Best U S News And World Report Podcasts (2024)

1
Trump and conspiracies: Does the truth even matter now? 46:10

14m ago46:10

46:10

Following the shocking attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump, social media platforms were flooded not only with truthful accounts of what happened at the rally, but also with lies, conspiracies and “fake news” concerning the shooting. Alan and Lionel are joined by Jay Rosen, associate professor of journalism at New York Universit…

1
Sir Peter Bazalgette, former chair of ITV, on the funding and future of PSBs and the case for mergers 27:10

10m ago27:10

27:10

Sir Peter Bazalgette was until recently part of the previous Government’s committee to review how the BBC was funded. In his distinguished career he has been responsible for shows such as Big Brother, Changing Rooms and Ready Steady Cook, he’s also a former chair of Arts Council England and in September 2023 he stepped down as chair of ITV. He is n…

1
Prof Dominic Wring on general election coverage audit, media bias, legacy v social media and populism 36:27

5d ago36:27

36:27

Academics from Loughborough University’s Centre for Research in Communication and Culture have conducted news audits for every General Election since 1992, and their audit for this election is out now. We talked to one of its authors, Professor Dominic Wring, about whether the public was well served by the media, whether legacy media still has a ro…

1
Biden: Is the game up for the President? 48:35

21d ago48:35

48:35

Can Biden stay in presidential race or will concern about the state of his health force him out of the running? There are plenty of reporters who say his time is up, but how did the president get to this stage in the campaign without anyone running a health-check on him? Jill Abramson, the first female executive editor of the New York Times, joins …

1
Dame Elan Closs Stephens former BBC acting chair on what she would like from a new Culture Secretary 38:27

9d ago38:27

38:27

Dame Elan Closs Stephens was the acting chair of the BBC after the resignation of Richard Sharp in June last year until her retirement in March. She was a member of the BBC’s governing body since 2010, first serving as Member for Wales on the BBC Trust, until its dissolution in 2017, and then as the Welsh member of the BBC Board. On this week's epi…

1
Election 2024: It’s the Sun wot lost it! 47:12

10d ago47:12

47:12

As Britain goes to the polls, what role has the media played in shaping the way that nation votes? Traditionally, the tabloid media, mainly Murdoch’s Sun, had a significant role in influencing the public, simlpy due to the huge swathes of the population that read the paper. But what about this year? Where have the tabloids and the broadsheets put t…

1
Olivia O'Leary former BBC and RTÉ broadcaster on the UK election, funding PSB's, Newsnight and the future of journalism 32:59

1M ago32:59

32:59

Olivia O’Leary has been a television and radio broadcaster on both the BBC, ITV and RTÉ – the Irish public service broadcaster in her native Ireland. In 1985, Olivia became the first female presenter on BBC’s Newsnight. She later returned to Ireland, presenting once again ‘Today Tonight’ – RTÉ’s flagship current affairs programme. She has also pres…

1
Julian Assange: A landmark moment in press freedom? 54:43

17d ago54:43

54:43

After 12 years without freedom—first after seeking refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London and then as a prisoner in high-security Belmarsh—Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is free and is back on home soil in Australia. Assange’s crime was to publish classified information leaked from the US Army. He was working alongside Chelsea Mannin…

1
Farage’s Reform: the media’s wife—or its mistress? 49:46

1M ago49:46

49:46

Is the UK general election all over even before the first vote is cast? Polls suggest that Labour has an unassailable lead, and so with two weeks of campaigning to go, is there any chance that media coverage could still influence the electorate? Lionel Barber and Alan Rusbridger are joined by two experienced political commentators to discuss how th…

1
Adam Boulton ex Sky News political editor on election coverage, Farage media manipulation, impartiality and his career 33:54

24d ago33:54

33:54

Veteran journalist Adam Boulton spent more than thirty years at Sky News, twenty-five of those as political editor. He has been host for General and US elections coverage, invigilated the first leaders’ debate in 2010 and has the distinction of having interviewed every UK Prime Minister since Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He continues to write for Sky but…

1
The Washington Post: the chaos continues 44:28

1M ago44:28

44:28

This week Alan and Lionel follow the latest twists and turns at the Washington Post. The noisy departure of Sally Buzbee, the paper’s former executive editor, continues to reverberate around the media world, following Buzbee’s bust-up with Will Lewis, the Post’s publisher and chief executive, over an article that she approved about a phone hacking …

1
Peter Snow veteran BBC journalist on the general election campaign, Newsnight and election night coverage 29:32

1M ago29:32

29:32

Peter Snow is a former BBC Newsnight presenter (1980–1997), ITN Diplomatic and Defence Correspondent (1966–1979), documentary maker, and historian. Known for his iconic "swingometer" on election night, we discuss the drama of election night, the current election campaign, Newsnight, and being called a 'traitor'. “I think this election campaign is t…

1
The British are coming! How editors from the UK are conquering the American media 50:13

1M ago50:13

50:13

Media circles across the pond are abuzz with the news that Robert Winnett is heading to the USA to take up the job as editor at The Washington Post, but not until after the US election. He’s the latest appointment by publisher Will Lewis following the sudden departure of Sally Buzbee. Winnett joins a handful of British journalists who have moved to…

1
Prof Catherine Johnson discusses what a Labour government might mean for PSB, the Media Bill and digital terrestrial switch off 30:24

1M ago30:24

30:24

Catherine Johnson is the professor of Media and Communications at the University of Leeds, author of the book Online TV, and a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sports College of experts. With parliament now dissolved, we discuss what happened to the Media Bill and in what form did it survive - what was left in and out? Also, we examin…

1
Kara Swisher: How big tech squashed the media 45:32

2M ago45:32

45:32

Kara Swisher—maverick, rock star and tech guru—has interviewed some of the highest profile and biggest personalities on the planet, from Mark Zuckerberg to Barack Obama, Rupert Murdoch and Kim Kardashian. Joining Alan and Lionel on the podcast this week, Kara unpicks the relationship between big tech and the media. Big tech, she says, have no inter…

1
Jane Martinson ex Guardian media editor on Sir Paul Marshall, media ownership and impartiality 32:10

2M ago32:10

32:10

Jane Martinson, author of ‘You May Never See Us Again: The Barclay Dynasty: A Story of Survival, Secrecy and Succession’ is the former media editor at the Guardian and now Marjorie Deane Professor of Financial Journalism at City University. In the week the general election is called we discussed the potential takeover of The Telegraph by Sir Paul M…

1
The Tory TV Channel 48:54

2M ago48:54

48:54

GB News has repeatedly breached broadcasting regulations, been accused of political bias and featured anti-vax stories—but it got away with such misdemeanors until Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared on a show called “The People’s Forum”, in which he was able to outline key Conservative messages, largely unchallenged. Ahead of the general election …

1
‘Reporting from a horror movie’: Motaz Azaiza and Youmna El Sayed 47:23

2M ago47:23

47:23

No foreign journalists are allowed into Gaza, so the rest of the world relies on those living in area to relay what is happening on the ground—dedicated and determined reporters who have made sure that no-one can look away. For months, photojournalist Motaz Azaiza and Al Jazeera reporter Youmna El Sayed were among those reporting from Gaza. Motaz h…

1
Audio expert Matt Deegan discusses BBC's podcast advertising plans, children's audio and the latest radio listening figures 31:07

3M ago31:07

31:07

Matt Deegan is the co-founder of the award-winning Fun Kids, a digital radio station for families and children, which has just won the bronze award in the Radio Academy’s UK Station of the Year category. Given that the gold award went to BBC Asian Network and the silver to Talksport, this is a considerable achievement for a small independent networ…

1
Jamie Angus, ex director of BBC World Service and 'Today' editor discusses Ofcom, consequences of WS cuts and funding solutions 32:52

2M ago32:52

32:52

Jamie Angus is the former director of the BBC World Service and the former editor of 'Today' and 'Newsnight' who now works in the Middle East. We discuss Ofcom's oversight of broadcasters, the consequences of previous World Service cuts, and the impact of new ones. We also explore long-term solutions to the issue of its funding, which is under revi…

1
Phone hacking: What did Murdoch know? 43:57

2M ago43:57

43:57

Investigative journalist Nick Davies returns with yet more remarkable insights and analysis about the phone-hacking scandal that engulfed Murdoch’s papers. Having trawled through documents disclosed through a host of court cases, Davies has pieced together information that suggests figures at the top of the Murdoch news empire—including potentially…

1
The phone hacking scandal: new evidence and fresh claims 45:39

3M ago45:39

45:39

Back in 2009, journalist Nick Davies uncovered a scandal: newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch had been hacking the phones of celebrities, public figures and even victims of crimes—notably the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler—in search of stories. The Leveson inquiry was established to investigate, and the world moved on. For this month’s Prospect mag…

1
Stewart Purvis, former Ofcom regulator challenges Ofcom's conclusions on its audience research and its guidance on politicians as presenters 31:34

2M ago31:34

31:34

Stewart Purvis, former content regulator at Ofcom and former Editor of Channel 4 News and ITN Chief Executive, discusses Ofcom’s guidance on general election coverage published last week. Stewart delves into the research on which Ofcom based its guidelines, spells out what the guidance means in practice, and reflects on Ofcom as an organisation. “O…

1
Meloni’s Media Clampdown 45:36

3M ago45:36

45:36

Lionel Barber and Alan Rusbridger are joined by Maurizio Molinari, editor of Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica to explore exactly what Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is doing with Italian state media. Renowned historian Antonio Scurati was booked to deliver a monologue on a talk show on Italian broadcaster RAI 3 on 25th April, Italy’s Liberation…

1
Comedian Steve Punt discusses his departure from the BBC Radio 4 satirical news programme 'The Now Show' and the evolution of radio comedy 33:35

3M ago33:35

33:35

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis took their bow from BBC Radio 4’s satirical news programme ‘The Now Show’ last Friday after 25 years. Steve Punt discusses the last programme, the development and success of this long-running radio comedy show, the impact of our changing news consumption, political bias, radio comedy’s evolution and the new podcast format…

1
The West Bank according to Gideon Levy: Locked inside a living hell 48:59

4M ago48:59

48:59

Tensions in the Middle East ramped up at the weekend with the massive drone and missile attack launched by Iran on Israel. The eyes of the world refocused on the region, particularly Gaza—but what about the other occupied Palestinian territory, the West Bank? Gideon Levy is an award-winning journalist who has been writing a column in Haaretz called…

1
Max Cotton discusses his BBC 'Growing Solo' documentary series on his year long food self-sufficiency experiment and the importance of food and farming literacy 26:59

4M ago26:59

26:59

Max Cotton is a former BBC political reporter who has spent a year finding out if he can grow and produce 100% of his food on his smallholding near Glastonbury. We discuss his BBC Radio 4 documentary series on the experiment 'Growing Solo', as well as exploring food and farming literacy, food security and self sufficiency in the UK. "As a group of …

1
Anne Applebaum on Ukraine, the forgotten war 53:28

4M ago53:28

53:28

The war in Ukraine has been grinding on for over two years now, and the media spotlight on the region has dimmed over the last few months. But Anne Applebaum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and writer for the Atlantic, has been following the conflict closely. Because much of the world’s media has turned attention away from Ukraine, with editors…

1
Israel kicks out Al Jazeera 39:28

4M ago39:28

39:28

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has passed a law that will ban foreign media from operating within the country. Al Jazeera is one of the main outlets on the ground providing reportage, and the most watched network in the region—so what impact will the closure of their operations in Israel have on the ability to get news out of the war zone? Alan …

1
The GB News Propaganda Machine 50:18

4M ago50:18

50:18

This week, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber are joined by Gavin Esler and Michael Crick as they get stuck into GB News, broadcaster bias—and what it’s like to watch and appear on the channel. Previously, Alan had tasked Gavin with watching GB News’s output for a month. The outcome? Tory MPs interviewing Tory MPs, “shallow” reporting, and a lack of…

1
Rory Cellan-Jones ex BBC Technology Correspondent on Tim Davie’s speech, 'Movers and Shakers', 'Ruskin Park' and #SophieFromRomania 27:31

4M ago27:31

27:31

Rory Cellan-Jones, former BBC Technology and Business Correspondent examines Tim Davie’s, the BBC’s Director General speech on the BBC’s future priorities. He also explores life after the BBC, discussing his, ‘Movers and Shakers’ Parkinson’s podcast, his family memoir ‘Ruskin Park’ and his forthcoming book on #SophieFromRomania - his beloved rescue…

1
Counting the casualties of war 53:12

4M ago53:12

53:12

In any war, counting the number of people killed is challenging. So, too, is understanding how they died. In Gaza, where the still-rising death toll already includes 13,450 children, these figures can be obscured by biases, allegations—and the realities on the ground. In this week’s episode, Lionel Barber and Alan Rusbridger are joined by leading s…

1
Chris Banatvala, former Ofcom Director of Standards discusses Ofcom, GB News, impartiality and freedom of expression 29:06

4M ago29:06

29:06

In the week that Ofcom finds GB News in breach of its code five times but will face no sanction, we talk to Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding Director of Standards, and Content Board member, who was responsible for drafting and enforcing its codes. He is now an independent member of the Sky News Board, Channel 4’s online independent complaint revie…

1
Magnus Brooke, ITV Group Director of Strategy discusses the future of Public Service Broadcasting and the funding of 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' 29:47

5M ago29:47

29:47

Magnus Brooke is Group Director of Strategy, Policy and Regulation at ITV where profits are down by 60%. The digital revolution is changing broadcasting fundamentally and destroying former business models. So does ITV have a future as a Public Service Broadcaster? We also discuss the Media Bill and the added responsibility on Ofcom's shoulders - an…

1
Gary Younge: Dog bites man is the story after all 50:31

5M ago50:31

50:31

Journalists are often taught that “when a dog bites a man, that is not news; when a man bites a dog, that is news.” But, according to former Guardian journalist and professor of sociology at Manchester university Gary Younge, sometimes events are newsworthy because they happen often—journalists just need to get curious about the reasons why. For ex…

1
Peter Taylor, veteran BBC journalist discusses his latest documentary 'Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRA' 34:40

4M ago34:40

34:40

One of Britain’s finest reporters Peter Taylor, with numerous books, documentaries and awards spanning a career of over 50 years, on his latest BBC documentary 'Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRA’. We discuss the human cost of IRA informers, the role of Scappaticci codenamed “Stakeknife”, Operation Kenova and covering Northern Ireland. “T…

1
Trump’s Public Enemy Number One? 57:58

5M ago57:58

57:58

Alan and Lionel sit down with AG Sulzberger, chair and publisher of the New York Times. AG took over as publisher of the New York Times six years ago after many years as a hack. His term coincided with that of Donald J Trump, for whom the Times was public enemy number one. AG stood his ground, telling the president to his face that his anti-press r…

1
'Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRA’, veteran journalist Peter Taylor discusses his latest BBC documentary 0:37

4M ago0:37

0:37

One of Britain’s finest reporters Peter Taylor, with numerous books, documentaries and awards spanning a career of over 50 years, on his latest BBC documentary 'Our Dirty War: The British State and the IRA’. We discuss the human cost of IRA informers, the role of Scappaticci codenamed “Stakeknife”, Operation Kenova and covering Northern Ireland. “T…

1
Baroness Kidron former film and documentary director on Bridget Jones, the threat of tech giants and ad funded PSBs 28:14

4M ago28:14

28:14

Baroness Kidron is one of the country's foremost drama and documentary directors. Her long list of credits includes ‘Storyville’, 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit', 'Victoria and Abdul' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'. She now sits as a crossbench peer and is the founder of the Five Rights Foundation. For the past five years, she has been on…

1
Former film and documentary director Baroness Kidron on Bridget Jones, the threat of tech giants and ad funded PSBs 0:48

4M ago0:48

0:48

Baroness Kidron is one of the country's foremost drama and documentary directors. Her long list of credits includes ‘Storyville’, 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit', 'Victoria and Abdul' and 'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason'. She now sits as a crossbench peer and is the founder of the Five Rights Foundation. For the past five years, she has been on…

1
The demise of Vice and BuzzFeed: what happened to millennial media? 49:45

5M ago49:45

49:45

Vice and BuzzFeed were once at the forefront of the digital media revolution—Vice alone was once valued at nearly double the New York Times! But now, both firms have shut their news operations, Vice has closed its flagship site, and further cuts to staff numbers are expected. BuzzFeed’s former UK editor Janine Gibson, now weekend editor of the Fina…

1
Anna McNamee, Sandford St Martin Trust on the Media Bill, religious literacy, commissioning and accessible broadcasting 27:09

5M ago27:09

27:09

Anna McNamee, an award-winning Canadian journalist and writer with a background in BBC radio, is the Executive Director of the Sandford St Martin Trust, dedicated to promoting excellence in religious broadcasting. We discuss the new Media Bill, the importance of religious literacy, the decline in programming on religion and ethics, commissioning pr…

1
Bonus episode: Should Paul Marshall be allowed to buy the Telegraph? 21:09

5M ago21:09

21:09

An investigation by Hope Not Hate reported this week that Paul Marshall, owner of GB News and UnHerd and frontrunner in the race to buy the Telegraph, had repeatedly liked and re-tweeted racist and Islamophobic content. In this special bonus episode, Alan and Lionel discuss who decides whether someone is fit to own a major UK newspaper, what Ofcom …

1
The Media Bill, religious literacy, commissioning and accessible broadcasting with Anna McNamee, Sandford St Martin Trust 0:56

5M ago0:56

0:56

Anna McNamee, an award-winning Canadian journalist and writer with a background in BBC radio, is the Executive Director of the Sandford St Martin Trust, dedicated to promoting excellence in religious broadcasting. We discuss the new Media Bill, the importance of religious literacy, the decline in programming on religion and ethics, commissioning pr…

1
Are journalists being targeted in Gaza? 43:42

5M ago43:42

43:42

Does the word “PRESS” on a flak jacket keep a journalist safe or make them a target? In this week’s Media Confidential, we focus on the sobering death toll of reporters covering the war in Gaza, as highlighted by the annual report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Alan and Lionel hear from the CPJ’s chief executive Jodie Ginsberg and s…

1
Prof Catherine Johnson discusses the decline in PSB revenue, reliance on tech giants for distribution, the Media Bill, Ofcom and BBC funding 28:29

5M ago28:29

28:29

Catherine Johnson, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Leeds, author of the book ‘Online TV’, and a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sports College of experts discusses the decline in PSB revenue, reliance on tech giants for distribution, the Media Bill, Ofcom and BBC funding. “I think part of the problem is tha…

1
The decline in PSB revenue, reliance on tech giants for distribution, the Media Bill, Ofcom and BBC funding – we talk to Prof Catherine Johnson 0:50

5M ago0:50

0:50

Catherine Johnson, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Leeds, author of the book ‘Online TV’, and a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sports College of experts discusses the decline in PSB revenue, reliance on tech giants for distribution, the Media Bill, Ofcom and BBC funding. “I think part of the problem is tha…

1
Ask the Editors: Ofcom, GB News and Biden on TikTok 47:51

6M ago47:51

47:51

What motivates the media world behind the clickbait? What drives broadcast, print and digital media producers and journalists? In this episode, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber answer listeners’ questions on media bias in an election year, the impact of 24-hour news on mental health, and whether President Biden should be active on TikTok. Plus—do …

1
David Lloyd co-founder of Boom Radio and local radio expert discusses changes in BBC local radio and Ofcom's oversight of them 26:10

5M ago26:10

26:10

In the week the BBC announced that it's preparing to launch new spin-off digital radio stations for Radios 1, 2, and 3 to provide more choice to audiences underserved by the BBC, we're talking to the co-founder of Boom Radio - a station that emerged to fill the gap left by Radio 2. David Lloyd, who has worked in radio for over 40 years, from LBC to…

1
Co-founder of Boom Radio and local radio expert David Lloyd discusses changes in BBC local radio and Ofcom's oversight of them 1:16

5M ago1:16

1:16

In the week the BBC has announced that it's preparing to launch new spin-off digital radio stations for Radios 1, 2, and 3 to provide more choice to audiences underserved by the BBC, we're talking to the co-founder of Boom Radio - a station that emerged to fill the gap left by Radio 2. David Lloyd, who has worked in radio for over 40 years, from LB…

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