The Media Show

Protests across Europe led by youth movements have drawn attention to the role of social media in spreading information and misinformation. Largely led by Gen-Z, these protests have included references to films like The Hunger Games and The Avengers, and featured people in costumes taking part in 'aura battles', while memes of the demonstrations are shared online. Researcher Dr Nayana Prakash considers how online platforms, viral videos and AI-generated content are now an inextricable part of protest movements.
After Russian TV sent a camera crew to report on a Welsh independence march, BBC Monitoring’s Russia specialist Francis Scarr examines how Russian state media is reporting on independence movements across the world, and what this coverage reveals about the Kremlin’s portrayal of European instability and decline.
A new survey by the Student Publication Association suggests that more than a quarter of student newspapers and magazines lack full editorial independence from their publishers. The SPA’s chair Emily Pitt-Shaw and Tamara Greatrix, editor-in-chief of Birmingham Uni's student newspaper Redbrick, discuss the implications for press freedom on campus.
Filmmakers Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes reflect on their documentary One in a Million, which follows a Syrian family over ten years as they rebuild their lives after fleeing Aleppo. Centred on Israa, first seen aged 11, the film traces her journey through adolescence, marriage and motherhood as she navigates life between two cultures.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producer: Tim Bano

In the internet age, is TV news still fit for purpose? We speak to broadcaster Lewis Goodall who argues it needs urgent reform for the digital and social media age and to Krishnan Guru-Murthy, one of the lead presenters of Channel 4 News.
Blue Planet III, narrated by David Attenborough, returns this Sunday. Jack Bootle, the BBC's Head of Specialist Factual Commissioning, told a recent press screening that no generative AI was used – every frame is real. He tells us more and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the new series.
A celebrity has asked the High Court to prevent ITN and the Guardian from publishing serious allegations about him. We explore how media law is stopping information about the unnamed individual making it into newspapers and the wider media.
And Rachel Riley from Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats has a new YouTube channel and podcast called "The Maths of Everything" to bring numeracy to the public.
Presenters: Ros Atkins and Katie Razzall
Editor: Lisa Jenkinson
Assistant Producer: Emily Channon

This week the BBC announced more cuts as part of its drive to save £500 million, following on from a series of other budget saving measures over the last few months. Katie and Ros talk to BBC Deputy Director-General Rhodri Talfan-Davies, and take stock of everything announced so far with a panel of experts: ex-BBC executive Roger Mosey, MP for Southport Patrick Hurley and Baroness Morgan, former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
And a new Channel 4 programme investigates public attitudes toward disability. The creators of The Experiment have built a fictional care home for disabled people and invite members of the public into the facility to see if they can recognize Nazi-era concepts disguised as modern social care. Producer Nick Parnes and presenter Sophie Morgan join the show.
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producers: Lisa Jenkinson and Tim Bano

This week, an extended interview with the screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies. He talks to Katie and Ros about his long career in television, from early days in children's TV, to bringing back Doctor Who, to his more recent successes like the critically acclaimed Tip Toe. He also gives his thoughts on the media landscape today, including the role of AI and the lack of commissioning opportunities.
Also, former barrister and legal correspondent Clive Coleman, now a specialist in crisis PR and reputation management, and former BBC news exec Katy Searle discuss the BBC's defamation settlement with the founder of LGBTQ+ news site Pink News and his husband over a 2024 investigation. How should the BBC respond when it gets things wrong?
Presenters: Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins
Producers: Lisa Jenkinson and Tim Bano

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.