The Media Show

The elections are over and the results are in - but a giant inflatable Boris Johnson has captured much of the press attention. So how does our new cycle work? Who gets to decide what stories make the front page, and how much control do politicians have over their depictions in the press? Plus, the 'news wire' agency Reuters provides photos, breaking news lines and copy to much of the world's press. How do they help to keep the news cycle spinning?Guests: Michael Friedenberg, President of Reuters News; Thomas Cock, Digital Editor of Bristol Live; Catriona Stewart, Chief Reporter at the Glasgow Times; Stephen Bush, Political Editor at the New Statesman; Katy Balls, Deputy Political Editor at the Spectator. Studio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Mobeen Azhar

In his final edition as presenter of The Media Show, Amol Rajan looks at the challenges ahead for journalism. With help from leading journalists, Amol argues that this is a golden age of media - but a dark age for news. Readers increasingly don't trust what they see in newspapers. Journalists criticise each other in public. And editors have seen much of their power shift to Silicon Valley, where algorithms now decide what people see. What can the media do to fix itself?Contributors: James Mitchinson, Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post editorial director; Dorothy Byrne, Channel 4 editor-at-large; Kath Viner, Guardian editor; Helen Lewis, journalist; Piers Morgan, journalist; Andrew Neil, GB News chairman; Brian Stelter, CNN correspondent; Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner correspondent; Dean Baquet, New York Times executive editor; the late Sir Harry Evans, former Sunday Times editor; Steve Huffman, Reddit chief executive.Studio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Hannah Sander

Amazon-owned Wondery are launching their first British podcast, while Apple and Spotify are moving some of their most popular podcasts behind a subscription paywall. What impact will this have on the world of podcasts - and should British podcasters worry about the dominance of a few US players?Guests: Declan Moore, Head of International at Wondery, part of Amazon; Caroline Crampton, journalist and host of Shedunnit; Imriel Morgan, Chief Executive of Content is Queen; Matt Deegan, Creative Director at Folder Media.Studio engineer: Giles AspenProducer: Hannah Sander

The biggest political story of the year - David Cameron's involvement with the failed financial company Greensill - began as a scoop in The Financial Times. The newspaper has gained a reputation lately for its long-form investigations into poverty, deprivation and capitalist excess. But is there something inherently odd about the stockbroker's paper of choice taking on crusading topics? And how hard is it to take over the editorship of a newspaper already in rude health?Guest: Roula Khalaf, editor of The Financial Times.Studio engineer: Duncan HannantProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Amol Rajan

A cameraman has been assaulted while covering scenes of violence in Northern Ireland. Other journalists have faced death threats. So what is the best way to cover this volatile political story - and have London-based reporters been slow to pay attention? Plus, French media giant Banijay sells many of the UK's favourite TV programmes, from Masterchef to Peaky Blinders. What is their role in determining the shows we watch?Guests: Suzanne Breen, Political Editor at the Belfast Telegraph; Noel Doran, Editor of the Irish News; Marianna Spring, BBC's Disinformation Reporter; Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights.Studio engineer: Donald McDonaldProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Joe Tidy

Steve Huffman is co-founder and CEO of Reddit, the website that bills itself as "the front page of the internet". In this extended interview, Huffman tells Amol Rajan about his "pathological dedication" to Reddit's policy on free speech and moderation, why Reddit has always had an "anti-establishment edge", and his own mission "to fulfil the promise of the Internet". Earlier this year, Reddit hit the headlines after a community of amateur stock market traders set out to inflict losses on hedge funds that had bet against GameStop, an unfashionable US retailer.Producer: Hannah SanderStudio engineer: Duncan Hannant

As the UK marks one year since the start of the first lockdown, Amol joins the BBC World Service programme World Questions to take questions from listeners around the globe. His expert panel assesses how well the media has covered the pandemic and whether fake news and misinformation has influenced public behaviour.Guests: Nick Pickles, Senior Director of Public Policy Strategy and Development at Twitter, Zeynep Tufekci, sociologist and writer, Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, and Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health OrganisationProducers: Helen Towner and Charlie TaylorStudio Engineers: Ronan Loftus and Duncan HannantThis edition of The Media Show is an edited version of the BBC World Service programme, World Questions, first broadcast on 24 March 2021.

Amol Rajan on the mechanics of investigative journalism: the nuts, bolts, fear, loathing and legal letters of being a proper investigative hack. But how easy is it to cultivate sources in a pandemic? And is the government changing the way it handles freedom of information requests?Guests: Rachel Oldroyd, Managing Editor and CEO of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism; Jennifer Williams, Politics and Investigations Editor for the Manchester Evening News; George Arbuthnott, Deputy Editor of The Sunday Times Insight investigations team; Marty Baron, former Editor of The Washington Post.Studio engineer: Donald McDonaldProducer: Hannah Sander

As he steps down as editor of the Washington Post, Marty Baron reflects on his tenure. When he joined the paper in 2012, it was a moderately profitable local newspaper. He leaves The Post as a global brand, with ten Pulitzer Prizes under his editorship and a new owner in Jeff Bezos.Studio engineer: Donald MacDonaldPresenter: Amol RajanProducer: Hannah Sander

The chairman of GB News, which launches later this year, tells Amol Rajan about editing The Sunday Times, launching Sky TV and publishing The Spectator.