Media Confidential

In Prospect’s last episode of Media Confidential, Alan Rusbridger and Lionel Barber look back on three years of the podcast.

They discuss revelations throughout the show about power, press freedom, and the changing media landscape: from powerful interviews on Trump’s attacks on press freedoms and the Murdoch empire, to the journalists killed in Gaza and future of the BBC.

From veteran journalists to war photographers, they talk about some of their favourite—and most controversial—guests, including Michael Wolff, Kara Swisher, Patrick Radden Keefe, Mehdi Hasan and Don McCullin.

Plus, Alan and Lionel answer your questions. And, in a restaurant in London, they finally settle a long-standing bet...

Stay tuned for a special announcement from Media Confidential’s sister podcast, the Prospect Podcast.
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Billionaires, millionaires and biohackers are plying themselves with supplements and consulting AI to extend their lives indefinitely. But would you want to live forever? This week, Ellen and Alona are joined by journalist and author Katherine Stewart, who investigates the politics of the longevity movement.

Katherine shares her experiences undercover at exclusive longevity conferences, trying supplements and testing her hormone levels. She discusses key figures like Bryan Johnson, the “most measured person in history”, famous for trying to inject himself with his young son’s blood, and Palantir’s Peter Thiel.

She also explains the appeal of “transhumanism”, and argues that the original meaning of “self-care” has been usurped. As the movement marshals deep science and high anxiety, with potions and powders promising detoxes, how much can be trusted?

To read Katherine’s piece ‘The time I tried to live forever’, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/policy/health/74081/the-time-i-tried-to-live-forever
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In today’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel discuss the death of Professor Jason Arday, the Cambridge academic who took his own life last week after weeks of media scrutiny.

The former editors analyse how a story about plagiarism turned into a Fleet Street crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion. They also discuss the ethics involved when a vulnerable person is at the centre of public scrutiny, where the commentary went wrong, and what it tells us about British and American journalism.

Plus, how you decide what is a legitimate story? And how much should reporters consider the consequences of the story they’re pursuing?

To read Alan’s column on Jason Arday, click here
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In this week’s Media Confidential, Alan and Lionel are joined by Jonathan Shainin, founding editor of Equator, a new longform publication with ambitions to challenge inherited assumptions about journalism—and the world it describes.

The three discuss Jonathan’s journey through more “mainstream” media and why, after years in the industry, he feels independent media is the future. They look at the very different traditions of American and British longform journalism, and what each might learn from the other.

They talk about Equator’s unusual approach to how a publication can be organised, bringing together some of the most interesting writers and editors working today, from Pankaj Mishra to Mohsin Hamid and Nesrine Malik. Is this the beginning of a different kind of media institution?

Plus, Jonathan explains where the name Equator came from, Alan and Lionel delve into some of the ideas behind the latest issue, and ask what it might mean to look at familiar stories from somewhere else entirely. In a publication so concerned with making sense of the world, is there still room for a little lightness?
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As Andy Burnham marks his first two weeks in Downing Street, the polls are registering a bump in support for Labour. This week, Ellen Halliday and Imaan Irfan are joined by Prospect’s contributing editor Tom Clark to assess the prime minister’s first steps in office.

Tom discusses surprising policy pledges, “sugar-rush politics” and how Burnham’s thinking has changed, from devolution to drastic social care reforms. What challenges will he face in making his promises a reality?

After the Ceuta border crossing, does political rhetoric around immigration signal change or continuity? Is Burnham willing to make enemies over the drilling of oil and gas in the North Sea? And what are the chances of an early election?

Plus, Tom compares Burnham with Keir Starmer and reflects on whether his leadership signals a departure from factionalism. Has Burnham finally unified the Labour party—and, if so, can it last?

To read more of Tom’s analysis, click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/author/2823/tom-clark
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