Media Confidential

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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In this week’s episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel discuss the decline of the Washington Post. Has owner Jeff Bezos just lost interest—and is the Post now losing the readers? And, staying in America, they discuss President Trump’s ongoing treatment of female reporters in Washington.

Keeping track of the BBC, Alan and Lionel also discuss the new interim director general at the BBC, Rhodhri Telfon-Davies, and assess who’s in and who’s out of the race for the permanent job.

Plus, they discuss how newsrooms can respond to the Epstein files, and one listener asks about the Observer’s slogan—did George Orwell really call the paper “the enemy of nonsense”, or has the quote been wrongly ascribed?
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In this episode of Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Bob Ward, policy and communications director of LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

The three discuss how climate issues are covered by the press, why this kind of reporting has become embroiled in the culture wars—and why the health of our democracy (and planet) depends on solid reporting about climate change.

They also talk about an increase in misleading coverage: is press regulator IPSO systemically failing in its responsibilities? And, though journalists should be able to verify truth and report facts independently, how does politics inevitably affect media coverage?

Plus, Bob names and shames outlets he believes are covering climate change badly and suggests how reporters can become part of the solution.
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