In today’s episode Alan and Lionel focus on the sale of the Telegraph.

They discuss the new owner, Axel Springer, and what its CEO Mathias Döpfner said he would do if he bought it when he appeared as a guest on Media Confidential in 2023. Döpfner had previously tried and failed to buy the same paper.

Our hosts also disagree over Döpfner’s approach to controversy, the political right and journalism—and they speculate about how a Telegraph journalist might be feeling now the deal has been done. Lionel also talks of how Döpfner's views might not be exactly as they seem.

Alan and Lionel also try to conclude their long-running bet as to whether or not Rupert Murdoch is a genuine Substack follower and respond to listener questions.

You can listen to a full interview with Mathias Döpfner on Media Confidential here.

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In this Monday’s Media Confidential interview Alan and Lionel talk to Gabriel Sherman, journalist and author of Bonfire of the Murdochs, how the fight to control the last great media dynasty broke a family and the world.

Gabriel has been a Murdoch-watcher for many years and scoured the thousands of documents of the Nevada trial where the succession struggles played out in the courts and all “their petty grievances and jealousies” went on the record. The three discuss the rise of Rupert, his relationship with three of his children Lachlan, James and Elizabeth and how their lives were shaped by his plans. 

They also discuss the news empire’s ability to pivot politically and keep ahead of the curve and the impact of legal scandals across the years. Our hosts and Gabriel also reflect on the TV series Succession and how closely it reflects real life and discuss what might happen next.

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On this week’s Media Confidential, as conflict in the Middle East escalates, Alan and Lionel explore the challenges of reporting on fast-moving international crises. How has the Trump administration been briefing the media, as Israel and the United States wage war with Iran?

And after the Pentagon's blacklisting of Claude, they also discuss artificial intelligence: should governments and militaries be using language models like ChatGPT at all?

Plus, Alan and Lionel ask whether, like columnist George Monbiot, all journalists should keep a register of interests. And they examine Ipsos’s ruling over a fabricated Telegraph story—is this “justice dispensed with a feather duster”?

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This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Ailbhe Rea, political editor at the New Statesman, and George Parker, political editor of the Financial Times, for an insider’s account of the Westminster “Lobby”—the exclusive group of journalists with privileged access to Britain’s corridors of power.

With enormous influence over political narratives, the Lobby shapes how the country understands its government. But is there a danger in being too close to power? The four discuss the Lobby at its best—forensic, rigorous and brutal when necessary—and at its worst, from criticisms of herd mentality to exaggerating stories.

Ailbhe and George reveal how the system really works, from briefings with the prime minister’s spokesperson to secretive tip-offs. They also discuss the ethics of relying on anonymous sources: does the cloak of secrecy allow smears to spread? Or is it the only way to discover what politicians are really thinking?

And they make the case for why, despite its flaws, the bubble of Westminster is better off with the Lobby inside it.

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In this episode of Media Confidential, the Times beats Lionel to his scoop about the leading contender for the BBC’s new director-general. Will Matt Brittin be a good fit? Alan and Lionel investigate Brittin’s background and discuss why the BBC urgently needs editorial oversight.

After a takeover of the Telegraph collapsed, negotiations about its sale are underway (again). The editors analyse competing bids from the big players and explain what they'll mean for the paper.

They also talk about the future of the Economist and the New York Times, two giants who have adapted their strategy to adjust to a changing media landscape.

And, as pictures of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson hit the front pages, the editors discuss the role of photojournalists—and what it takes to get a newsworthy snap.

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This week, Alan and Lionel are joined by Clare Melford, CEO and co-founder of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), a non-profit which aims to mitigate the spread of digital disinformation.

Labelled a “radical activist” by the Trump administration and denied a Visa waiver from the US for her work, Clare discusses the political and financial pressures on the GDI—and the protective measures her co-founder has had to take. From angry mobs to governments, she explains why tackling disinformation is increasingly “dangerous work”.

Plus, the three break down the difference between misinformation and disinformation, as well as the challenges AI could pose to journalism and democracy.

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In today’s Media Confidential, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber discuss Labour’s latest scandal, after thinktank Labour Together reportedly hired a company to gather material about journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Harry Yorke—who were investigating its financial affairs—and then handed over the information to GCHQ.

The information produced by the US-based PR firm allegedly included “deeply personal and false claims”; though Starmer has promised an investigation, has this happened to other journalists, too?

And, as Prince Harry's legal war with the Daily Mail continues, they also discuss the evidence of former Mail editor Paul Dacre during the ongoing trial.

Plus, the pair talk about the changing role of the court reporter, and the big libel cases they have faced in their respective editorships.

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In today’s Media Confidential, Alan Rusbridger is joined by Marty Baron, long-time former editor of the Washington Post.

Marty discusses the recent sweeping cuts across the paper—including the decimation of the sports department—and reveals the shocking way one foreign correspondent found out their job was being axed.

He talks about his own relationship with Post owner Jeff Bezos, as well as how the billionaire’s editorial ambitions for the paper may have been influenced by his ties to President Trump. The pair also discuss the reasons behind the controversial decision not to endorse a candidate for the 2025 election, and the subsequent fallout.

And, after more than 300 staff were laid off, Marty and Alan discuss how a newspaper deals with the dreaded “death spiral”. Is this is the beginning of the end for the Post?

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In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel discuss the Washington Post sacking over 300 journalists—or one-third of its newsroom—and the dangers of not having a strong journalistic organisation in the US capital.

Lionel challenges Post owner Jeff Bezos’s argument that decisions about cuts have to be data-led and speculates on the departure of editor Will Lewis: was it out of his own free will?

They also discuss Ofcom’s decision not to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump which contained false claims.

And, after one listener asks what Lionel and Alan make of a Telegraph article lamenting how the Financial Times has “gone woke”, the pair disagree over the FT’s infamous How To Spend It (HTSI) luxury magazine.

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In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists.

The trio discuss the growing importance of open-source investigation techniques to verify cases, including the recent ICE shooting of Alex Pretti, where Bellingcat was able to confirm events through multiple pieces of video footage.

They talk about how to combat manipulated video and misuse of AI in an age of misinformation. Eliot also discusses an ongoing disagreement with veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, and the clash between traditional journalism and new methodologies.

And, after spending years exposing and embarrassing wrongdoing high-profile figures and institutions, is Eliot is worried for his personal safety?

To read our profile of Eliot Higgins, click here or head to prospectmagazine.co.uk

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