The Media Show

The BBC’s interim Director General Rhodri Talfan Davies talks to Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins following the announcement of major job cuts across the corporation. Jodie Ginsberg from the Committee to Protect Journalists on the detention of Ahmed Shihab Eldin in Kuwait. BBC Science Editor Rebecca Morelle reflects on covering the Artemis II launch, after her emotional reaction went viral And as HBO Max launches in the UK with record sign‑ups, we assess its strategy and what the arrival of another major streamer means for British audiences. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

This week on "The Media Show" with Katie Razzall we hear from Ronan Farrow about his major New Yorker investigation into OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman. Madhumita Murgia, the Financial Times’ Artificial Intelligence Editor, examines how the media should scrutinise AI leaders and whether tech journalism risks oversimplifying personalities at the centre of vast systems. Misha Glenny reflects on historic parallels in the concentration of technological power, drawing on his new series "Race to Control the World" his role as the new presenter of "In Our Time". And Bel Trew, The Independent’s Chief International Correspondent, reports on the realities of covering the war with Iran from access and safety, to misinformation and the growing role of AI in shaping narratives. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins discuss some of the week's biggest media stories: Jane Martinson of the Guardian and Max Goldbart of Deadline on Scott Mills' departure from the BBC and Tim Davie's legacy as Director General of the corporation. As newsrooms around the world continue to debate the use of artificial intelligence in reporting, we hear from Fortune Business Editor Nick Lichtenberg who outlines his method for producing AI-assisted articles. After two recent United States rulings which found Meta and YouTube liable for developing addictive platform features, we talk to the BBC North America Technology Correspondent Lily Jamali about the legal arguments and potential consequences for design and regulation. Interface designer Aza Raskin from the Centre for Humane Technology explains the tools used by platforms to keep people scrolling, and we hear about a major new UK scientific trial to assess the impact of reduced social media use among teenagers from Professor Amy Orben of the University of Cambridge. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

As Matt Brittin is confirmed as the BBC’s new Director-General, we discuss his in-tray with Alex Farber from The Times. We look at the relationship between the press and police with Alan Woods from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Rebecca Camber from the Daily Mail, who were involved in putting together the new Policing and Media Charter. Natalie Fahy from The Nottingham Post also joins us to discuss her experience of reporting the Nottingham attacks as the public inquiry continues. Plus, how to cold-call President Trump. Edward Luce from the Financial Times and Max Tani from Semafor give their top tips. And the journalist and writer Jamie Bartlett takes us behind the scenes of his new BBC Radio 4 series Everything is Fake (And Nobody Cares).

Ros Atkins talks to Lisa Nandy MP Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport

Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall with some of the week’s biggest media stories: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy talks about her plans to support local news, the £12 million funding package she’s announced, and what she thinks the future holds for the BBC. CNN Senior International Correspondent Frederik Pleitgen explains how he gained access to Iran to report from the ground during the war and how he navigated restrictions, safety, and criticism of his coverage. We also hear from Dr Omar Al Ghazzi of the LSE on how media laws in Gulf states are limiting what journalists and the public can say or share about the conflict. And behind the scenes at the Oscars with the BBC’s Tom Brook and Katey Rich. From falling TV ratings to rising production costs, the move to streaming, and what this year’s ceremony reveals about the state of the film industry. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Laura Cain

This week on The Media Show, Ros Atkins is in Washington DC, speaking to some of the most influential voices in American journalism. He talks to Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, Mehdi Hasan, Editor in Chief and CEO of Zeteo, the BBC’s North America Editor Sarah Smith, and filmmaker and YouTube creator Johnny Harris. Together, they reveal how very different media organisations are covering President Trump’s war with Iran and how they see the US media landscape at this moment. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Katie Razzall hears how the conflict in the Middle East is being covered across the region with staff from the BBC Monitoring Unit. Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent at the Sunday Times, Aaron Bastani from Novara Media and broadcaster Sir John Tusa discuss whether day to day crisis reporting is crowding out the deeper story of geopolitical realignment. We also discuss whether the were media blind spots behind the Green Party’s shock win in Gorton and Denton. And Sir John Tusa returns to talk about his new podcast The Best Is Yet to Come - why he’s interviewing the over 90s, and what a lifetime in broadcasting has taught him about how the media should evolve. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins on the biggest media stories of the week, including: Jake Kanter from Deadline on the racial slur shouted during the Baftas ceremony which made it into the BBC’s broadcast. Anthony Loyd, special correspondent at The Times, reflects on his latest trip to Ukraine, while the BBC’s Olga Malchevska discusses how the anniversary is being covered across Eastern Europe and the personal impact of reporting on her home country. Suzanne Plunkett, Chief Photographer at Reuters, and Arthur Edwards, long serving royal photographer for The Sun, explain how the now viral picture of Prince Andrew leaving police custody was taken and why royal photos matter more than ever. And the BBC’s Sean Coughlan and Ingrid Seward, editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, explore how the palace press team manages public messaging and whether a more direct communication style is now unavoidable. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

On this edition of The Media Show, Ros Atkins examines the continuing public interest in the Lucy Letby case, as a new Netflix documentary reaches the top of the UK viewing rankings. He speaks to Josh Halliday, North of England Editor at The Guardian, and Dr Bethany Usher of Newcastle University, whose work focuses on the ethics of true‑crime storytelling and the development of new guidelines for the genre. Tom Freston, co‑founder of MTV, reflects on how the channel’s launch in 1981 transformed popular culture and what its closure in the UK and Europe signifies for its legacy. And we assess the state of the advertising industry following one of its most challenging years on record. James Kirkham, founder of Iconic, discusses his view that the traditional agency model is in steep decline, while Becky Owen, Chief Marketing Officer at Billion Dollar Boy, outlines the rapid expansion of influencer marketing and the new dynamics shaping the sector. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

Gabriel Sherman joins Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins to discuss the real‑life Murdoch family battle at the heart of his new book , Bonfire of the Murdochs, including the secret Nevada court case that pitted Rupert Murdoch against his own children. We assess the reporting of a turbulent week in Westminster with Catherine Neilan, Whitehall Editor at The Observer and Simon Nixon, publisher of the Wealth of Nations newsletter and a former journalist at the Wall Street Journal and The Times. As The Washington Post lays off around 300 staff, we talk to one of them, reporter Marissa Lang and former senior managing editor, Cameron Barr, assesses what comes next. And we discuss the issue of balance and due impartiality in the digital age as Ofcom faces criticism for declining to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump. Producers: Lisa Jenkinson & Dan Hardoon

On The Media Show Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins consider the new Epstein files and how journalists work through huge document releases while avoiding misinterpretation. The Financial Times’ Jim Pickard explains how newsrooms decide what is reliable and what is not and the veteran editor Tina Brown gives her take from across the Atlantic. We look at the growing demand for behind the scenes cameras in sport. Former British tennis number one Johanna Konta and Minal Modha from Ampere Analysis discuss how much access athletes should be expected to give and whether privacy is being eroded. And finally, with the delay of the Artemis II mission the BBC’s Science Editor Rebecca Morelle and Dr Chris Lintott from The Sky at Night talk about launch scrubs, shifting timelines and the practical realities of reporting on spaceflight. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Emily Channon

On The Media Show with Ros Atkins. Meg Anderson, NPR correspondent in Minneapolis, explains how newsrooms are managing a surge of online footage and what it means for journalism. Aled Haydn Jones, Radio 1 Controller; DJ Sian Eleri and Chelsea Little on the Radio 1 Christmas Presenter Takeover. James Ball Tech journalist and author of “The System: Who Owns The Internet And How It Owns Us” unpacks what algorithms are, and whether the move towards increased transparency by platforms will actually give users more control. And Vicky Jessop, commissioning editor and culture writer at the Evening Standard, joins us to discuss Netflix’s Skyscraper Live and whether extreme risk is becoming a new form of entertainment. Presenter: Ros Atkins Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Laura Cain

As tensions rise between the US and Europe over Greenland, how are international media reporting the story? Elisabet Svane, political analyst at Politiken in Denmark, and Michael Birnbaum, White House reporter for The Washington Post discuss their approach. Jamie Angus, former head of the BBC World Service, says the BBC should move faster into unblockable technologies to reach people in repressive regimes. He explains why, alongside Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. One month on, how successful is Australia's under 16s social media ban? We hear from Bronte Gossling from the Sydney Morning Herald as the UK government considers a similar move. And we unpack the media storm surrounding Brooklyn Beckham’s bombshell Instagram post with Simon Boyle, freelance showbiz journalist and former showbiz editor at The Sun; and Mail on Sunday columnist and former editor of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman.

Katie Razzall and guests discuss how Iran’s recent protests have sparked debate about how they were covered by international media. We speak to BBC Persian’s Behrang Tajdin, Lyse Doucet, and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat about the challenges of reporting from one of the world’s most restricted environments. Also, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is under fire for generating sexualised, non-consensual images of women and children. Ofcom has launched an investigation under the Online Safety Act, and the UK government is preparing new laws to ban ‘nudification’ tools. We hear from Chi Onwurah MP and CNN’s Hadas Gold on what this means for tech regulation. Plus, Phil Maguire, co-founder of the Prison Radio Association, reflects on building the world’s first national radio station for prisoners and its impact on rehabilitation. And Liza Marshall, producer of the new film Hamnet, reveals how she secured the rights early - before Maggie O’Farrell’s novel became a global sensation- and what it takes to back a winner in Hollywood. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins on what the media knew and when regarding the US military raid on Venezuala. They're joined by US based journalist Max Tani from Semafor the Defence Editor at the Times Larisa Brown and Brigadier Geoffrey Dodds who oversees the UK’s D notice system. Actors fight back against the TV and film industry using AI scanning on their images without consent with the General Secretary of Equity Paul Fleming. And as the government brings in changes to the lobby briefing system for journalists with more influencers being invited to press events we talk to personal finance content creator Rachel Harris, journalist Steve Richards and head of the Westminster press lobby Lizzy Buchan. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Have you ever wondered how reality TV gets made? Why some shows become instant classics, while others vanish without trace? In this special edition of The Media Show, four of the UK’s top creatives in unscripted television reveal their secrets. From The Traitors to Pointless, Hunted to Gogglebox, they discuss what makes a hit format, how casting decisions are made, how streamers and influencers are changing the landscape, and where the next big hit might come from. Guests: Tim Harcourt, Chief Creative Officer, Studio Lambert; Matt Bennett, Director of Programmes, Shine Television; Tamara Gilder, Joint MD, Remarkable Entertainment; Art Sejdiu, Head of Commissioning Development, Channel Four. Presenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall Producer: Dan Hardoon

Ros Atkins on some of this week's biggest global media stories. Jacqueline Maley of the Sydney Morning Herald talks us through the newsroom’s challenge in covering the Bondi Beach attack during a Hanukkah celebration - a story shaped by rapidly circulating bystander video, fraught community tensions and intense scrutiny over tone and verification. Jeremy Vine reflects on his hard‑fought legal victory after sustained defamatory and harassing posts from former footballer Joey Barton. Media correspondent Alex Farber of The Times examines the BBC’s newly launched charter renewal process, the debate around future funding models, and how all this intersects with President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the corporation over an edited Panorama clip. And finally, Mengchen Zhangfrom the BBC’s Global China Unit explains the rapid global rise of the microdrama - the ultra‑short, phone‑first video dramas attracting huge investment and reshaping viewing habits around the world. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins on some of the biggest media stories this week: Hollywood is in turmoil as Netflix agrees to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s film and streaming businesses for $72bn, but Paramount has stepped in with a rival bid that could reshape the industry. We’ll hear from Natalie Jarvey, reporter at The Ankler, and Dade Hayes, Business Editor at Deadline, and Charlotte Henry author of Streaming Wars about what this means for franchises like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, and for the future of streaming itself. Eurovision faces its biggest crisis in years, with countries pulling out over Israel’s participation and broadcasters debating whether to air the contest at all - BBC Music Reporter Mark Savage joins us with the latest. Meanwhile, the Christmas edition of the Radio Times, once as much a part of the season as mince pies and port, fights to remain relevant in the streaming era. We’ll be joined by Shem Law, Brand Editor of the Radio Times. And as Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta cuts back on its metaverse ambitions, shifting billions into artificial intelligence we talk to Alex Hern, AI writer at The Economist. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

This week on The Media Show with Ros Atkins: Ian Hislop joins us to talk satire, lawsuits, and the making of Private Eye. We’ll hear why the Manchester Evening News is putting up a paywall, and ask whether YouTubers filming drug and alcohol use in Manchester count as journalists. Football piracy is costing the sport billions - we’ll explore the scale of the problem. And Gary Lineker signs with Netflix for his Rest Is Football podcast. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai