Media Confidential

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.

He’s officially next in line to the Murdoch empire, but what is Lachlan Murdoch’s story?Alan and Lionel are joined by Paddy Manning, investigative reporter and author of The Successor: The high-stakes life of Lachlan Murdoch. With Lachlan set to take the helm, the trio discuss the machinations at the heart of the Murdoch media empire and the origin of the family rift. They also discuss who his fictional counterpart might be in HBO’s Succession, with a surprising conclusion... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you always have to offer the people you’re reporting on a chance to give their side of the story? In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel share when giving the right of reply has backfired on them.They also discuss Fox News, after one listener asks a tongue-in-cheek question. And the hosts talk about whether media reports about Donald Trump’s mental state are responsible, as well as the sale of the conservative digital media outlet The Free Press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s special episode of Media Confidential coincides with ITV’s new drama The Hack, about the phone-hacking scandal which led to the closure of the News of the World, the Leveson Inquiry, and a national reckoning on press ethics.This week, Prospect’s Alan Rusbridger is joined by actor Toby Jones—who plays him in the series—along with Emmy award-winning writer Jack Thorne, executive producer Patrick Spence, and journalist and academic Jane Martinson.The panel discuss bringing the story to the small screen, how the government can help support the arts, and the power of drama. They explore journalism at its worst, but also how reporting can make a difference. Is a second Leveson inquiry needed?To read Nick Davies’s series on the phone-hacking scandal for Prospect, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alan and Lionel are joined by special guest Lisa Nandy, secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport.Lisa responds to Elon Musk’s allegations that free speech is being muzzled in Britain. The editors also challenge her on the government refusing to sanction GB News, despite its political motivations.They also discuss the future of the BBC, trust in the media, and the UK’s decision to regulate US big tech, in the face of tariff threats from Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have Trump’s defamation lawsuits affected press freedom? Alan and Lionel discuss Donald Trump’s $15bn lawsuit against the New York Times with NPR’s media correspondent, David Folkenflik.David shares an insight into NPR’s future amid funding cuts, and talks about the importance of local journalism and publicly-owned media. Plus, the trio discuss the shooting of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.