- 42 minutes 52 secondsMunya Chawawa; journalists and access to prisoners in jail; Family influencers and the boundaries of parenting online.
Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins are joined by comedian and filmmaker Munya Chawawa to discuss satire and his new documentary Wrestling with Trump. They examine the limits on journalists’ access to prisoners with Emily Bolton from Objection and Guardian writer Simon Hattenstone. What are the boundaries for parents in the booming world of family influencers with author Fortesa Latifi and Jasmine McInnes aka @winging_mamahood. And Spectator political correspondent Noa Hoffman on whether the media is driving political chaos at Westminster or simply reporting on the unfolding events.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson
13 May 2026, 4:43 pm - 42 minutes 8 secondsAI judging journalists, the BBC’s “Wrong Guy”, Saudi Arabia's media strategy, covering climate change
This is a programme about the revolution in media.
6 May 2026, 4:39 pm - 42 minutes 13 secondsKing Charles's US visit, attacks on journalists, I'm a Celeb editing row
Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall on some of the week’s biggest media stories:
As King Charles III visits the United States, we ask how the media is covering the event on both sides of the Atlantic. We also examine attacks on journalists around the world following the killing of a Lebanese reporter in an Israeli air strike. A row over I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! raises questions about how reality television is edited. Plus, as a new series of Virgin Island begins on Channel 4, we speak to one of the people behind the format.
Guests: Sean Coughlan, Royal Correspondent, BBC News; Jack Blanchard, managing editor, POLITICO; Christina Lamb, chief foreign correspondent, The Sunday Times; Lauren Morris, Culture News Editor, The Independent; Donald Clarke, edit producer in reality television; Rob Davis, executive producer and co-owner of Double Act.
Producer: Dan Hardoon
29 April 2026, 4:47 pm - 41 minutes 58 secondsThe 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 secondsBBC 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 secondsRonan 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 secondsScott 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 secondsMatt 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 secondsBonus 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 secondsLisa 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 secondsThe 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 - More Episodes? Get the App