Media Confidential

In today’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk about the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, after he told a CNN reporter he was looking forward to the CNN takeover by the family of billionaire Larry Ellison.They’ll also discuss the comments of Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in which he threatened to censor broadcasters who don’t toe the Republican party line, and the BBC’s response to Donald Trump suing it for $10m in a defamation case in Florida.Plus, they review the work of Bellingcat and the New York Times in uncovering who was behind the missile that hit a girls’ school in Iran. And publisher Reach accused the BBC of bulldozing local journalism: does that statement ring true?You can listen to Alan and Lionel talking to Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins here. 

In today’s episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Margaret Sullivan, former public editor at the New York Times and writer of the Substack newsletter American Crisis.The three talk about the war in Iran and how it has been covered by the American press, as well as debating whether certain other stories have fallen to the wayside because war is dominating the headlines. They’ll talk who benefits from having some stories swept under the carpet. As three former editors they also discuss when it is good to feel uncomfortable, and what the role of the public editor is. The New York Times no longer has one—is it time the position came back? 

In today’s episode Alan and Lionel focus on the sale of the Telegraph.They discuss the new owner, Axel Springer, and what its CEO Mathias Döpfner said he would do if he bought it when he appeared as a guest on Media Confidential in 2023. Döpfner had previously tried and failed to buy the same paper.Our hosts also disagree over Döpfner’s approach to controversy, the political right and journalism—and they speculate about how a Telegraph journalist might be feeling now the deal has been done. Lionel also talks of how Döpfner's views might not be exactly as they seem.Alan and Lionel also try to conclude their long-running bet as to whether or not Rupert Murdoch is a genuine Substack follower and respond to listener questions.You can listen to a full interview with Mathias Döpfner on Media Confidential here.

In this Monday’s Media Confidential interview Alan and Lionel talk to Gabriel Sherman, journalist and author of Bonfire of the Murdochs, how the fight to control the last great media dynasty broke a family and the world.Gabriel has been a Murdoch-watcher for many years and scoured the thousands of documents of the Nevada trial where the succession struggles played out in the courts and all “their petty grievances and jealousies” went on the record. The three discuss the rise of Rupert, his relationship with three of his children Lachlan, James and Elizabeth and how their lives were shaped by his plans. They also discuss the news empire’s ability to pivot politically and keep ahead of the curve and the impact of legal scandals across the years. Our hosts and Gabriel also reflect on the TV series Succession and how closely it reflects real life and discuss what might happen next.

On this week’s Media Confidential, as conflict in the Middle East escalates, Alan and Lionel explore the challenges of reporting on fast-moving international crises. How has the Trump administration been briefing the media, as Israel and the United States wage war with Iran?And after the Pentagon's blacklisting of Claude, they also discuss artificial intelligence: should governments and militaries be using language models like ChatGPT at all?Plus, Alan and Lionel ask whether, like columnist George Monbiot, all journalists should keep a register of interests. And they examine Ipsos’s ruling over a fabricated Telegraph story—is this “justice dispensed with a feather duster”?

This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Ailbhe Rea, political editor at the New Statesman, and George Parker, political editor of the Financial Times, for an insider’s account of the Westminster “Lobby”—the exclusive group of journalists with privileged access to Britain’s corridors of power.With enormous influence over political narratives, the Lobby shapes how the country understands its government. But is there a danger in being too close to power? The four discuss the Lobby at its best—forensic, rigorous and brutal when necessary—and at its worst, from criticisms of herd mentality to exaggerating stories.Ailbhe and George reveal how the system really works, from briefings with the prime minister’s spokesperson to secretive tip-offs. They also discuss the ethics of relying on anonymous sources: does the cloak of secrecy allow smears to spread? Or is it the only way to discover what politicians are really thinking?And they make the case for why, despite its flaws, the bubble of Westminster is better off with the Lobby inside it.

In this episode of Media Confidential, the Times beats Lionel to his scoop about the leading contender for the BBC’s new director-general. Will Matt Brittin be a good fit? Alan and Lionel investigate Brittin’s background and discuss why the BBC urgently needs editorial oversight.After a takeover of the Telegraph collapsed, negotiations about its sale are underway (again). The editors analyse competing bids from the big players and explain what they'll mean for the paper.They also talk about the future of the Economist and the New York Times, two giants who have adapted their strategy to adjust to a changing media landscape.And, as pictures of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson hit the front pages, the editors discuss the role of photojournalists—and what it takes to get a newsworthy snap.

This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by Clare Melford, CEO and co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a non-profit which aims to mitigate the spread of digital disinformation.Labelled a “radical activist” by the Trump administration and denied a Visa waiver from the US for her work, Clare discusses the political and financial pressures on the GDI—and the protective measures her co-founder has had to take. From angry mobs to governments, she explains why tackling disinformation is increasingly “dangerous work”.Plus, the three break down the difference between misinformation and disinformation, as well as the challenges AI could pose to journalism and democracy.

In today’s Media Confidential, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber discuss Labour’s latest scandal, after thinktank Labour Together reportedly hired a company to gather material about journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke—who were investigating its financial affairs—and then handed over the information to GCHQ.The information produced by the US-based PR firm allegedly included “deeply personal and false claims”; though Starmer has promised an investigation, has this happened to other journalists, too?And, as Prince Harry's legal war with the Daily Mail continues, they also discuss the evidence of former Mail editor Paul Dacre during the ongoing trial.Plus, the pair talk about the changing role of the court reporter, and the big libel cases they have faced in their respective editorships.