The Media Show

BBC

Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.

  • 41 minutes 58 seconds
    The future of teleshopping, Hungary's media post Orban defeat, Danny Robins from Uncanny, Mandelson vetting row scoop

    Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall on some of the week's biggest media stories: QVC is restructuring its business in the US while remaining popular in the UK, with analysis from Katie Linsell, UK retail reporter at Bloomberg News, alongside Rob Locke, presenter for ITV’s ShopOnTV, and consumer expert Kate Hardcastle, author of The Science of Shopping. We also examine the Guardian investigation into the vetting of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as UK Ambassador to Washington, with Paul Lewis, Head of Investigations at the Guardian, discussing national security, leaks and public trust. AsHungary elects a new prime minister after sixteen years of Viktor Orbán, we ask what the change could mean for press freedom, with Professor Amrit Singh of NYU School of Law and Hungarian political journalist Iván Nagy. Plus, Danny Robins, creator of Uncanny, joins us live to talk about turning a Radio 4 podcast into a television series, live stage show and fan phenomenon.

    Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

    22 April 2026, 5:12 pm
  • 42 minutes 36 seconds
    BBC job cuts, Journalist detained in Kuwait, HBO Max enters UK streamer market, Reporting the Artemis II launch

    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

    15 April 2026, 4:15 pm
  • 42 minutes 32 seconds
    Ronan Farrow on investigating OpenAI and Sam Altman, Misha Glenny, Bel Trew & Madhumita Murgia

    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

    8 April 2026, 4:41 pm
  • 42 minutes 29 seconds
    Scott Mills' exit & Tim Davie's final week at the BBC, AI-assisted journalism, new UK research project on teens & social media

    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

    1 April 2026, 5:40 pm
  • 42 minutes 14 seconds
    Matt Brittin profile, How to cold call a president, The Policing and Media Charter, Jamie Bartlett

    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).

    25 March 2026, 5:53 pm
  • 33 minutes 35 seconds
    Bonus interview Lisa Nandy MP Culture Secretary

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

    19 March 2026, 10:41 am
  • 42 minutes 43 seconds
    Lisa Nandy on saving local news and the future of the BBC, reporting from inside Iran & behind the scenes at the Oscars

    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.

    And behind the scenes at the Oscars with the BBC’s Tom Brook and The Ankler's 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

    18 March 2026, 5:25 pm
  • 42 minutes 32 seconds
    The people shaping American media including Mehdi Hasan, Jeffrey Goldberg, Sarah Smith and Johnny Harris

    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

    11 March 2026, 5:01 pm
  • 42 minutes 51 seconds
    Media coverage of Middle East conflict, Green Party’s by-election victory chances "missed" by journalists? Nonagenarian podcast

    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

    4 March 2026, 5:45 pm
  • 42 minutes 57 seconds
    Baftas fallout , Reporting on the Ukraine War four years on, the power of photography to capture the essence of a story

    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

    25 February 2026, 6:06 pm
  • 42 minutes 34 seconds
    MTV’s legacy, the new Lucy Letby documentary on Netflix and the traditional ad agency in crisis.

    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

    18 February 2026, 6:15 pm
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