With one America’s biggest news broadcasters, CBS News, reportedly in turmoil under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, Alan and Lionel are joined by former CBS president Sir Howard Stringer.

After Bari Weiss reportedly pulled a recent episode of the popular 60 Minutes programme from the air, some critics have accused the channel, and its editor, of censorship. Alan and Lionel ask Howard about the effect of Weiss’s management. Has CBS strayed from its original mission? And when did this slide begin?

In a detailed conversation, Howard reflects on journalism at CBS during the Reagan administration, the decline of the network since, and the challenges it now faces. He also discusses the evolution of news media, Donald Trump’s impact on American journalism, and the state of the BBC.

Plus, the three discuss the challenges posed by technological advancements in the media landscape.

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This week, Alan and Lionel return to their Media Confidential duties to analyse the good, the bad and the ugly media reactions to the US abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.

They also discuss a new documentary on investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, whose career has spanned from Watergate to Abu Ghraib. In response to a listener’s question, Alan shares a life hack to broaden your reading for free, and escape information bubbles in an increasing polarised digital landscape.

Plus, Lionel shares some gossip from Piers Morgan’s Christmas party.To have your question featured on Media Confidential, email mediaconfidential@prospectmagazine.co.uk.

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You’ve been listening to the Prospect Podcast, Media Confidential’s sister podcast. To subscribe on Spotify, click HERE. For Apple podcasts, click HERE.

Is Britain becoming a police state?

In this Episode of the Prospect podcast Ellen and Imaan were joined by Conor Gearty, he was a barrister and professor of human rights law at LSE, and explained how his views on the future of protest have changed.

As hundreds have been arrested for supporting the recently proscribed group Palestine Action, Conor discusses his reaction to the ban. He criticises the Labour government’s stance on protest, which he says panders to a “middle covert authoritarianism”.

Conor also weighs in on what’s at stake if Britain leaves the ECHR, and how to fortify democracy. Are protests from the political left and right treated differently? And how should Labour respond to Reform’s rhetoric on human rights?

To read Conor’s writing for Prospect click here: https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/author/1473/conor-gearty

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