The Media Show

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale is facing calls to withdraw from involvement in regulation of the press following the disclosure that he had a relationship with a prostitute. Four newspapers knew he'd had a relationship with a woman who he later found out was a sex worker, but they didn't publish the story. Steve Hewlett talks to one of the journalists who had been investigating the claims - former political correspondent of the Independent James Cusick, and asks him his views about why he thinks the story didn't run. MPs from across political parties will debate diversity at the BBC in the House of Commons tomorrow. The MP David Lammy is leading the debate - he claims the BBC is falling short when it comes to maintaining its commitment to represent the UK and its nations and regions. Broadcasters have long acknowledged that diversity is a problem, both on and off screen. Steve Hewlett talks to Seetha Kumar, the CEO of Creative Skillset, which works with broadcasters to promote diversity. Formally a BBC Executive, she talks to him about the challenge of attracting BAME employees, and the problem in retaining them. TV dramas form an important part of how channels like ITV and BBC retain and grow audiences. Following the move of BBC controller of drama Polly Hill to ITV, we explore the long standing rivalry between the BBC and ITV; from "Howards Way" and "The Jewel in the Crown" to "Call the Midwife" and "Downton Abbey". Joining Steve Hewlett to discuss the ebbs and flows of TV drama since the 1980s are former BBC1 controller Jonathan Powell, and creator of "Holby City" Mal Young.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Rona Fairhead discusses concerns about the BBC Trust model and government interference. Tips for interviewing will.i.am spark debate on celebrity PR control. The clash between press freedom and privacy in court rulings raises concerns about shielding celebrities' actions from media coverage.

Media analyst Mathew Horsman discusses Netflix's UK dominance and global ambitions. Channel 5's rebrand aims for a younger audience. Debate on print media's future with success stories like The i and challenges faced by traditional newspapers.

Twitter is ten years old and has had an "utterly transformative" impact on journalism. That's according to Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Centre for Digital Journalism at the Columbia Journalism School. She says it has been the most important journalistic tool since the phone. We'll hear from her and from radio and TV presenter Richard Bacon, one of the UK's pioneers in using Twitter. He has 1.5 million followers and has experienced both the bright and very dark sides of Twitter.We'll also ask if we - all of us - are too quick to share pictures and video on Twitter and other social media in the aftermath of terror attacks, like those in Brussels yesterday? We'll be hearing from Hend Amry who began #ISISMediaBlackout on Twitter to discourage users from sharing ISIS propaganda online. She feels that sharing footage of attacks inadvertently serves the purpose of terror groups who hope to spread panic.Also - the editor of the Mail on Sunday, Geordie Greig, will reveal what he thinks helped his newspaper to win Newspaper of Year at last night's Society of Editors Press Awards.And the Chief Executive Officer of Johnston Press, Ashley Highfield, will discuss his plans for the i newspaper, which the Johnston Press is in the process of buying. How will the i thrive without the content previously supplied by the Independent newspaper? And with so many local newspapers in the Johnston Press empire now labelled "non-core" or "sub-core", will their future be blighted by cuts, strikes and closures? All questions for Ashley Highfield.

Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Maria Eagle, discusses safeguarding BBC independence amidst BBC Charter Renewal. Sir Joseph Pilling tackles criticisms of IPSO as its independent reviewer. Discussion on Investigatory Powers Bill's impact on press freedom and journalists' safety.

Charlotte Moore, Controller of BBC TV Channels and iPlayer, discusses the future vision for BBC TV. Topics include the Turkish press crackdown, BBC TV distinctiveness, and the balance between BBC independence and government influence. Insightful perspectives from various key figures in media and broadcasting.

Discussion on the impact of the BBC on the market and its competitors, recommendations for BBC governance changes, ethnic minorities' TV viewing preferences, and the importance of diversity in television programming.

Marie Le Conte, journalist & co-founder, discusses the representation of women in journalism. Topics include the lack of female nominees in the Press Awards, launch of Trinity Mirror's 'The New Day' newspaper, and House of Lords report on the BBC's future.

The podcast discusses new powers of IPSO, including investigations without complaints and potential fines; criticism that IPSO is too lenient with newspapers. A BBC documentary on assisted suicide raises concerns about normalisation in the media. Filmmakers aim for a nuanced portrayal, while experts warn against normalizing suicide methods on screen.

James Murdoch, son of Rupert, has returned to Sky as Chairman. It comes four years after he resigned from the position amid the phone hacking scandal, which led to the closure of the Murdoch-owned newspaper News of the World. Since last July, James Murdoch also served as chief executive of 21st Century Fox, Sky's biggest shareholder. Andrea Catherwood is joined by Sarah Ellison of Vanity Fair, who has closely followed the Murdoch media dynasty, and also Ashley Hamilton Claxton, from Royal London Asset Management, a shareholder in Sky, who calls the reappointment 'inappropriate.'Guardian News & Media, the publisher of the Guardian, is to cut running costs by 20% - a little over £50m - in a bid to break even within three years and support future growth. In the words of its Chief executive David Pemsel: 'We need to be an agile, lean and responsive organisation.' Ian Burrell, Assistant Editor & Media Editor of The Independent newspaper joins Andrea to discuss whether the Guardian's model of free content online, amid a climate of reduced print advertising revenues & the rise of ad-blocking, is a sustainable one.Africa's internet penetration will reach 50 percent by 2025 and there are expected to be 360 million smartphones, according to data from McKinsey Consultants. Today, journalist Ismail Einashe is discussing what impact new media in Africa is having on journalism, at a talk for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. He joins Andrea after the talk. Also joining her is author Anjan Sundaram, whose new book "Bad News" examines press freedom in Rwanda. Together they discuss whether the growth of new media in Africa is a way to improve democracy, or whether it's a mechanism for greater state control?Producer: Katy Takatsuki.