The Media Show

Harriet Harman MP is the new shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport, replacing Ivan Lewis MP. So what are Labour's policies on the media generally and, specifically, on the BBC and on cross-media ownership? Neville Thurlbeck was chief news reporter at the News of the World when it closed in July, where he had worked for twenty years. He was the reporter on the Max Mosley story and, separately, his name came up in reports of the Gordon Taylor phone hacking scandal when the phrase "for Neville" appeared on an emailed transcript of hacked voicemails. He denies involvement in phone hacking and tells Steve how he tried to clear his name when his connection with it was first suggested. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Anne McElvoy presents the programme this week.Jonathan Miller is back from Syria, where he's been reporting for ITN and working on a documentary for Channel 4, "Syria's Torture Machine". Following on from his experience in the making of "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields", the new documentary includes images taken from mobile phone videos, allegedly showing abuse and torture. He tells Anne what it is like to work openly as a foreign reporter in Syria and what happened when he tried to talk to people who had not been approved by his minders. The documentary will be shown on Channel 4 on Monday 19th December at 11.10pm.Attorney General Dominic Grieve MP has been flagging up his intention to prosecute journalists who threaten to prejudice or impede trials, with a handful of convictions already since he took office 18 months ago. He is trying to stem the flow of stories about people who have been arrested with new emphasis on the risk of discouraging witnesses from coming forward if the suspect's name has been tarnished. Will he fine journalists in future, or go further and jail them? And The Independent's had two front page stories this week which have made the news more widely, on lobbyists Bell Pottinger, based on secret filming of their staff when bidding for new business. Bell Pottinger say they are complaining to the PCC and have instructed lawyers. Iain Overton worked on the story for the Bureau of Investigation - is this story really in the public interest, when it arguably shows little more than lobbyists boasting to attract new clients? And how does The Times' Danny Finkelstein respond to the lobbyists claims that he is worth targeting to place ideas in his columns? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

With tabloid newspapers under sustained attack at the Leveson Inquiry, The Sun's managing editor Richard Caseby talks about his paper's future.The front pages of the upmarket newspapers yesterday carried the story told by Charlotte Church in Monday's Leveson session: that, when she was 13, she turned down £100,000 to sing Pie Jesu at Rupert Murdoch's wedding to Wendi Deng in exchange for favourable coverage. Jonathan Shalit was her agent at the time and he tells Steve what he remembers of the deal - business as usual or a "Faustian pact"?And paparazzo Max Cisotti responds to the series of claims made against press and celebrity photographers in the Leveson sessions so far - in his view, are celebrities and people in the news really responsible for the way they are treated? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

As the Leveson Inquiry takes evidence from alleged victims of phone hacking and other intrusions of privacy, one of the first witnesses, Joan Smith, tells Steve how she and other participants found common ground and why she believes it was important for her to give evidence. As the inquiry's broad remit become increasingly clear, two former editors discuss the potential impact on tabloid practices and press freedom: Jules Stenson, the features editor at the News of the World when it closed in July and Peter Preston, former Guardian editor.And, not much more than a year after they joined from BBC1's The One Show, there are reports that Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley are to leave ITV's Daybreak in the new year. Liam Hamilton used to edit its predecessor at GMTV and Sue Ayton is an agent who has helped cast the presenters on several breakfast tv programmes - what future do they see for this slot on ITV and for the presenters once they've gone their separate ways? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, ethics and practices of the media has started this week, with opening statements from lawyers for the inquiry, newspapers and 'victims' and, today, from journalists' union the NUJ. General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet tells the Media Show that a culture of fear kept most journalists from speaking out when they saw unethical practices over the last ten years. Can she suggest a viable solution? Meanwhile, on Monday, print editors gathered in a hotel in Surrey to discuss how they could address the perceived problems of self-regulation, at the Society of Editors conference. Mirror editor Richard Wallace, Graham Dudman of News International and the Mail's executive managing editor, Robin Esser, offer their views of what if anything should replace the Press Complaints Commission. The new chair of the PCC, Lord Hunt, responds and Stewart Purvis, formerly of Ofcom, discusses the options.

Max Mosley has won damages in Paris from the publishers of the News of the World for invasion of privacy. Is this the end of his actions against the News of the World or does he now have new targets?Last week the Arab League secured an agreement with Syria to stop violence against protesters and to allow journalists to monitor the situation in the country. It is not the first time Syrian authorities have said journalists can work in the country without fear, even if the reality is very different. A Syrian dissident who's fled the country tells Steve why she tries to help foreign journalists, despite the danger to them and to the people they interview. Sue Lloyd Roberts has recently returned from Syria where she reported undercover for BBC2's Newsnight and she talks about the precautions she has to take to protect her sources from arrest and punishment.Tomorrow, James Murdoch returns to give evidence on what he did and did not know about phone hacking at the News of the World. The evidence he gave in July has been contradicted by the newspaper's editor Colin Myler and lawyer Tom Crone and so the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has asked for clarification. Sarah Ellison has written extensively for Vanity Fair on the impact of the phone hacking claims on the Murdoch family and, from New York, she comments on where the latest claims leave James Murdoch while Damian Collins MP outlines the questions he will be putting in tomorrow's crucial session. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Peter Salmon, the director of BBC North and the driving force behind the BBC's move to MediaCity, explains his vision for a global base for the media in Salford. Several BBC departments are already broadcasting from Salford, with more set to move in early 2012, but will the move make a noticeable difference to BBC programmes?This year's Radio Festival comes from Salford where the radio industry has been discussing the "death of local radio." Dee Ford is the director of Bauer Media, which is one of the major players in commercial radio and owns stations including Magic, Heart and Kiss. She explains why local radio stations are doing well for Bauer and discusses whether BBC cut backs to local radio services could present commercial opportunities. It has been promised that the BBC's move north will regenerate Salford and benefit the entire region. But how do independent TV producers based in the north west see the move? Cat Lewis, who runs Manchester based production company Nine Lives, and Alex Connock of Pretend discuss the future for production in the area. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

WikiLeaks has said that it may have to close after payment companies, including Visa, Mastercard and Paypal, blocked payments to the site, cutting off its funding. So why are these companies targeting WikiLeaks and what does the move mean for freedom of speech? Journalist and former WikLeaks employee James Ball and Jean-Francois Julliard of Reporters Without Borders ask whether WikiLeaks can survive.It's a year since The Independent launched its compact sister paper, the i. The move, which was seen as a risky tactic at a time of declining newspaper sales, seems to have paid off and the i is now outselling The Independent. To discuss what i's success could mean for the future of the Independent, Steve Hewlett is joined by Andrew Mullins, the managing director of both newspapers as well as the London Evening Standard.ITV's hit entertainment show The X-Factor has seen a drop in ratings compared to last year's series, as bigger audiences for Strictly Come Dancing close the gap between the rival shows. Has the X-Factor lost appeal without Simon Cowell? Or could this be a sign that its format needs refreshing? Showbiz journalist Dan Wootton and former ITV director of programmes Simon Shaps discuss how producers can maintain the appeal of long running formats. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Press Complaints Commission has appointed Lord Hunt as its new chairman, after Baroness Buscombe resigned following criticisms of the PCC's handling of the phone hacking scandal. To hear about the challenges facing Lord Hunt and how the PCC might change, Steve Hewlett is joined by former PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer. James Murdoch is back under the spotlight as a House of Commons Media Select Committee hears more about his alleged involvement in negotiating a pay off with phone hacking victim Graham Taylor. Lawyer Mark Lewis, who gave evidence to the committee, discusses the most recent revelations. As BSkyB announces its first quarter results, there are also suggestions that some shareholders are unhappy with James Murdoch's role on the board. Financial Times Media correspondent Ben Fenton discusses BSkyB's results and whether the call for Murdoch's resignation will be answered. The US public broadcaster PBS is set to launch a subscription channel in the UK which it hopes will find a wider audience for its news, current affairs and documentary programmes. Paula Kerger, the CEO of PBS, explains what the brand, which is highly regarded in the US, can bring to UK viewers more used to watching US comedy and drama. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The BBC has announced its proposals for "Delivering Quality First", a strategy to cut twenty percent of the BBC's spending over the next five years. No BBC channels will be scrapped but there are concerns that the savings could overstretch resources and erode the quality of BBC programmes. Steve Hewlett hears about the decisions from the BBC's director of policy and strategy, John Tate. The BBC's proposals include big cuts to local radio and reductions in budgets for network radio although Radio 4 will be protected more than others. Radio critic Gillian Reynolds explains why she fears the cuts to BBC radio are worse than they seem. The Daily Mail's editor in chief Paul Dacre has addressed the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking, calling for continued self regulation of a press which he said is "vastly better behaved" now than it was when he started working in journalism. The Guardian's media correspondent Dan Sabbagh, who was at the seminar, picks out some of Paul Dacre's main suggestions. According to a report commissioned by the BBC executive, the corporation pays fees of about £10 million a year to Sky to carry BBC channels. The report says this is an unusual set-up as, in many countries, the opposite is true and satellite broadcasters pay terrestrial channels for their programmes. In the light of the recent budget cuts, John Tate tells Steve Hewlett the BBC should stop the payments to Sky and spend the money on local radio and BBC Four instead. Sky says the payments are a fair and proportionate contribution towards its running costs.The producer is Simon Tillotson.