The Media Show

Jamie Bartlett, journalist and podcaster who investigates tech, misinformation and culture. He discusses his new series 'Everything is Fake and Nobody Cares' and how AI-driven fakery is changing trust. He explores why falsity spreads, how AI trained on lies amplifies deepfakes, and the cultural performance of truth in politics and media.

A lively conversation about culture, media and sport policy. Discussion covers government priorities for arts and broadcasting. Talk about challenges facing cultural institutions and media regulation. Brief promotional intro about LinkedIn Ads and sponsorship.

Lisa Nandy, UK Culture Secretary focused on media policy; Frederik Pleitgen, CNN international correspondent experienced in conflict reporting; Tom Brook, veteran BBC film journalist with Oscars expertise. They discuss plans to support local news and a permanent BBC charter. Frederik shares reporting from inside Iran under tight restrictions. Tom reflects on the Oscars, declining TV audiences and streaming’s impact on film coverage.

This week on The Media Show, Ros Atkins is in Washington DC, speaking to some of the most influential voices in American journalism. He talks to Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, Mehdi Hasan, Editor in Chief and CEO of Zeteo, the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith, and filmmaker and YouTube creator Johnny Harris. Together, they reveal how very different media organisations are covering President Trump’s war with Iran and how they see the US media landscape at this moment.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Katie Razzall hears how the conflict in the Middle East is being covered across the region with staff from the BBC Monitoring Unit. Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent at the Sunday Times, Aaron Bastani from Novara Media and broadcaster Sir John Tusa discuss whether day to day crisis reporting is crowding out the deeper story of geopolitical realignment. We also discuss whether the were media blind spots behind the Green Party’s shock win in Gorton and Denton. And Sir John Tusa returns to talk about his new podcast The Best Is Yet to Come - why he’s interviewing the over 90s, and what a lifetime in broadcasting has taught him about how the media should evolve.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Olga Malchevska, BBC correspondent from Ukraine offering a personal reporting perspective. Anthony Loyd, The Times special correspondent experienced in frontline conflict reporting. Jake Kanter, Deadline entertainment reporter who covered the BAFTAs broadcast controversy. They discuss the BAFTAs slur and broadcast decisions. They examine four-year Ukraine coverage, frontline reporting challenges, drones and emotional toll. They explore photography's power to shape royal stories.

Tom Freston, co‑founder of MTV, recalls creating a youth‑driven music channel and its cultural rise. Josh Halliday, The Guardian’s North of England editor, discusses media coverage and public interest in the Lucy Letby case. Dr Bethany Usher, academic on crime journalism ethics, examines true‑crime storytelling choices. James Kirkham, founder of Iconic, explores the upheaval in the traditional ad agency model.

Gabriel Sherman, investigative author of Bonfire of the Murdochs, outlines the Murdoch family succession battle and media influence. Simon Nixon, journalist and newsletter writer, critiques political coverage and anonymous sourcing. Marissa Lang, former Washington Post reporter who was laid off, reflects on newsroom cuts and local journalism losses. They discuss Westminster turmoil, newsroom economics, regulatory scrutiny, and media power.

Tina Brown, veteran magazine editor and founder of The Daily Beast, recalls early reporting on Jeffrey Epstein and the pushback she encountered. Jim Pickard, FT political editor, explains handling massive document drops and verification challenges. Johanna Konta, former British number one tennis player, discusses rising behind-the-scenes cameras and athlete privacy trade-offs.

James Ball, tech journalist and author who explains social media algorithms. Aled Haydn Jones, Radio 1 controller shaping young-audience programming and the Christmas Presenter Takeover. Meg Anderson, NPR Minneapolis reporter covering bystander videos and on-the-ground verification. They discuss algorithm transparency, how viral footage shapes reporting, Radio 1’s presenter experiment, and the ethics of live spectacle.