Media Confidential

Sarah Donaldson and Carole Cadwalladr, experienced journalists and co-founders of The Nerve, discuss their bold new media platform focused on culture, politics, and tech. They highlight the urgency behind their launch, explaining how conflicts at the Observer inspired them to seek editorial independence. The duo shares their innovative newsletter-first model to build direct reader relationships and the importance of collaboration with other independent outlets. With them, we explore the challenges and excitement of navigating legal risks while striving for transparency and trust in journalism.

Janine Gibson, Editor of the FT Weekend, joins Alan for a deep dive into media coverage and BBC controversies. They discuss the Telegraph's attacks on the BBC, questioning the integrity of editorial standards committee members. Janine evaluates the editing of Trump's speech in a Panorama documentary, raising concerns about misleading narratives. They also tackle biases in BBC Arabic and its implications. Lastly, they explore the cultural unifying power of shows like The Celebrity Traitors and share TV recommendations.

Tony Pastor, co-founder of Goalhanger and former TV exec, shares insights on the robust growth of podcasts during the pandemic. He reveals how chemistry testing among hosts makes shows like *The Rest Is Politics* successful. Tony discusses how niche subjects keep audiences engaged and the myth of young listeners preferring short content. He also emphasizes the importance of membership revenue, which elevates quality, and recounts intervening in heated debates between Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, showcasing the art of managing host dynamics.

The hosts dive into the implications of RedBird's bid for the Telegraph, raising concerns about foreign influence in UK media. They discuss Ofcom's new guidance on politicians as news presenters, pondering if it paves the way for a British equivalent of Fox News. The conversation heats up with Michael Wolff's counter-suit against Melania Trump, linked to potential Epstein revelations. Finally, they touch on the challenges of safely reporting during natural disasters, emphasizing the ethical dilemmas faced by editors.

Peter Oborne, former political commentator for the Telegraph and author of "Complicit: Britain's Role in the Destruction of Gaza", dives deep into the British media's role in shaping narratives around the Gaza conflict. He discusses the chilling influence of pro-Israel lobbyists, highlighting the Dahiya doctrine's omission from major outlets like the BBC. Oborne critiques how language around Israel has been manipulated and applauds courageous journalists challenging the status quo. His insights spark a fiery debate that reveals the complexities of media ethics today.

In this week’s special episode, Alan and Lionel are grilled by Sheffield University’s third-year Broadcast Journalism students.The pair are asked about using artificial intelligence in newsrooms, how to cover Gaza with fairness, and whether they think China is being underreported on.They also discuss imposter syndrome in the media world, and how to report stories that people don’t want to hear (but also get them to pay for it).Send your questions to Alan and Lionel at mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More journalists have been killed in Gaza than in any other conflict in history.This week, the editor-in-chief at Reuters, Alessandra Galloni, joins Alan and Lionel to reflect on the last two years of covering the war on Gaza.She discusses the Israeli Defence Force’s killing of journalists in both Gaza and Lebanon, amid ongoing calls for accountability, and reveals why the news agency stopped giving the coordinates of their reporters to the IDF.She also recalls asking the Israeli government for an investigation into the killing of a Reuters journalist at the start of the war, and asks why, two years later, they’re “still waiting”.To read more on this subject from Prospect, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s Media Confidential, Alan has returned from a trip to Israel that coincided with a ceasefire brokered in Gaza. The hosts discuss his visit to the West Bank with Gideon Levy of Haaretz and how Israeli news outlets have covered the war.Alan and Lionel also talk about the Pope being an unexpected voice against clickbait and review “The Nerve”, a new publication launched by ex-Observer journalists.Plus, in a conversation about the rise of Substack, the hosts take an expensive bet on whether Lionel’s new follower is who he seems. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some news outlets insist that London is a city in crisis—but who profits from that message?On the first anniversary of the launch of London Centric, its founder and owner Jim Waterson joins Alan and Lionel to talk about the new London-focused publication.Within four months of launching the newsletter, the news outlet hit its three-year targets. Jim unpacks this wild success, what makes his approach different, and what he chooses to cover. He also talks about the challenges facing local journalism, and why he doesn’t rely on clicks to tell stories.The three also discuss the recent backlash against Substack, and who benefits from the narratives about London “going to the dogs”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you turn one of the biggest media scandals into gripping television—and what unfinished business still lingers off-screen?Media Confidential hosted a live episode at Prospect HQ, with Toby Jones, Patrick Spence and Jack Thorne, about the real story behind the ITV drama The Hack. In this episode, the panel takes audience questions on press freedom, and whether it’s time for a long-delayed Leveson 2 to investigate criminal behaviour across the journalism industry.Alan and Lionel also discuss the Murdoch company's "aggressive" tactics against people writing about the story, Prince Harry’s legal battle against the Daily Mail, and the deletion of millions of emails worth of evidence. To listen to the live episode, click here. Or to read Nick Davies’s follow up on the phone-hacking scandal, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.