Media Confidential

After ICE’s killing of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Alan and Lionel discuss how strong reporting has shed light on what really happened. As the New York Times’s forensic video analysis contradicts the government narrative, the pair explore the fractious relationship between US politics and journalism.

They also analyse GB News presenter Matthew Goodwin standing for Reform UK, a shake-up at CBS and whether the Washington Post has lost its soul under the ownership of Jeff Bezos.

Plus, Alan discusses his Prospect profile on Haaretz—the Israeli newspaper revered and reviled for its unflinching coverage of the war on Gaza—and plays some never-before-heard audio from one of his interviews. Can the paper survive a possible future succession crisis?
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Should the BBC be publicly funded? This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by media researchers and fellows of the British Academy, Georgina Born and Justin Lewis, whose new report on public service media tells us what the data really says. Reforms are needed, but how radical should they be?

The researchers discuss how to ensure the BBC’s independence and accountability, and what the UK can learn from international media systems, like those in Germany and Scandinavia, about how to make governance more democratic. They also explore what works, what doesn’t—and why it all matters.

And, with Nigel Farage promising to abolish the licence fee, is there a way to future-proof the broadcaster?
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This week, Alan and Lionel unpack Prince Harry’s ongoing trial against the Daily Mail’s publisher, Associated Newspapers—and the implications for media ethics and privacy.They also discuss US government intrusion into journalism, in light of the FBI’s seizure of a Washington Post reporter’s electronic equipment to reveal her sources, which Alan calls “menacing in the extreme”.

Though a judge has temporarily blocked the government from searching seized data, what does this mean for the first amendment?

Plus, with certain publications reportedly aware of US plans to abduct Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, Alan and Lionel seem to disagree: do reporters have a duty to report on potentially illegal operations, or should they choose not to publish?
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This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk to Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia and the author of The Seven Rules of Trust. They discuss how the online encyclopaedia has evolved to deal with the rise of new digital challenges, like bots and AI.

After Elon Musk branded the website “Wokepedia” and launched Grokipedia as a competitor, the trio discuss regulation, as well as how to address the threat from the far-right.

Plus, in an age of disinformation, how can platforms rebuild trust?
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This week, Lionel tunes in from a cycling trip in South Africa to discuss the baboons he’s encountered on his visit—and in British journalism. Alan reviews Liz Truss’s recently launched YouTube channel, which seems rife with conspiracy theories, and the pair discuss the rise of social media politics.

As Starmer says that X could lose the right to self-regulate, our hosts also talk about the UK’s stance on online safety and the ongoing tussle with tech giants. Should the government go head-to-head with Elon Musk?

Plus, the editors share concerns about the potential sale of the Telegraph to the Daily Mail group and ask whether the merger of broadsheet and tabloid values can ever work.

To read Alan’s recent column ‘How did Liz Truss become prime minister?’, click here.
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