Last week, the Princess of Wales announced that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. It was preceded by weeks of speculation about her whereabouts that went well into conspiracy territory. How exactly did conspiracy theories move from the fringes to the mainstream? And what are the responsibilities of the "mainstream media" when covering them? Also on the programme, BBC Radio 5 Live celebrates its 30th anniversary and what Tim Davie's speech means for the future of the BBC. Guests: Chris Curtis, editor in chief, Broadcast; Nicky Campbell, presenter, BBC Radio 5 Live; Rachel Cunliffe, associate political editor, New Statesman; Dr Annie Kelly, journalist and postdoctoral researcher specialising in conspiracy theories. Presenter: Ros Atkins
Producer: Dan Hardoon

How conspiracy theories went mainstream

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

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An information iron curtain has fallen across large parts of the globe, where access to impartial news reporting and information has never been more difficult. With the help of BBC specialists, Ros and Katie consider the impact of censorship and technological controls on Russia, Iran and China; how ingrained state disinformation has become and how it has distorted their citizens’ perception of the world. Our panel also look at attempts to circumvent internet blocking and state restrictions on free media, from the use of VPNs by those on the inside, to the innovative tactics adopted by outsiders who are trying to deliver truthful news to an often indoctrinated audience. 
 
Guests: Kerry Allen, China media analyst, BBC; Francis Scarr, journalist, BBC Monitoring; Kia Atri, journalist, BBC Middle East; Suzanne Raine, Centre for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge; Joe Tidy, cyber correspondent, BBC News; Fabian Falch, tech entrepreneur; Evie Aspinall, Director, British Foreign Policy Group, Jonathan Munro Deputy CEO & Director of Journalism, BBC News; Famil Ismailov, News Editor, BBC Russian Service. Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson

Behind the Information Iron Curtain

Katie and Ros explore the place of creativity in modern media, from advertising to game show formats. They talk to the producers behind ITV’s The 1% Club and Channel 4’s Hunted. They’ll also hear about concerns over dating app Grindr’s use of user data and talk to media regulator Ofcom about new research into how audiences feel about politicians presenting current affairs programmes.    Guests: Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Group Director, Ofcom; Decca Aitkenhead, Chief Interviewer, The Sunday Times; Matt Bennett, Senior Executive Producer, Shine TV; Dean Nabarro, Co-founder, Magnum Media; Sir John Hegarty, Advertising Executive, The Garage Soho; Josh Parry, Senior Journalist LGBT and Identity, BBC; Zoe Schiffer, Managing Editor, Platformer Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Simon Richardson

Ofcom, impartiality and elections

Last week Dr Hilary Cass published her final report and recommendations to NHS England in her role as Chair of the Independent Review of gender identity services for children and young people.  The Cass report recommends a new approach for clinicians. But what might journalism do differently in the way it covers such a polarising subject?  We discuss with Hannah Barnes, the author of Time to Think: the Inside Story of the Collapse of the Tavistock’s Gender Service for Children ; and Rebecca Coombes, Head of Journalism at the British Medical Journal. Hugh Grant has settled his privacy case against the publisher of the Sun newspaper. We get the latest from Jake Kanter, Investigations Editor from Deadline. Taylor Swift is back in the headlines with the release of her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department, on Friday. ITV's This Morning has also just appointed its first Taylor Swift correspondent. So what’s it like to report on the pop icon, and what’s her relationship with the media?  We're joined by Laura Snapes, who writes a weekly newsletter called Swift Notes for The Guardian, and Augusta Saraiva from Bloomberg.  What is the role and impact of Channel 4 on our lives – and on the independent commercial sector? We speak to Alex Mahon, Chief Executive of Channel 4, Jake Kanter from Deadline and Joel Wilson, the co-founder of the production company Eleven, behind hits such as Sex Education and Ten Pound Poms. Presenter: Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Guests: Jake Kanter, Investigations Editor, Deadline; Hannah Barnes, Associate Editor, New Statesman; Rebecca Coombes, Head of Journalism at the BMJ; Laura Snapes, Deputy Music Editor, The Guardian; Augusta Saraiva, Economics Reporter, Bloomberg; Alex Mahon, Chief Executive, Channel 4; Joel Wilson, Co-founder, Eleven.

What next for Channel 4?

The Executive Chairman of the Sky News Group, David Rhodes shares his plans for Sky News – and on his years as a senior TV news exec in New York. Elon Musk has predicted that AI will surpass human intelligence within a year. OpenAI and Meta have also said that they're on the brink of releasing new AI models that will be capable of reason and planning. What will be the impact of these advanced AI models on the news media? We're joined by Madhumita Murgia, the AI Editor at the Financial Times, and author of a new book Code Dependent, to discuss. Donald Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, continues to make headlines with its public listing. Billy Boozer, its former Chief Product Officer, reveals what it was like setting up the company with Trump. We're also joined by Prof Joshua Tucker and Prof Yini Zhang who has investigated how Trump has used Truth Social and X to drive news media attention. Presenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Guests: David Rhodes, Executive Chairman, Sky News group; Madhumita Murgia, Artificial Intelligence Editor, Financial Times; Joshua Tucker, Professor of Politics, New York University; Yini Zhang, Asst Professor of Communications, University at Buffalo; Billy Boozer, former Chief Product Officer, Truth Social.

How I set up Truth Social

British counter terrorism officers are investigating the stabbing last Friday of an Iranian TV host outside his home in London. Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati was hospitalised, before being discharged and moving to a safe place under the supervision of the Metropolitan Police. We talk to British Iranian journalist Sima Sabet, who has also been targeted.  Have US diplomats been targeted by Russian sonic weaponry? A joint report between The Insider, Der Spiegel and CBS's 60 Minutes alleges it’s the result of their brains being targeted by "directed energy" weapons operated by a secretive Russian military unit. We meet one of the journalists involved in the story.  In Londonderry journalists covering a dissident republican parade on Easter Monday were attacked with petrol bombs thrown by masked youths. Politicians have condemned the violence. We hear the testimony of one of the reporters targeted.  We talk to the producers behind the successful BBC reboot of Gladiators. And as Gmail celebrates its 20th anniversary, how useful is email today as a form of communication? Or has it been overtaken by messaging apps like WhatsApp? Presenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall Producer: Simon Richardson Guests: Sima Sabet, former presenter, Iran International; Dan Baldwin, Managing Director, Hungry Bear Media; Julia Hobsbawm, journalist and author; Niall Deeney, Derry Correspondent, Belfast Live; Mike Isaac, Tech Reporter, The New York Times; Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist; Michael Weiss, Editor, The Insider

How conspiracy theories went mainstream

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