The Media Show

Heat pumps, net zero, decarbonisation, the Paris agreement. With less than two weeks to go until Cop26, we’re being deluged with detail and jargon. But how much do you actually understand about climate change? Do you even know what COP actually stands for? (It’s Conference of the Parties if you don’t). Katie Razzall asks what role the media has in educating us about climate change. Maybe you feel hectored rather than informed? Or maybe you think the media isn’t going far enough; if we now face an existential crisis, should journalists dispense with the notion of objectivity and become activists in the fight to save the planet?

It's been another tough week for Facebook, as the world's biggest news brands publish co-ordinated and critical stories, all based on whistleblower Frances Haugen and her trove of documents. How did Haugen, a former Facebook product manager, come to have such strong media and PR support? Facing difficulties in the real world, Facebook are investing heavily in alternative reality. But what exactly is the 'metaverse' and how soon before we all live in it?

This has been a nervy week in the media world, as radio stations finally found out what happened to listening habits. Audience data was suspended during the pandemic and has only just returned. So what did the RAJARS (Radio Joint Audience Research) reveal about audiences? Who were the big winners and losers? And can broadcast radio stand up against the giants of Silicon Valley with their well funded podcast plans?

The UK has become a production hub, with giant companies like Amazon and Netflix filming on our shores - and driving up the cost of shoots. But how easy is it to build up a thriving TV industry in a new part of the country? And faced with an influx of US programmes, should the government lay down legal requirements for ‘Britishness' on TV?

The UK has become a production hub, with giant companies like Amazon and Netflix filming on our shores - and driving up the cost of shoots. But how easy is it to build up a thriving TV industry in a new part of the country? And faced with an influx of US programmes, should the government lay down legal requirements for ‘Britishness' on TV?

A faltering speech by Boris Johnson has Westminster journalists in a spin. The government changed its stance on lobbying following attacks in the Daily Mail and other bits of the media. And a BBC interview with Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, has made headlines. But how much do political stories like these actually cut through with the public?

What is the relationship between journalists and their audiences? Reporters covering the Omicron variant say they’ve received abuse from people angry about the government’s response, and blaming journalists. One newspaper group announced they’ve had to disable reader comments altogether on their coverage of the tragedy in the English Channel. So are trolls making it impossible to have a healthy debate between reader and reporter? Plus Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter, is stepping away from the company. What are the big tasks facing new CEO Parag Agrawal?

Was there a Christmas party in 10 Downing Street last year during lockdown? The Mirror received a tip-off from an anonymous source, alleging that a party took place. ITV News then secured footage of Downing Street aides joking about a party. How did the journalists involved get hold of these stories, and what did they do to 'stand them up'? These two scoops dominated Prime Minister's Questions and every news bulletin. So, what is the relationship between the government and the Lobby?

Jon Snow is the longest-running presenter of Channel 4 News and one of the most famous faces in broadcasting. Over the course of three decades, he has grilled every prime minister from Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May. He drew the iconic words ‘Let bygones be bygones’ from Nelson Mandela, shared a plane with Idi Amin, and reported on wars in Iran and crises in Vietnam.