Media Masters

Christopher Hope is chief political correspondent and assistant editor at the Telegraph. He is chairman of the Parliamentary Lobby, and presenter of the ‘Chopper’s Brexit Podcast’ which features interviews with senior politicians and analysis from the Telegraph’s Westminster team. In this in-depth interview, he discusses the somewhat unusual situation of having his former colleague Boris Johnson become prime minister, and his appeal as the “Heineken” politician; tackles critics of the ‘Lobby’ and the alleged “cosy” relationship between reporters and MPs, and reveals how a family tragedy inspired him to found ‘Legacy of Hope’ - a charity helping child amputees in the developing world.

Kate Ward is international president of Refinery29, a media and entertainment company for women. She launched their London office in 2015 and now oversees their international operations. In this in-depth interview, Kate outlines how reach, revenue and relevance are key to the brand’s longevity at a time when other media businesses are closing, reveals how their expansion into video, filmmaking and live events helps to keep readers engaged, and discusses how building powerful relationships with women moves the business forward.

Dave Lee is Silicon Valley reporter for the BBC. Based in San Francisco, he has covered technology stories across the US since 2015. In this in-depth interview, he details how companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Tesla have an increasing impact on our lives, and the deep implications for society; argues that a growing ‘tech cynicism’ is now stifling innovation, and discusses the challenge of maintaining a working relationship with tech giants - whilst also holding them to account.

Alan Hunter is head of digital at the Times and Sunday Times. Joining in 2001, he was appointed editor of News Review in 2010 and led their coverage of the London Olympics and the killing of Osama bin Laden. He became their ‘digital guru’ in 2013, and they were the first newspaper to announce that digital subscriptions had overtaken print. In this in-depth interview, Alan reveals how increased engagement from journalists deepens their relationship with readers, explains why taking the emphasis away from breaking news actually increased subscriptions, and recalls how inspiration for their popular ‘Walking the Dog’ podcast came when his family adopted a puppy.

Terri White is editor-in-chief of Empire. An award-winning editor with 19 years’ experience on both sides of the Atlantic, she joined in 2015 from Time Out and led a radical reimagining of the magazine prior to its recent 30th birthday. In this in-depth interview, Terri describes how its “weirdly disparate” team of movie geeks translate their passion for film into every page, speaks out against unpaid internships and the lack of opportunities for budding journalists from disadvantaged backgrounds, and reveals how they maintain exclusive relationships with movie studios while still giving honest reviews.

Dave Berry is a presenter on Absolute Radio. After just a year on air, it is the number one commercial breakfast programme in the country, with over two million listeners. Starting his career in television with stints presenting on Nickelodeon and MTV, he switched to radio in 2007 and has fronted shows on Capital and XFM. In this in-depth interview, he reveals the technology behind the tricky balancing act which allows listeners to tune into alternative versions of the show on different stations; takes us behind the scenes of the show’s “capers” including reinventing Quantum Leap, racing a Sinclair C5 and trying to save the world’s last Blockbuster Video store; and discusses his celebrity interviews – including the day Denzel Washington came into the studio and “fired” the sound guy.

Bill Abbott is president and chief executive of Crown Media Family Networks – one of the most successful entertainment companies in the US and the team behind the Hallmark Channels. In his two decades with the business, it has expanded exponentially and now includes three top-rated channels, e-book publishing, a podcast and a streaming service with over 600,000 subscribers. In this in-depth interview, Bill tackles critics who call their content “saccharine”, and examines how their commitment to the ‘formula’ has delivered consistently high ratings; explains why they listen to feedback from focus groups when deciding storylines; and describes the brand’s success as the “best kept secret” in entertainment – in contrast to ailing mainstream TV networks, who have “lost their way”.

Heather Dietrick is chief executive of The Daily Beast. Previously president of Gawker Media, she was a key part of the legal team trying to save the company when they were sued by Hulk Hogan. In post at the ‘Beast’ since 2017, she is responsible for growing their reach, which already stands at 20 million. In this in-depth interview, she recalls how a billionaire with a grudge plotted the “litigation assault” on Gawker; discusses the focus on finding new revenue streams, and the first year of their paid membership programme ‘Beast Inside’; and argues how Trump’s war on the media has made ‘news neutrality’ impossible - for everyone.

Ken Bruce is a veteran radio presenter who has fronted the BBC Radio 2 morning show for over three decades. With nine million listeners, he is one of the most recognisable voices in broadcasting. In this in-depth interview, he takes us behind the scenes of his long-running show, sharing anecdotes about the genesis of PopMaster and plans to take the popular quiz on the road; explains why “feel and judgement” is more important to him than audience metrics; and admits that after hundreds of celebrity guests, the “greatest thrill” of his broadcasting career so far has been interviewing Basil Brush.

Dominic Smales is CEO of Gleam Futures, one of the biggest “digital-first" talent management firms in the world. They represent the brightest stars of social media including Tanya Burr, Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella), Pixiwoo, Grace Fit and Jack Maynard. In this in-depth interview, Dominic reveals how their talent is expanding into new areas like publishing and product creation, explains how to cut through the noise and stand out from the 25 million social media creators – and discusses how portraying “real lives” on social media sends a positive message around mental health.