The Media Show

Laura Kuenssberg, SNP embezzlement story, Rafa documentary, 60 Minutes 03.06.2026 42m

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg joins Ros and Katie to discuss her exclusive interview with Nicola Sturgeon, the first since her estranged husband pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,000 from the SNP. John Ferguson, Political Editor at the Sunday Mail in Scotland, also shares his experience of reporting on the story from the very beginning. Also on the programme, director Zach Heinzerling discusses how he secured unprecedented access to tennis player Rafael Nadal for his Netflix documentary Rafa. Minal Modha from Ampere Analysis assesses whether we are in the middle of a sports documentary boom. Plus, analysis of the ruptures in CBS’ 60 Minutes newsroom by Michael Grynbaum from The New York Times.

Lord Grade, Media access to local councils, Vincent Bolloré profile, Reporting on the heatwave 27.05.2026 42m

TV grandee and former Chairman of Ofcom, Michael Grade, joins Katie Razzall to discuss his outlook on the broadcasting sector. The Society of Editors is warning that local journalists are struggling to get access to elected councillors. Its CEO Dawn Alford shares her concerns, and we get the views of Oliver Rouane-Williams, founder and editor of Ipswich.co.uk, and Michael Hadwen, Reform leader of Suffolk County Council. Over 600 figures in French cinema have signed an open letter voicing concerns about the influence of French billionaire Vincent Bolloré. The BBC’s James Waterhouse introduces us to the media tycoon often dubbed the ‘French Rupert Murdoch’. Plus, what are the editorial challenges of reporting on the heatwave? Laura Tobin, ITV’s weather presenter, joins us to discuss.

The new BBC Director General Matt Brittin, MAFS under investigation & Richard Madeley goes inside El Salvadore's CECOT mega jail 20.05.2026 42m

The BBC’s new Director General Matt Brittin joins Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins live on his third day in the job. We examine serious allegations revealed by BBC Panorama that have led to Married At First Sight being pulled with BBC Culture Correspondent Noor Nanji. Richard Madeley on his new documentary inside El Salvador’s mega jail CECOT and there'll be analysis from the Sunday Times Media Editor Rosamund Urwin throughout.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wei.

Munya Chawawa; journalists and access to prisoners in jail; Family influencers and the boundaries of parenting online. 13.05.2026 42m

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

AI judging journalists, the BBC’s “Wrong Guy”, Saudi Arabia's media strategy, covering climate change 06.05.2026 42m

This is a programme about the revolution in media.

King Charles's US visit, attacks on journalists, I'm a Celeb editing row 29.04.2026 42m

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

The future of teleshopping, Hungary's media post Orban defeat, Danny Robins from Uncanny, Mandelson vetting row scoop 22.04.2026 41m

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

BBC job cuts, Journalist detained in Kuwait, HBO Max enters UK streamer market, Reporting the Artemis II launch 15.04.2026 42m

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

Ronan Farrow on investigating OpenAI and Sam Altman, Misha Glenny, Bel Trew & Madhumita Murgia 08.04.2026 42m

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

Scott Mills' exit & Tim Davie's final week at the BBC, AI-assisted journalism, new UK research project on teens & social media 01.04.2026 42m

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

Matt Brittin profile, How to cold call a president, The Policing and Media Charter, Jamie Bartlett 25.03.2026 42m

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).

Bonus interview Lisa Nandy MP Culture Secretary 19.03.2026 33m

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

Lisa Nandy on saving local news and the future of the BBC, reporting from inside Iran & behind the scenes at the Oscars 18.03.2026 42m

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

The people shaping American media including Mehdi Hasan, Jeffrey Goldberg, Sarah Smith and Johnny Harris 11.03.2026 42m

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

Media coverage of Middle East conflict, Green Party’s by-election victory chances "missed" by journalists? Nonagenarian podcast 04.03.2026 42m

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

Baftas fallout , Reporting on the Ukraine War four years on, the power of photography to capture the essence of a story 25.02.2026 42m

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

MTV’s legacy, the new Lucy Letby documentary on Netflix and the traditional ad agency in crisis. 18.02.2026 42m

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

Revelations about the Murdoch dynasty in new book, Reporting on the Starmer crisis, Washington Post cuts, Ofcom under scrutiny 12.02.2026 41m

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

Tina Brown on the latest Epstein files, the boundaries of behind-the-scenes access in sport, reporting on a rocket launch 05.02.2026 37m

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

Viral videos shaping reporting in Minnesota, Radio 1’s Christmas Presenter Takeover, Algorithm Transparency and Skyscraper Live 28.01.2026 42m

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