Steve Huffman is co-founder and CEO of Reddit, the website that bills itself as "the front page of the internet". In this extended interview, Huffman tells Amol Rajan about his "pathological dedication" to Reddit's policy on free speech and moderation, why Reddit has always had an "anti-establishment edge", and his own mission "to fulfil the promise of the Internet". Earlier this year, Reddit hit the headlines after a community of amateur stock market traders set out to inflict losses on hedge f...
Mar 31, 2021•31 min
As the UK marks one year since the start of the first lockdown, Amol joins the BBC World Service programme World Questions to take questions from listeners around the globe. His expert panel assesses how well the media has covered the pandemic and whether fake news and misinformation has influenced public behaviour. Guests: Nick Pickles, Senior Director of Public Policy Strategy and Development at Twitter, Zeynep Tufekci, sociologist and writer, Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat, and Margaret...
Mar 24, 2021•27 min
Amol Rajan on the mechanics of investigative journalism: the nuts, bolts, fear, loathing and legal letters of being a proper investigative hack. But how easy is it to cultivate sources in a pandemic? And is the government changing the way it handles freedom of information requests? Guests: Rachel Oldroyd, Managing Editor and CEO of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism; Jennifer Williams, Politics and Investigations Editor for the Manchester Evening News; George Arbuthnott, Deputy Editor of The...
Mar 17, 2021•27 min
As he steps down as editor of the Washington Post, Marty Baron reflects on his tenure. When he joined the paper in 2012, it was a moderately profitable local newspaper. He leaves The Post as a global brand, with ten Pulitzer Prizes under his editorship and a new owner in Jeff Bezos. Studio engineer: Donald MacDonald Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Hannah Sander
Mar 17, 2021•40 min
The chairman of GB News, which launches later this year, tells Amol Rajan about editing The Sunday Times, launching Sky TV and publishing The Spectator.
Mar 12, 2021•1 hr 29 min
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey delivered record ratings for ITV: at its peak, 12.4m viewers were watching, the broadcaster's biggest audience since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. But it's also resulted in ITV's star journalist, Piers Morgan, resigning after he refused to apologise for his criticism of the couple on Good Morning Britain. What does Morgan's departure say about the future of highly-opinionated journalism in British media? Guests: Andrew Neil, chairma...
Mar 10, 2021•27 min
There’s an almighty ruckus going on in Holyrood, but London-based media seem to be finding the story difficult to follow. Is the UK media too focused on Westminster to cover politics properly? Plus BBC Three is returning to televisions as a broadcast channel, six years after it lost the spot. But is this a clever ploy to win back younger viewers – or an anxious attempt to compete with the streaming giants? Guests: Callum Baird, editor of The National; Frank O'Donnell, editor of Aberdeen Journals...
Mar 03, 2021•27 min
A spat between the Australian government and Facebook resulted in the Silicon Valley giant blocking every news organisation from their platform in Australia. But what does this display of might from Facebook mean for other countries preparing to take on Big Tech? Plus the boss of new station Boom Radio on whether niche, age-based services are the future of radio. Guests: Latika Bourke, journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald; Dr Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the Competition and Markets Aut...
Feb 24, 2021•27 min
Andrea Coscelli, the chief executive of the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, tells the BBC that tech giants Google and Facebook have too great a share of the UK online advertising market and that regulation is needed. In this extended interview with Amol Rajan, Dr Coscelli also gives his response to Facebook's recent behaviour in Australia after a new law was proposed which would force tech companies to pay publishers for news. In response to this interview, Facebook said it faces "signif...
Feb 23, 2021•53 min
The second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump has dominated the news. Much of the trial focused on events at the Capitol buildings on January 6th. For several hours that day, only one TV crew was inside with the rioters. Producer Sophie Alexander and correspondent Robert Moore from ITV News tell Amol Rajan how they came to be alongside the Trump supporters - and how they came out unhurt. Guests: Sophie Alexander, producer, and Robert Moore, correspondent, ITV News. Producer: Hann...
Feb 12, 2021•41 min
Dame Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of ITV, on the crucial role played by public service broadcasters and the "urgent" need for government protection. She tells Amol Rajan why she welcomes the arrival of GB News, and explains the decision to take the Jeremy Kyle Show off-air. Plus Poirot, Love Island and the return of Britain's Got Talent. Studio engineer: Sarah Hockley Producer: Hannah Sander
Feb 10, 2021•55 min
American streaming services dominate our viewing, even though many of their programmes are British-made. Discovery International's CEO tells Amol Rajan why streaming is now such a vital part of their strategy. Plus executive producer and director Julie Anne Robinson on making Netflix's Bridgerton, an American version of a British period drama devised by Hollywood "super-producer" Shonda Rhimes. Guests: JB Perrette, Discovery International president and CEO; Julie Anne Robinson, executive produce...
Feb 03, 2021•27 min
Daily Express editor Gary Jones is Labour-voting, backed Remain, and wants his paper to reflect multicultural Britain. He tells Amol Rajan how he effected a complete change of direction at the tabloid, once known for its dodgy weather forecasts and anti-immigrant stance. Plus, why he gave Prime Minister Boris Johnson a beanie hat - and working at the News of the World under a young Piers Morgan. Guest: Gary Jones, Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Express. Studio engineer: John Boland Producer: Hanna...
Jan 27, 2021•49 min
If we are "at war" with coronavirus, where do journalists find the frontline? Or are more distanced, factual pieces better at keeping people informed? Also in the programme, as Joe Biden becomes US President, what does that mean for free speech, combative news stations and the tech platforms? Guests: Laura Donnelly, Health Editor at The Telegraph; Sarah Boseley, Health Editor at The Guardian; Clive Myrie, BBC presenter and foreign correspondent; Glenn Greenwald, author and journalist. Studio eng...
Jan 20, 2021•27 min
In the past week, President Trump has been deleted from Twitter, and suspended from Facebook - and now YouTube. Parler, a free speech network, has been forced offline after first Google and Apple, then Amazon, refused to host it. Is this grand de-platforming of Trump and his supporters the right thing to do? And if so, who should have the power to control how we speak online? Guests: Amy Peikoff, Chief Policy Officer at Parler; Glenn Greenwald, author and journalist; Danielle Citron, professor o...
Jan 13, 2021•27 min
Schools are shut across the UK and screens are the only route children have to teachers. So which bits of the media are stepping up to keep kids informed and entertained? Plus the launch of The Oldham Times, a new daily print newspaper; and we drill down into why YouTube banned - and later reinstated - TalkRadio. Guests: Lydia Winters, Chief Storyteller at Mojang, makers of Minecraft; David Statter, Adopt Me!, Chris Stokel-Walker, author of YouTubers; Marianna Spring, BBC Disinformation Reporter...
Jan 06, 2021•27 min
Jane Tranter is the super-producer behind shows like His Dark Materials, Succession, and the Emmy Award winning The Night Of. As co-founder of Bad Wolf, the Cardiff based production company, she has been credited with revitalising the Welsh TV industry. In this big interview, Jane Tranter discusses her career and gives the story behind some of her biggest hits. Studio Engineer: Donald MacDonald Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Hannah Sander
Dec 30, 2020•28 min
It’s been a big year for media lawyers. There's been the Johnny Depp libel trial, Harry and Meghan suing The Mail on Sunday, and the newsroom drama over Barnard Castle. Amol Rajan reunites the lawyers from both sides of the Depp case to debate press behaviour. Also in the programme, the backstory to the Mail's famous front page demanding justice for Stephen Lawrence, and how The Guardian came to trust Julian Assange as a source. Guests: Jenny Afia, Partner at Schillings; Louis Charalambous, head...
Dec 23, 2020•50 min
This is a bumper week for sports media. New rights deals are up for grabs, while a packed football calendar means logistical headaches for broadcasters. So why might Amazon want to get involved? And the traditional media on how they - and the freelancers who work for them - adapted to months without live sport. Guests: Alex Green, Sport MD for Amazon Prime Video; Kathryn Anastasi, Head of Live Sport at talkSPORT; Daniel Storey, freelance sports writer and broadcaster; Minal Modha, Consumer Lead ...
Dec 16, 2020•28 min
This week Ofcom, the media regulator, warned that traditional broadcasting is "at risk" without "radical shake-up". But at risk of what, and what kind of shake-up does the regulator have in mind? Meanwhile, Ofcom is about to take on the massive task of regulating “online harm”, including social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. But is a British regulator really able to police the internet? In her first major interview, Melanie Dawes, the new CEO of Ofcom, explains her strategy to Amol ...
Dec 09, 2020•28 min
The UK has approved a coronavirus vaccine and will start rolling it out. But what role does the media play in reporting the science, and perhaps even encouraging readers to take up the vaccine? Also in the programme, the government has announced a new Digital Markets Unit, a regulator of sorts that will look at Facebook and Google. Guests: Fiona Godlee, editor of the British Medical Journal, Laura Collins, editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post, Felicity Cross, deputy news editor of the Daily Star...
Dec 02, 2020•28 min
This has been an exceptionally difficult year for advertisers. With shops closed and holidays cancelled, many advertisers saw their revenues drop. Amol Rajan speaks to Annette King, UK boss of Publicis Groupe, the ad giant that includes Saatchi & Saatchi. Even before the pandemic her industry faced enormous structural threats, including the dominance of Facebook and Google in the ad market. This programme includes clips from the British Airways 'Face' advert (1989) directed by Hugh Hudson, a...
Nov 25, 2020•27 min
Are we witnessing a shift in the balance of media power? The Labour party says emergency laws are needed to make social networks "criminally responsible" for anti-vaccine content their users post. Meanwhile, over in the US both Republicans and Democrats are vowing to change the way the likes of Twitter and Facebook are regulated. And could it also represent the birth of an alternative media? Donald Trump is rumoured to be plotting a new channel to rival Fox News. Guests: Amélie Pia Heldt, Leibni...
Nov 18, 2020•28 min
As Minister for Media and Data, John Whittingdale has the power to significantly change the media landscape in the UK over the next few years. Should Channel 4 be privatised? Do we still need the licence fee? Is there enough competition in radio? In this extended interview recorded at the Radio Academy Festival, John Whittingdale answers these big questions, sets out his vision for public service broadcasting and discusses the influence overseas tech companies now have in British media. Presente...
Nov 11, 2020•50 min
Princess Diana's brother has called for an inquiry into the circumstances of his sister's historic Panorama interview. Charles Spencer alleges BBC reporter Martin Bashir used "sheer dishonesty" to secure the interview. The corporation said its investigation was "hampered at the moment" by the fact that Bashir was "seriously unwell" with complications from Covid-19. Amol Rajan discusses the allegations with BBC Royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond. Also in the programme, why Substack has become one ...
Nov 04, 2020•28 min
Alison Phillips is editor-in-chief of The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People. In this extended interview, Phillips discusses her strategy for the papers during the pandemic, how the Mirror worked with The Guardian on their Dominic Cummings lockdown scoop, and whether she considers the title to be a socialist paper. Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Richard Hooper
Oct 28, 2020•58 min
Facebook and Twitter have been accused of censorship after they suppressed a story by the New York Post about Joe Biden's son, Hunter. The social media companies said the story breached their policy on misinformation and questioned the source of the allegations. Amol Rajan asks what the incident says about the power of the tech platforms, journalism ethics, and election strategy in the US. Guests: Brian Stelter, CNN anchor and author of Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News and the Dangerous Distortion o...
Oct 21, 2020•28 min
A global pandemic, the US election, Brexit negotiations, climate change - the news has never been busier, but how good a job are journalists doing at making sense of everything? Or have some journalists had their brains hijacked by social media opinion? Presenter: Amol Rajan Guests: Helen Lewis, staff writer at The Atlantic and former deputy editor of the New Statesman and Piers Morgan, journalist and author of Wake Up. Producer: Richard Hooper
Oct 14, 2020•27 min
In this wide-ranging and exclusive interview, Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director of YouTube in the UK, reveals new trends seen during lockdown, how British creators became integral to their business, and why YouTube is heading for the living room. Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Richard Hooper Photo credit: TOGETHER WE RISE: The Uncompromised story of GRM Daily, a YouTube Originals series
Oct 07, 2020•50 min
Ahead of the first US presidential debate, right-wing commentators and Donald Trump's own campaign team, speculated that Joe Biden was using a hidden earpiece. Amol Rajan asks how conspiracy theories that previously only existed on the fringes of the internet now regularly cross over into mainstream media. Guests: Angie Drobnic Holan, editor in chief of PolitiFact, Professor Nancy L. Rosenblum, co-author of A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy, Mike Thomp...
Sep 30, 2020•28 min
