The Media Show

What are the challenges of reporting on the Cornell University rape investigation, and how did it emerge in student and social media? We discuss with Kathleen Bartzen Culver, Professor of Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin – Madison; and Dr Robert Topinka, Reader in Digital Culture at Birkbeck University of London.

As Woman’s Hour turns 80, its editor Karen Dalziel joins us to reflect on its impact and legacy. Also on the programme, the BBC’s Nick Thorpe looks at what's changed since Prime Minister Péter Magyar promised to restore media freedom six months ago. Plus, Anneka Rice looks back on her broadcasting career, five decades after she joined the BBC as a trainee.

Manchester City arranged "sham contracts" with a number of commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise secret funding of more than £830m, the Premier League says. We discuss how the media was involved in reporting the story over many years with BBC Sport's Laura Scott; Der Spiegel journalist Christoph Winterbach; Nick Harris from Sporting Intelligence and Sky’s sports correspondent Rob Harris.
New research from Stanford University suggests a significant share of newly created websites may now be produced, at least in part, by artificial intelligence. We hear from one of the study's lead researchers, Maty Boháček, alongside technology writer Timandra Harkness, about the scale of AI-generated content online and what it means for the future of the web.
Celebrity Traitors and Strictly Come Dancing are back on our screens. But what goes into casting the stars who make these formats a success? Celebrity talent executive Stef Aleksander takes us behind the scenes of one of television's most important and least visible jobs.

The legal confrontation between Donald Trump and the White House press corps raises questions about press freedom and the limits of presidential control over media access. We talk to Ronnell Anderson Jones, University Distinguished Professor of Law, and Washington Post media reporter Scott Nover.
In Oxfordshire, the village of Piddington has drawn global attention over plans to house more than a thousand asylum seekers. Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman and BBC South’s Jamie Morris report on how a local dispute became an international story.
The publication of Earl Spencer’s book about Diana, serialised by the Daily Mail, has reignited debate over who shapes the late Princess’s legacy. BBC Royal Correspondent Sean Coughlan, Evening Standard Royal Editor Robert Jobson and media law expert Mark Stephens discuss the competing narratives and legal implications.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

The right of reply has long been a cornerstone of journalism, giving those involved in a story the chance to respond before publication. But with politicians and public figures now using social media to publish their own version first, is this principle being undermined? Guto Harri, former Downing Street Director of Communications, Professor Karen Fowler-Watt from City St George’s, University of London, and journalist Matt Shea assess how the practice is changing.
As streaming services compete for attention, TV remotes usually now include buttons for platforms like Netflix and YouTube often paid for by the services themselves. UK broadcasters argue this disadvantages British platforms and have called for a dedicated ‘British’ button. Technology historian Edd Thomas and Professor Catherine Johnson from the University of Leeds explain why the remote has become such a significant battleground.
Universities are increasingly offering degrees in content creation, with Arizona State University launching a BA in the subject and several UK institutions following suit. But is a degree necessary for success in this field? Damien Jordan, creator of Damien Talks Money, and Jacky Gurr, Course Leader for BA Content Creation at Nottingham Trent University, share their perspectives on what formal education can offer aspiring creators.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

What does Channel 4's undercover investigation into Reform UK tell us about the relationship between polling, politics and the press? Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins hear from journalists Jake Kanter International Investigations Editor at Deadline, and James Ball Political Editor at The New World, and the polling experts Professor Sir John Curtice and Stephan Shakespeare CEO of YouGov.
They also hear from the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy about the future of the BBC and speak to ITV's Jo Clinton-Davis about 70 Up, the final instalment of one of television's most remarkable documentary projects.
Producer: Lisa Jenkinson