.Presenter: Katie RazzallProducer: Helen Fitzhenry

Jan 24, 2023 • 16min
Why the BBC chairman says he won't quit
Richard Sharp is accused of helping facilitate a loan to the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, when Mr Sharp was applying to be BBC chairman. His appointment is now under review by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. In this interview with Katie Razzall, Mr Sharp denies being involved in any loan and explains why he believes he will be exonerated because he "was appointed on merit".

Jan 18, 2023 • 28min
Investigating Andrew Tate
What the rise of Andrew Tate tells us about modern masculinity and the media, with the VICE journalist who investigated him. Andrew and Tristan Tate both deny the allegations against them.Guests: Matt Shea, journalist for VICE World News's The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate, Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic and presenter of The New Gurus on BBC Sounds, and Professor Scott Galloway, host of the Prof G Pod and co-host of the Pivot podcast.Presenter: Ros AtkinsProducer: Helen FitzhenryImage credit: Scene from VICE World News's The Dangerous Rise of Andrew Tate, produced and directed by Jamie Tahsin.

Jan 11, 2023 • 28min
What the Culture Minister Really Thinks
Michelle Donelan is the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In this broad interview with Katie Razzall, the minister explains why she reversed her predecessor's plans for Channel 4, gives her thoughts on Prince Harry's complaint about the press, and says why the Parthenon marbles will not be returning to Greece. Katie is also joined by Lara O'Reilly, senior correspondent on Insider's business desk covering tech and media.Presenter: Katie RazzallSound engineer: Duncan HannantProducer: Helen Fitzhenry

Jan 4, 2023 • 28min
Staying loyal to The Traitors
As The Traitors prepares to launch in the US, the producer behind the series discusses why it was a hit in the UK. Also in the programme, what the Christmas period revealed about advertising – from how companies are spending their ad budgets – to the ads which are working the best. Guests: Stephen Lambert, CEO, Studio Lambert, Sophie Lewis, Chief Strategy Officer, M&C Saatchi, Dino Myers-Lamptey, Founder, The Barber Shop, Benjamin Cohen, CEO, PinkNews, and Chris Curtis, Editor in chief, Broadcast magazinePresenter: Ros Atkins

Dec 28, 2022 • 28min
The Magic of Natural History
The last five years have seen a surge in demand for natural history programmes. But as budgets get tighter and commissioners become more discerning how can those working in this genre continue to offer new stories about the natural world?Guests: Vanessa Berlowitz, Co-Founder, Wildstar Films. Alastair Fothergill, Co-Founder, Silverback Films, and Rowan Crawford, Series Producer, Natural History Unit at BBC StudiosPresenter: Katie RazzallProducer: Helen Fitzhenry

Dec 21, 2022 • 28min
Inside the mind of Elon Musk
Since taking charge of Twitter in October, Elon Musk has temporarily banned some journalists from the platform, overhauled the verification system, reinstated Donald Trump's Twitter account and laid off more than half Twitter's workforce. Now, following a Twitter poll, he plans to stand down as the company's CEO. But why does it matter for the wider media, culture and society?Guests: Kara Swisher, leading technology journalist and presenter of the podcast On with Kara Swisher; Rebekah Tromble, Director of the Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics at George Washington University; Dex Hunter-Torricke, VP Global Communications & Public Engagement, Meta Oversight Board; John Gapper, business columnist at the Financial Times.Presenter: Ros AtkinsStudio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Dan Hardoon

Dec 14, 2022 • 28min
Read All About It... in America?
Newspaper group Reach has announced plans to launch US operations for the Mirror, Express, and Irish Star. But can these British brands really succeed in America? Also in the programme, Google's UK boss, Matt Brittin.Guests: Liz Hazelton, Editorial Director, Express.co.uk, David Yelland, Former Editor of The Sun, Christina Garibaldi, Correspondent, Us Weekly, Claire Atkinson, Chief Media Correspondent, Insider, and Matt Brittin, President of EMEA Business and Operations, Google.Presenter: Katie RazzallProducer: Dan Hardoon

Dec 7, 2022 • 28min
My plan for ITV
Kevin Lygo is ITV’s Managing Director of Media and Entertainment. He tells us how ITV X will reach new audiences, why he agreed to Matt Hancock joining I'm a Celebrity, and what he texts to Ant and Dec during ad breaks. Presenter: Ros Atkins
Producer: Helen Fitzhenry