Media Confidential

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.
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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”?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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