Edition 507

Good morning, it’s Monday 15th September.

Kicking off this week with the curious incident of the Zoom call on Sky News…

BBC’s Reform Balancing Act

DG Tim Davie gave evidence to a Parliamentary select committee last week:

What’s your view?

Put aside any political leanings you might have. Reform currently has:

– 4 MPs
and
- 30% support with the public (source)

Results next week.

24 Years On – Coverage of September 11 

I wasn’t quite at 5 Live then, but the network’s breaking news coverage of the Twin Towers attacks was extraordinary radio. What’s often forgotten was that Simon Mayo was completely untrusted as a news broadcaster at that point, having joined from Radio 1 just three months earlier. He was brilliant that day, and his account (rich with archive) of presenting the programme is fascinating… 

LISTEN HERE

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The Week Ahead:

Monday: Trial begins for Soldier F charged over Bloody Sunday killings.

Tuesday: Donald Trump arrives for UK State Visit.

UK labour market statistics.

Wednesday: Donald Trump and King Charles address State Banquet.
UK inflation data.

Thursday: Keir Starmer hosts Donald Trump at Chequers.
UK interest rate decision.
General strike in France.

Friday: House of Lords continues debate on assisted dying bill.

Saturday: Liberal Democrats autumn conference opens.

Sunday: Traffic-free day on Oxford Street.
World Athletics Championships concludes.

Newslines that caught my eye last week:

Press freedom around the world suffered its sharpest fall in 50 years with global democracy weakening dramatically, a landmark report found. READ MORE
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“At 94, Murdoch has defied the odds, pulling off one last remarkable deal to secure his legacy and the conservative rule of his media kingdom — including juggernaut Fox News — long after he is gone.” READ MORE
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Mori founder Bob Worcester died last week at the age of 91. His obit is fascinating. READ MORE

Footnotes:

On this day: The Sun newspaper was published for the very first time on this day in 1964.

Mutts: Leo on that same August walk..

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 next week. Have a brilliant week.

All at Inside Edge

Edition 506

Good morning, it’s Monday 8th September.

We’ve been busy in August. This is the result…

1) Farewell Melvyn

If I kept a tally of the programme academics tell me they’d love to appear on, In Our Time would be top by a country mile.

It’s partly I suspect so they can spend a morning in the company of Melvyn Bragg. After more than 1000 episodes and 27 years the great man has announced he’s had enough:

“For a programme with a wholly misleading title which started from scratch with a 6 month contract, it’s been quite a ride.”

Melvyn Bragg

He’s a superb broadcaster – and I know that for one reader of the Briefing he’s a regular bedfellow to help him sleep in the early hours.

If you’ve appeared on the programme over the last three decades please get in touch and we’ll share some reflections over the next couple of weeks.

In Our Time will continue with an as-yet unannounced new host. 

2) Farewell Angela

Words, first of all from Mic Wright in his newsletter Conquest Of The Useless:

“As the front pages began to roll in on Thursday night, even Labour’s media allies signalled trouble.”

And The Guardian’s Michael Savage on “an old-fashioned scalp for the rightwing press.”

READ MORE

Five newslines that caught my eye over August:

1: The war in Gaza became the most deadly conflict for journalists in history.

Read More

2: Bluesky’s status was confirmed as the social media platform of choice for the world’s scientists.

Read More

3: Sky News cancelled its Business Live programme, leaving the channel without a stand-alone business programme for the first time since 2007.

Read More

4: The Post uncovered extraordinary new details and previously unreported efforts to find Austin Tice – the reporter kidnapped 13 years ago in Syria.

Read More (p/w)

5: “A cornucopia”: 1,500 matches will be broadcast in the UK this football season, an unprecedented number.

Read More

The Week Ahead:

Monday: Paul Nowak addresses the Trades Union Congress.

Erin Patterson is sentenced after being found guilty over Australian deadly mushroom lunch

Tuesday: Apple launch event for iPhone 17

Wednesday: Ursula von der Leyen delivers State of the European Union address.

National Television Awards.

Thursday: ECB interest rate decision.

Court hearing for Jeffrey Donaldson over alleged sexual offences.

Friday: House of Lords debates assisted dying bill for the first time.

Monthly UK GDP estimate.

Saturday: ‘Tommy Robinson’ supporters and Stand Up To Racism stage competing protests in London.

World Athletics Championships begin in Tokyo.

Footnotes:

On this day: General Dwight D Eisenhower told the world of the secret capitulation five days ago by the Italian Government on this day in 1943.

Mutts: Stan on an August walk..

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 next week. Have a brilliant week.

All at Inside Edge

Edition 505

Good morning, it’s Monday 28th July

“There is nothing to go on air with…except the opening titles.”

The MMB takes a break over August so let’s end the school term in the customary manner – by rewatching an absolute classic from 1989.

For those new to the tradition here’s a primer on what to keep an eye out for as – once again – we go behind the scenes of the BBC newsroom…

Stories scheduled for the next seven days:

Today: Keir Starmer expected to meet Donald Trump in Scotland.

Changes to the Universal Postal Service take effect;

Tuesday: First anniversary of the Southport stabbings.

Supreme Court judgments on Russia sanctions and taxi licensing.

Wednesday: US Federal Reserve interest rate decision.

Results from Microsoft and Meta. 

Thursday:  Heathrow deadline to submit expansion proposal.

Results from Apple, Amazon and Shell. 

Friday: US ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs due to take effect.

Saturday: Mariah Carey performs at Brighton & Hove Pride.

Sunday: Atletico Madrid and Porto hold tribute match for Diogo Jota.

“Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham went on air 15 minutes after the Journal published its story, and talked about Epstein. “We have new news coming on about this, as well, from the Wall Street Journal. A new report tonight – next,” she said, throwing to a commercial break. When The Ingraham Angle returned, the new news did not feature.”

Murdoch v Trump and Murdoch v Murdoch. It’s a murky business…

READ MORE

The Liftable Quote Club

MMB reader Sarah joins the Liftable Quote Club with this line from Janan Ganesh’s FT column:

“Recent media coverage has insiders believing those old bonds tying the traditionally Conservative-supporting press to their favoured party are weakening.”

How the rightwing media are pivoting to Reform.

READ MORE

Footnotes:

On this day: Paddy Ashdown was elected the first leader of the new Social and Liberal Democrat Party on this day in 1988.

Monday weather: Manchester – 19 degrees and cloudy. London – 24 degrees and sunny.

Mutts: Plans for August…

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 in September.

All at Inside Edge

Edition 504

Good morning, it’s Monday 21st July

Kicking off this week with an observation about headspace during tough interviews…

7 Days In America

Trump was interviewed on Fox by his daughter-in-law. (Frost-Nixon it wasn’t.) Congress defunded NPR and PBS. CBS axed The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, a vocal critic of the President. And Trump filed a lawsuit against Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal following their reporting on the Epstein story.

A horrible week for the US media.

Stories scheduled for the next seven days:

Today: Keir Starmer questioned by Liaison Committee.

Tuesday: New immigration and visa reforms take effect.

England face Italy in Women’s Euros semifinal. 

Wednesday: Google and Tesla results.

England begin fourth Test match against India. 

Thursday: EU-China summit in Beijing.

Friday: Donald Trump begins five-day visit to Scotland.

Resident doctors’ strike begins.

Saturday:  British and Irish Lions second Test against Australia.

Sunday: Women’s Euros final. (England v Germany?)



“Immigrants are more likely to be seen as unique individuals with their own thoughts and intentions, rather than assuming they all share the same group beliefs, when the media describes them with language about their mental states.”

Fascinating research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience on how language in the media shapes public views of immigration.

READ MORE

The Liftable Quote Club

Send in any you spot and I’ll try and include one each week. This line was in an FT article about the state of the Australian airline sector:

“Tim Davie and his team are heading towards unavoidable financial choices – do they change the licence fee model, cut costs or find some other way of making money? In reality, they are looking at all three.”

Guardian Media Editor Michael Savage on the existential threat facing the BBC.

READ MORE

Except of course Morning Live hasn’t been axed – it’s just off air for six weeks over summer, like it is every year.

But for publisher Reach, it’s another cynical opportunity for clickbait, spewed across its brands. As Martin Lewis put it recently, it’s “a swamp of muck and crap.”

News In Brief

Nick Robinson and Fiona Bruce (£415k each) are now the highest-paid journalists at the BBC after the departure of Huw Edwards.

The BBC annual report for 2024/25 also reveals:

• Laura Kuenssberg earns between £395,000 and £399,999
• Justin Webb earns between £365,000 and £369,999
• Chris Mason earns between £270,000 and £274,999

READ MORE

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Dip back into Year Of The Expert…

Footnotes:

On this day: Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon on this day in 1969.

Monday weather: Grimsby – 19 degrees with light rain. Halifax – 21 degrees.

Mutts: Leo living his best life…

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.

Have a great week. Back next Monday with one more before the summer break.

All at Inside Edge