The Media Show

As the world faces an economic downturn worse than the Great Depression, there’s perhaps never been a better time to be running a magazine about global affairs called The Economist. The trouble is, many of the ideas that the newspaper - as it still calls itself - has championed since 1843 are now under attack. In this extended interview, Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, talks about making the case for liberalism, her strategy for the publication and a previous career as an actual economist.Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Richard Hooper Studio engineer: Duncan Hannant

When Channel 5 launched in 1997, it promised to be "modern and mainstream". But it wasn't long before the schedule was filled with tacky game shows and even soft porn movies. The bad reputation stuck for years. Under the leadership of Ben Frow, Channel 5 has been transformed into RTS Channel of the Year, attracting upmarket viewers with documentaries about the National Trust and a Michael Palin travelogue. In this extended edition of The Media Show, Ben Frow tells Amol Rajan more about his strategy, and discusses his own career journey which began as a costume maker.Producer: Richard HooperPhoto: Still from the Channel 5 show, Michael Palin in North Korea

With places of worship closed because of coronavirus, some people of faith are turning to religious broadcasters. Amol Rajan asks what the role of religious media is and whether the pandemic now threatens their business model.Guests: Charmaine Noble-Mclean, executive director at Premier Christian Radio, Joseph Hayat, editor-in-chief British Muslim TV, Richard Ferrer, editor Jewish News, and Martin Bashir, BBC Religion EditorProducer: Richard Hooper

Radio stations have reported a huge surge in listeners since the start of the lock-down. Amol Rajan meets three presenters now helping to calm the nation. Guests: Simon Mayo of Scala Radio, Linda McDermott of BBC Radio Merseyside, and Iain Lee of talkRADIO. Producer: Richard Hooper

A global lock down means demand for media has never been higher - but making it has never been harder. Amol Rajan hears how TV producers and news providers are adapting. Also in the show, can esports fill the void left by the cancellation of live sport?Guests: Carrie Brown, Chair of the Football Writers' Association, John McVay, chief executive Pact, Paul McNamee, editor The Big Issue, Luke Lambourne, creator of Ultimate QuaranTeam and Leyton Orient FC media manager, and Shona Ghosh, UK tech editor Business Insider.Producer: Richard Hooper

How good a job is the media doing at explaining the science behind what's going on with coronavirus? Are we hearing enough from the experts? The right experts? Or is the Westminster lobby still setting the news agenda? Amol Rajan is joined by Emily Wilson, editor of New Scientist, Gareth Mitchell, presenter and lecturer in Science Communication at Imperial College London, and Dr Ellie Cannon, GP and Mail on Sunday columnist. Also in the show, how the BBC is responding with Dan McGolpin, BBC Controller of iPlayer and Programming.

As the number of people infected with coronavirus rises rapidly in Europe and the US, can journalists ever report the situation without causing panic? In Italy the newspaper Corriere della Sera has been accused of endangering public health after it published a leak of a government order to lock down the north of the country, resulting in people fleeing the region before it was implemented. Should journalists ever withhold the truth?Also in the programme, how Good Housekeeping has become the biggest selling women's lifestyle magazine in the UK.Amol Rajan is joined by Jess Brammar, editor in chief HuffPost UK, Tom Phillips, editor Full Fact, Paul Nuki, global health security editor The Daily Telegraph, Gaby Huddart, editor in chief Good Housekeeping and Dany Mitzman, freelance journalist in Italy.Producer: Richard Hooper

The Daily Telegraph has reportedly been put up for sale by its owners, Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. But according to a High Court case, relatives of the brothers are now feuding. One side even alleges the other has been bugging their conversations in the Ritz Hotel in London. How might the dispute complicate the future direction of the newspaper?Also in the programme, as the BBC Local News Partnership scheme expands into BAME publications, is the news industry now dependent on subsidies?Amol Rajan is joined by Rithika Siddhartha, Associate Editor of Eastern Eye, Meera Selva, Director at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Will Gore, Head of Partnerships and Projects at the National Council for the Training of Journalists, Jane Martinson, Marjorie Deane Professor of Financial Journalism at City University and Alex Barker, Global Media Editor of the Financial Times.Producer: Richard Hooper

Magazine sales are up for some titles, with a resurgence of those that deal with news and current affairs. What's their secret? Also in the programme, why campaigners say CGTN, the English language news channel from China, should lose its Ofcom licence to broadcast in the UK.Amol Rajan is joined by Jason Cowley, editor The New Statesman, Rosie Blau, editor 1843, Christopher Montgomery, co-editor The Critic, and Peter Dahlin, director of Safeguard DefendersProducer: Richard Hooper

The Yorkshire Post is one of the oldest titles in the country and styles itself as “Yorkshire’s National Newspaper”. During the 2019 general election, the paper’s scoop about “the boy on the hospital floor” reached a huge audience and influenced the debate. But it also spawned a conspiracy theory. In this extended interview, editor James Mitchinson discusses his battle against fake news, his vision for The Yorkshire Post and why a childhood in the coalfields of North Notts fuels his passion for the region.Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Richard Hooper