Afleveringen
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Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers (NGN) has finally admitted that unlawful behaviour was carried out by private investigators working for the Sun and the News Of The World.
They've offered "a full and unequivocal apology" to Prince Harry for illegally obtaining private information about him—and have agreed to a staggering eight-figure settlement.
So, is that the end of the matter, or is there still more to come? Has Murdoch's company got off lightly? Alan and Lionel chew over the case.
Meanwhile the fate of the Daily Telegraph is still in limbo, as the paper awaits a buyer.
Former editor of the Telegraph and Thatcher biographer Charles Moore joins Alan and Lionel to discuss who the next owner could be.
To read "The Spy Papers", our exclusive investigations into phone hacking scandal, go to https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/phone-hacking/65918/the-murdoch-spy-papers
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The BBC, a broken tape recorder and a fake Meryl Streep. That’s right, it can only mean a new edition of Media Confidential’s Q&A show.
Alan is joined by Janine Gibson, in Lionel’s absence, to tackle questions about their first days as editors, their favourite headlines and the future of the BBC.
One listener asks: do the editors remember a time when they badly messed things up?
From an interview with a massive guest going awry, to retribution in the form of one well-known actress, Alan and Janine share some of the finest stories they’ve gathered in their time as journalists and editors.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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How do you solve a problem like Elon? The billionaire owner of X controls one of the world's biggest social media channels, treating the platform as his own propaganda machine.
Armando Iannucci—the satirist, writer and producer behind Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and Veep—has, until recently, been using his own Twitter account to fact-check Musk's posts.
He joins Alan Rusbridger and guest host, Janine Gibson, editor of the Weekend FT, to discuss how what happens if we don't take Musk seriously.
Like Donald Trump, Musk has a strong dislike for the mainstream media and has used X to vocalise support for fringe figures like Tommy Robinson.
But what might have once been dismissed as baseless rants are now driving the news agenda—and even political manoeuvres—in many parts of the USA and Europe.
How will Musk's megalomania end? And how dangerous to global democracy is he, really? Armando, Alan and Janine discuss.
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Alan and Lionel kick off the 2025 with a brand-new Q&A episode.
While primetime CNN attracts a mere 400,000 listeners, the Joe Rogan Experience reaches over 17 million subscribers on YouTube. What explains the exponential rise of Joe Rogan’s podcast?
In a world dominated by social media platforms, where fact and fiction are blurred, the editors make the case for traditional, fact-based journalism.
Plus, Alan and Lionel have brushed shoulders with many household names, but who has made them starstruck? The editors share their stories: what question did Alan ask the queen?
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Alan and Lionel are joined by Janine Gibson, editor of the Weekend FT, to look ahead to what promises to be a “yuge” year for journalists.
As Trump enters his second term in the White House, should we expect authoritarian clamp-downs on the press? And as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg promises free-speech and the end of fact-checking at Facebook, will opinion trump truth?
The editors also discuss new media stars, from Joe Rogan to gamer “ConnorEatsPants”, who has interviewed everyone from Joe Exotic to Sesame Street’s Elmo…and even the mysterious Adrian Dittmann, rumoured to be Elon Musk’s alter-ego.
Plus, will Prince Harry have his day in court to take on Murdoch over phone-hacking? One of our editors receives some tantalising hints that he may not go through with it after all…
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Would legalising assisted dying end unnecessary suffering? Or would it instead enable the abuse of some of society’s most vulnerable people?
Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill has passed its second reading. Back in September, Prospect invited two of our most profound thinkers—Rowan Williams and Brenda Hale—to debate the issue. As archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams led a Church that publicly opposes any form of assisted dying, while, as a Supreme Court judge, Brenda Hale was involved in life-or-death judgements.
In a moving exchange, Hale discusses her own Christian faith, while Williams shares his pastoral experience in the company of the dying. They joined Prospect’s editor Alan Rusbridger and commissioning editor Emily Lawford for a thoughtful and vitally important conversation.
This episode was first published on Media Confidential's sister podcast, the Prospect podcast. To read this conversation from the magazine, visit our website.
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For our final episode of 2024, Alan and Lionel look back at their Media Confidential year. They’ve tackled a huge range of stories: from phone-hacking and the rise of AI, to Ofcom’s battles with GB News. They’ve analysed elections on both sides of the Atlantic, were joined by Toby Jones on the Post Office scandal, and heard from courageous reporters working inside Gaza.
There’s been an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and a crisis at the Washington Post… but which episodes do they find the most memorable?
Michael Lewis came to Prospect Towers in September to promote his new book about Sam Bankman-Fried, Going Infinite. But when Alan started reading out criticism of the book, the temperature dropped several degrees. The heated resulting exchange is hard to forget.
Ahead of the US election, Rebecca Solnit joined Alan and Lionel to discuss her concerns about the American media “sanewashing” Donald Trump.
Finally, James Harding and Carole Cadwalladr recently appeared on the show to tell-all about Tortoise's controversial decision to buy the Observer. James received a grilling from our hosts. Now, with Observer journalists striking, who’s to say who was right?
2025 promises to be a heck of a ride.
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Could machine-generated articles replace those created by human beings?
After their series on AI in the media, Alan and Lionel now turn to listeners’ questions.
There's no question that AI could help to make journalists lives easier, but what sort of practical uses will there be on a day-to-day basis? Is there a risk that AI will take over the creative roles of writers and reporters? And what are the main threats to media employees?
Alan and Lionel remain cautiously optimistic about the future of the tools that will become more and more available.
They’re convinced that the subtlety, wit and nuance of real-life journalists will win out and cannot be replaced by machines. At least not yet…
Follow us on BlueSky @prospectmagazine.bsky.social and stay up to date with all our latest stories by signing up to our new daily newsletter Lightbulb—simply click on the newsletter tab on our website and enter your email address to register.
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Can traditional journalism survive when ChatGPT is able to produce copy in a matter of seconds?
In Media Confidential’s third episode in a series exploring the world of artificial intelligence, Alan and Lionel are joined by Felix Simon, an AI expert and research fellow at the Reuters Institute of Journalism.
He shares how the technology could transform the way newsrooms operate, and why this might actually be a good thing.
Meanwhile, despite ongoing deals between AI companies, publishers and news organisations, data scraping and the future of copyright ownership remains a grey area. Why does it matter?
To watch this video, head to our YouTube channel, where Media Confidential is published every Thursday.
Not sure what to gift this Christmas? Why not make use of Prospect’s discounted subscription offer here.
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What do you do if a big story breaks on Christmas Day and there's a skeleton crew running the newsroom?
That's just one of the seasonal questions put to Alan and Lionel in this week's Q&A episode.
The editors also discuss Mishal Husain's departure from the BBC's Today programme, characterising her as one of the best interviewers of recent times.
Finally, they reflect on how reporting has changed since the #MeToo movement. One feature of the Daily Mail, in particular, is singled out as being stuck in the 1980s.
If you're after Christmas gift ideas, look no further than our very own Lionel Barber's recent book Gambling Man, or why not try a discounted subscription to Prospect magazine? (Listener Annie Day's dad will be very happy this year!)
https://subscription.prospectmagazine.co.uk/dec24off/prospect-magazine/de24nl
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In the second episode on our series focusing on AI's impact on the media industry, Alan and Lionel talk to the executive chairman of Sky News, David Rhodes.
David has expressed support for AI advancements, as long as publishers are compensated fairly. He’s keen to promote transparency, support credible journalism, and combat fake news.
Noble ambitions...but how does he intend to carry them out?
Now that the Observer has finally been sold to James Harding's Tortoise Media, Alan and Lionel discuss the next stage in an unfolding saga.
Finally, in the Murdoch empire, life imitates art. The latest developments sound like a plot straight from the series Succession: Alan and Lionel discuss who might take on the mantle once Rupert passes away. Could he rule his empire from beyond the grave?
Keep your media questions coming. Send them to [email protected] and follow us on BlueSky @ prospectmagazine.bsky.social
Also, stay up to date with all our latest stories by signing up to our new daily newsletter, Lightbulb - simply click on the newsletter tab on our website and enter your email address to register.
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Office streakers, whiskey before lunchtime, and untimely deaths: with Christmas party season almost upon us,
Alan and Lionel get nostalgic for the old-fashioned newsroom on this week’s Media Confidential Q&A.
Plus, your weekly update on the contested Observer sale, amidst disquiet amongst journalists at the paper. After grilling Tortoise’s James Harding on the podcast, plenty of questions still remain...
Meanwhile, down under, the Australian ban on social media for under 16s sparks discussion, and it becomes clear that one of our hosts is not a social media fan.
But this “dinosaur” can still bite—listen to the episode to hear his objections.
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In the first of three special editions on artificial intelligence and the media, Alan and Lionel are joined by the CEO of ProRata.ai, Bill Gross.
Artificial intelligence poses a serious threat to the survival of news organisations. Last year, the New York Times sued Microsoft over AI models secretly scraping its copyrighted work. Millions of articles from the Times were used to train chatbots, which now compete with the paper, the lawsuit claimed.
How can be affected newspapers be identified and compensated for the use of their stories? Bill offers a novel solution, which is being taken up by some of the biggest names in the media: the Guardian, Sky News, the FT, the Daily Mail’s publisher, as well as Prospect.
Also this week: updates on the ongoing Observer saga, and Lionel and Alan discuss the scandal involving BBC presenter Gregg Wallace.
To watch this interview, and many more, head over to YouTube and search for ‘Prospect Magazine’.
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In this week’s Q&A, Lionel Barber takes centre stage to tell the tale of a largely unknown man who, for three days, was the richest man in the world.
Recorded in front of an audience at Prospect HQ, he spoke about his new book, Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son, in conversation with Prospect’s books & culture editor, Peter Hoskin.
Nobody had written extensively about Son, and with no western biography available, Lionel leapt at the chance to tell the extraordinary story of a speculator who has won and lost billions over the course of his life.
From the slums to the high-flying world of trading, he uncovers the rise of a Korean-Japanese businessman, who was truly ahead of his time.
Lionel’s book Gambling Man is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451627/gambling-man-by-barber-lionel/9780241582725
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“Fake news”, lies, and a deep distrust of the “mainstream media”: these all marked the Trump’s first presidency. But will Trump 2.0 only usher in more bombastic speeches, or will the regime turn authoritarian?
Alan and Lionel are joined by Margaret Sullivan, columnist and former New York Times editor, who has called Trump an existential threat to journalism. And with several American news organisations in turmoil and some TV networks struggling, what will the next four years hold for independent media?
Margaret discusses the role that new platforms like Substack may play, as well as “shadow president” Elon Musk, who only seems interested in free speech when it echoes his own views.
She calls for stiff spines and strong wills when dealing with the president and shares her hopes for the industry, if reporters can be be courageous enough...
To watch this interview, search for ‘Prospect magazine’ on YouTube, where Media Confidential is published every Friday.
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Tune into a special taster of Media Confidential’s sister podcast: former Conservative cabinet minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi joins deputy editor Ellen Halliday and Alona Ferber on the Prospect Podcast.
In a moving and emotionally frank conversation about her journey in the public eye, she talks about her lifelong effort to challenge stereotypes, and why she’s finally resigned the whip.
Politicians, media outlets, think tanks and even the entertainment industry have poisoned public discourse, culminating in this summer’s riots, which saw mosques targeted and a wave of anti-Muslim disinformation. Sayeeda unpacks these ideas in her new book Muslims Don’t Matter, about “the silencing, stereotyping and stigmatising of Muslims” and describes how Islamophobia, which she calls “Britain's bigotry blind spot”, not only passes the “dinner table test”, but has been embraced and enacted into policy.
Muslims Don’t Matter is out now: https://www.littlebrown.co.uk/titles/sayeeda-warsi/muslims-dont-matter/9780349136486/
And to listen to more from the Prospect podcast, visit https://prospect.lnk.to/podcastgu
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Hurricanes and wildfires are becoming more frequent. The extreme forecasts that were predicted a few decades ago are starting to happen, and climate change is an existential crisis for us all. So how do you tell the biggest story in the world?
Alan and Lionel are joined by award-winning environmental journalist and Financial Times associate editor, Pilita Clark. Pilita dials in from Baku, Azerbaijan, where the annual COP29 meeting on climate change is currently taking place.
Though 2024 is set to be the hottest year on record, discussion around climate has slipped into culture war territory, with ideology often trumping facts. How do journalists punch through and capture the public’s imagination? When the truth is hard to swallow, should they try and find the positive spin, or tell the grim reality?
To listen to the Prospect podcast on “COP29 and climate culture wars”, with Isabel Hilton and Sam Alvis, click here.
And to order tickets to our special book event with Lionel Barber, go here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/gamblingman
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How do you ask those difficult questions to guests that you want to probe further? And what do you do when they react unexpectedly—and the interview goes awry? This is the position Alan found himself in recently when recording with bestselling author, Michael Lewis. Alan tells us what went through his mind, and how he remained so cool.
And following the tense recent episode with James Harding, where are things currently at with the sale of the Observer? Lionel and Alan discuss how they think the situation could pan out.
The editors also discuss political “leaks”: how they happen, and the impact inside government.
Plus, why was one our hosts presented with a cherry cake from a well-known British businessman? Listen to this week’s Media Confidential’s Q&A to find out…
Send your questions to [email protected] or @mediaconfpod
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From JFK’s assassination to the moon landing, conspiracy theories have always existed. But the rise of social media has enabled fake news to spread like wildfire.
Award-winning journalist Marianna Spring joins the podcast to take Alan and Lionel on a tour through what she calls “Conspiracyland”, a hinterland between the online world and perceived reality.
Marianna is the Disinformation and Social Media correspondent for the BBC and is also the author of Among the Trolls: My Journey Through Conspiracyland. She attempts to make sense of what causes people to be sucked in to myths—whole movements sprang during the pandemic, based on disinformation around Covid-19. This summer’s far-right riots were sparked by false information. And after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump during his election campaign, others couldn’t distinguish if what happened was real or staged.But as more people believe in wild stories, what impact does it have on society?
Will we look back with disbelief at how the truth became distorted beyond recognition, on giant unregulated social media platforms?
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Why is local news so important? And how do we protect it?
Alan and Lionel are joined by Frances Cairncross for a special edition of Media Confidential. Five years ago, she was tasked with producing the Cairncross Review, which examined whether high-quality journalism could survive amid the rise of digital platforms.
In this episode, the editors ask Frances about the decline of local news, despite the review’s recommendations to safeguard its future.
They dissect why protecting local news is vital in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, and the risks of a growing number of people living in “news deserts”.
Send your questions to [email protected], or via X, @mediaconfpod
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