The Murdoch succession: Lachlan gets the power; his siblings get rich(er)
After a gruelling few years and a bitter legal battle, Rupert Murdoch’s heir has been chosen.This week, Alan and Lionel discuss the conclusion to the real-life Succession, as Lachlan Murdoch looks set to take control of his father’s media empire. What will it mean for the political direction of the business?The hosts also discuss AI company Anthropic’s $1.5bn payout to authors and publishers, after being sued for using copyrighted materials to train large language models.Plus, in light of Angela Rayner’s resignation, they wonder whether all politicians’ financial affairs should be made public.To hear more on the Murdoch empire from Media Confidential, listen to our episode with Jim Rutenberg here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Greg Lukianoff: ‘Bring back freedom of speech’
Does the First Amendment have a future? This week on Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel talk to Greg Lukianoff, the lawyer, best-selling author and president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).They discuss the Trump administration’s effect on free speech in the United States, and how censorship on university campuses has come from both sides of the political spectrum. Greg also discusses the question of social media moderation, and his view on Lucy Connolly’s arrest for inciting racial hatred. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why is the media dancing to Farage’s tune?
Media Confidential is back for Season 3!Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber take a dive into the world of media. What—and who—drives it? What do they get right... And what do they get wrong?This week, as right-wing protests continue outside hotels housing asylum seekers, the hosts discuss the media’s role in pushing the “Broken Britain” narrative. Has the British press has been caught up in the whirlwind of Nigel Farage?Plus, Alan and Lionel discuss the plight of journalists in Gaza, trust levels in local news and—in light of the upcoming ITV show The Hack—investigative journalist Nick Davies’s surprising updates to his book Hack Attack.To read more on the phone hacking scandal from Prospect, click here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Trump’s 100 days, with Ruth Ben-Ghiat
You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE. For Apple podcasts, click HERE. Has Trump's America become an autocracy?While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. Back in April, Ellen and Alona were joined by scholar of authoritarianism, Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Ruth analyses the Trump administration’s rapid shift towards authoritarianism. She talks about Trump’s personality cult, how strongmen portray machismo and the potential for a female strongman figure.She also discusses how autocrats use corruption, violence and propaganda to stay in power, and how ICE roundups echo the past, resembling a “secret police force”. Ruth answers: can the Democrats can learn anything from Trump? What’s the best way to challenge an illiberal president? And how does this end?Plus, Ellen and Alona discuss their bookshelves for this week's “banger or dud”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ethan Zuckerman: How to escape the internet hellscape
To subscribe to the Prospect Podcast on Spotify, click HERE. For Apple podcasts, click HERE. Will AI achieve superintelligence—and, if so, when? While Media Confidential is on a short break, we’re bringing you the best of our sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast. In June, Prospect’s tech columnist Ethan Zuckerman joined Ellen and Alona to talk about billionaire tech bros, social media, and how to resist the ‘enshittification’ of the internet. He answers: is AI transforming our world for the worse? But he also explains how to seek out better, more wholesome corners of the internet, and why his students give him hope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE. For Apple podcasts, click HERE. Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber—two of the world’s greatest editors—dive into the hugely important world of media. What—and who—drives it? What do they get right... And what do they get wrong?Lionel, former editor of the Financial Times, and Alan, editor of Prospect and former editor of the Guardian, will bring you revealing, high profile interviews and in-depth discussion.Media Confidential is produced by Prospect Magazine.Subscribe to Prospect and enjoy our rigorously fact-checked, truly independent analysis and perspectives. No commitment—you can cancel at any time. Currently you can SAVE up to 50% on a digital subscription: https://subscription.prospectmagazine.co.uk/JN5025/prospect-magazine/JN5025G Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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