The Media Show

Decisions about how we should behave at Christmas are heavily influenced by the media – from online Twitter threads and infographics to interviews with scientists and public health officials. As a result of the pandemic, certain scientists and journalists have themselves become well-known characters in the Covid story – but is it a role they welcome?Guests: Professor Neil Ferguson, epidemiologist and member of SAGE; Professor Christina Pagel, Director of UCL’s Clinical Operational Research Unit; Dr Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organisation; John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter at Financial Times. Producer: Dan Hardoon Presenter: Ros Atkins Studio engineer: Bob NettlesEditor: Richard Hooper

Jon Snow is the longest-running presenter of Channel 4 News and one of the most famous faces in broadcasting. Over the course of three decades, he has grilled every prime minister from Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May. He drew the iconic words ‘Let bygones be bygones’ from Nelson Mandela, shared a plane with Idi Amin, and reported on wars in Iran and crises in Vietnam. But he has also been accused of being partisan, of having political views that were too obvious – and which undermine the network’s impartiality. And so, at a time when the future of Channel 4 is up for grabs, his words have come under unprecedented scrutiny. Studio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Katie Razzall

Was there a Christmas party in 10 Downing Street last year during lockdown? The Mirror received a tip-off from an anonymous source, alleging that a party took place. ITV News then secured footage of Downing Street aides joking about a party. How did the journalists involved get hold of these stories, and what did they do to "stand them up"? These two scoops dominated Prime Minister's Questions and every news bulletin. So what is the relationship between the government and the Lobby?Guests: Pippa Crerar, Political Editor at The Mirror; Paul Brand, UK Editor at ITV News; Kitty Donaldson, Political Editor at Bloomberg; Michael Crick, Political Correspondent at Mail Plus; Katie Perrior, former Director of Communications at 10 Downing Street.Studio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Ros AtkinsEditor: Richard Hooper

What is the relationship between journalists and their audiences? Reporters covering the Omicron variant say they’ve received abuse from people angry about the government’s response – and blaming the journalists. One newspaper group announced they’ve had to disable reader comments altogether on their coverage of the tragedy in the English Channel. So are the trolls making it impossible to have a healthy debate between reader and reporter? Plus, Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, is stepping away from the company. What are the big tasks facing new CEO Parag Agrawal?Guests: John Thornhill, Innovation Editor and Tech Columnist at the Financial Times; Rizwana Hamid, Director of the Centre for Media Monitoring; Isobel Asher Hamilton, Senior Tech Reporter at Insider; Ian Carter, Editorial Director at Iliffe Media; Rebecca Whittington, Online Safety Editor at Reach. Studio engineer; John BolandProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Katie Razzall

A faltering speech by Boris Johnson has Westminster journalists in a spin. The government changed its stance on lobbying following attacks in the Daily Mail and other bits of the media. And a BBC interview with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, has made headlines. But how much do political stories like these actually cut through with the public?Guests: Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor at ITV News; Chris Williams, Business Editor at The Telegraph; Joe Twyman, Director at DeltaPoll; Steve Rosenberg, BBC Moscow Correspondent.Studio engineer: Nigel DixProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Ros Atkins

Nadine Dorries was made Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in September. In this interview, her first sit-down discussion with the BBC since she started her role, Dorries speaks to Katie Razzall about arts and media in schools, cancel culture, social media harms, and the future of the BBC.

After Sunday’s attack in Liverpool, journalists are questioning the right way to report responsibly on these types of incident. When should the words "terror attack" be used on a front page? And is it morally wrong to "door-step" victims and members of the public caught up in an attack? Also in the programme, Sky in the UK have launched a new streaming service, Peacock, in the week that Netflix says it will double its studio space in the UK. Can the traditional TV giants claw back an audience from the likes of Netflix and Disney? Guests: Maria Breslin, Editor at the Liverpool Echo; Kamal Ahmed, Editor-in-Chief at The News Movement; Julia Alexander, Senior Strategy Analyst at Parrot Analytics; Simon Walker, Chief Executive at Marquee TV.Studio engineer: Nigel DixProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Katie Razzall

The UK has become a production hub, with giant companies like Amazon and Netflix filming on our shores - and driving up the cost of shoots. But how easy is it to build up a thriving TV industry in a new part of the country? And faced with an influx of US programmes, should the government lay down legal requirements for ‘Britishness' on TV?Guests: Sarah Doole, Chief Executive of Red Production Company; Tony Wood, Chief Executive of Buccaneer Media; Sir Phil Redmond, creator of Grange Hill, Hollyoaks and Brookside; Chris Curtis, Editor of Broadcast.Studio engineer: Donald MacDonaldProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Ros Atkins

This has been a nervy week in the media world, as radio stations finally found out what happened to listening habits. Audience data was suspended during the pandemic and has only just returned. So what did the RAJARS (Radio Joint Audience Research) reveal about audiences? Who were the big winners and losers? And can broadcast radio stand up against the giants of Silicon Valley with their well funded podcast plans? Guests: Dick Stone, Chief Content Officer at Jack Media; Miranda Sawyer, Radio Critic at The Observer; Ashley Carman, Senior Reporter at The Verge and lead writer at Hot Pod; Matt Deegan, Creative Director at Folder Media.Studio engineer: Duncan HannantProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Datshiane Navanayagam

It's been another tough week for Facebook, as the world's biggest news brands publish co-ordinated and critical stories, all based on whistle-blower Frances Haugen and her trove of documents. How did Haugen, a former Facebook Product Manager, come to have such strong media and PR support? Facing difficulties in the real-world, Facebook are investing heavily in alternative-reality. But what exactly is the "metaverse" - and how soon before we all live in it?Guests: Emily Birnbaum, Tech Lobbying Reporter at Politico; Madhumita Murgia, European Tech Correspondent at The Financial Times; Nicola Millard, Principal Innovation Partner at BT; Lauren Goode, Senior Writer at Wired.Studio engineer: Steve GreenwoodProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Datshiane Navanayagam