Media Confidential

Alan and Lionel are joined by Eric Beecher to discuss his new book, The Men Who Killed The News about media moguls' abuses of power.At 33, Eric became the youngest ever editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, before Rupert Murdoch crowned him editor-in-chief at the Melbourne Herald. So why, several years later, was he sued by the Murdochs? Eric has seen Murdoch at his best, successful and innovative, and at worst, a ruthless dictator.He shares a story of pressure and coercive behaviour, and his growing sense that the news agenda was being manipulated to avoid bad press connected to his boss. reveals that very little happens in the Murdoch empire without Rupert knowing--including, he alleges, the phonehacking scandal.Plus, Alan tries an AI experiment on Lionel, which leads to fears that they'll both soon be deemed redundant from their current roles.

On this week’s Q&A, Alan and Lionel are back with a postbag of questions.One listener wonders if AI makes exposing the truth almost impossible, while another asks for some insider tips for new editors. In the run up to the US election, Alan and Lionel also discuss Elon Musk’s open endorsement of Donald Trump and whether X should be penalised as a result. The former newspaper editors also extol the virtues of courage (and Dutch courage) for journalist, plus, inevitably, more on the drinking habits of those working in the mediaSend your questions to Alan and Lionel via email at mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk or via X, @mediaconfpod

Alan and Lionel are joined by Michael Lewis, the bestselling author of The Big Short and The Blind Side.His new book Going Infinite chronicles the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, the tycoon behind the crypto-trading company FTX.When the company collapsed, and it was discovered that Bankman-Fried had stolen billions of dollars from customers, it ultimately landed him a prison sentence.Michael was fascinated by Bankman-Fried, watching this story unravel before his eyes. But when Alan raises some criticisms of the book, the interview gets heated.Media Confidential’s interviews are also published on YouTube every Friday morning. To watch this explosive interview, and more “idiot questions” from our hosts, simply go to YouTube and search for ‘Prospect Magazine’.

From today's hottest new columnists to the perils of fine wine, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber discuss listeners' questions with characteristic dry wit.This week's episode tackles Lionel’s favourite question so far—what does an editor actually do all day? Alan and Lionel share their tales of the swanky lives of Fleet Street editors...including an anecdote with a seriously morbid conclusion.The editors also make their predictions about when physical newspapers will become a thing of the past.To ask Alan and Lionel your questions, send them to mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk, or via X @mediaconfpod

Alan and Lionel are joined by Esther Solomon, editor of the English language edition of Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper known for critically reporting on human rights and Israel's policies towards Palestinians.A year on from October 7th, with hostages still in Gaza, Esther talks about Netanyahu’s fluctuating popularity as regional war continues to escalate. How will Israel strike back at Iran following a recent rocket attack? And when the bombs fall silent and a dialogue needs to begin, what happens next?Alan and Lionel also discuss Tortoise Media’s ongoing bid to buy the Observer, and whether the final whistle is about to blow on Gary Lineker’s time as Match of the Day host.You can also watch this week’s episode online: simply go to YouTube and search for ‘Prospect Magazine’ for this, and many other interviews, on the Prospect channel.

Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber dig into the Media Confidential mailbox to answer listeners' questions about the media. This week, they discuss political bias in UK newspapers, as well as the growing number of people who get their news from social media. Are these sources reliable? And should social media companies be liable for material posted on their platforms?One listener wonders whether there is anything that the editors strongly disagree on, and asks a pressing question: Alan or Lionel—who would win in an arm wrestle?Cast your bets and send your questions to mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk, or via X @mediaconfpod

Justine Roberts is not happy. Earlier this year she discovered that tech giant OpenAI has been scraping Mumsnet—the successful website of which she is CEO—for content. AI machines, like ChatGPT, train their Large Language Models (LLMs) in this way. Justine and her team have recently launched the first British legal action against OpenAI.Meanwhile, Google is fighting to overhaul UK copyright law to allow it to freely mine content for commercial gain, without compensating other publishers.Justine explains to Alan and Lionel what she hopes to achieve in her court case—one that could be just one of the first of many of its kind—and why she is so angered by what she views as an existential threat to anybody publishing content online.To watch this interview and much more, head over to YouTube and search for ‘Prospect Magazine’.

In this episode of Media Confidential Q&A, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber dig into the mailbox to tackle listeners' questions about the media industry.The topics on the table this week: what led to the downfall of the London Evening Standard? Will newspapers be able to afford their foreign correspondents in future? Are traditional journalistic skills still useful…and can you guess which presenter failed his shorthand exam?Plus, a confession from one of the editors…who may have been less than candid in a career-defining job interview.Send your questions to Alan and Lionel via email to mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk, or via X @mediaconfpod