Media Training update w/c 22nd June

Edition 538

Trust in news is at a record low since 2015. Social media and video platforms have surpassed traditional news sources. AI chatbots continue to rise. 

Three newslines from the 2026 Reuters Institute Digital News Report.

Good morning. It’s Monday 22nd June.

Here’s the opening paragraph of this year’s report, released last week:

There is an enormous amount of info to absorb, and I’ll dip into the report over the next couple of weeks. For now I’d recommend specific sections on the changing landscape of news video, why TV radio and print are losing their news audiences, and the emergence of AI Chatbots.

Some top lines from the executive summary:

Globally social media and video networks are for the first time the single most widely used way of accessing online news, ahead of news organisations’ own websites and apps.

The use of AI chatbots for news is growing quickly but not as quickly as AI use for other purposes.

77% of people globally consume online news video each week.

Trust in news has fallen in 29 of our 48 markets this year, resulting in a drop to the lowest level recorded since we started to measure trust in 2015.

Read the report.

Bleak Times

The reality of the scale of cuts at BBC News is becoming clear: 

BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight is to be axed after more than 50 years.

Also going: Money Box Live, AntiSocial, The Law Show and Crossing Continents.

Amol Rajan will not be replaced on Today, meaning the main presenting roster will be reduced to four.

The Sunday morning edition of BBC Breakfast will be scrapped from September. 

The production teams for Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg and Newsnight will be merged.


The News channel will be made more international in focus, building on its growing and potentially lucrative global audience.

And this is just the start I’m afraid. The closure of other programmes across the BBC will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Year Of The Expert” Revisisted

We’ve posted a new set of episodes from our Year Of The Expert series. 
Well worth a listen…

Newsgathering Diary
Stories to look out for over the next seven days…

Monday: Andy Burnham, Lara Bird and Douglas Lumsden expected to be sworn in as MPs following by-election victories.


Tuesday: 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum.

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell sentenced on embezzlement charges.


Wednesday: Nottingham NHS maternity review published.


Thursday: Chancellor’s summer VAT reduction scheme begins.


Friday: BMA ballot of resident doctors over pay offer closes.


Saturday: England play final World Cup group stage match against Panama.

Footnotes:

On This Day in 1981… Mark Chapman changed his plea to guilty and admitted murdering John Lennon in December the previous year.

Our Week: We’re working in Brighton, London and Norwich

The Mutt Photo:

Be part of the MMB. Thoughts on this week’s content, or interviews you’ve seen, heard, or (best of all) done, please let us know.

Back on Monday. Have a brilliant week.



All at Inside Edge