Podcasts about media masters

Dimity Brassil first recorded her mum's life story in 2018. She was spurred into action following the death of both her father and sister in a relatively short period and it dawned on her one day that she would never hear their voices again. So, Dimity decided to sit down with her mum, Anne, and capture her voice telling her story - before it was too late. Dimity and Anne worked together to create A Lasting Tale. Little did they know they would create a movement empowering a generation of older Australians to share their lifestories with their own loved ones. Five years on, A Lasting Tale has evolved into a professional interview service for people with a lifetime of stories to share. The service has 40 professional journalists recording private audio life stories for families Australia-wide. They have recorded 1,500 humble yet heroic life stories of everyday people. A Lasting Tale now has a free mobile app and works with retirement villages, palliative care providers, libraries and community organisations. They also run specialist life story intergenerational programs in aged care. Dimity is an alumni of the May Cohort of the Media Masters Academy and she has been kicking massive Media and PR Goals since she finished the course just a few months ago. In Dimity's own words, she came into the course knowing she had to get comfortable with self-promotion (but it felt icky and unnatural), she wasn't getting the results her business needed to grow by Meta ads alone and she knew she needed to build massive trust and credibility in her brand before people would part with such a personal purchase and invest in her business to tell a loved ones story. It's safe to say Dimity has done all that times 1000% and her business has exploded since finishing the course. In the last month alone, Dimity and a Lasting Day have been featured in: Womens Agenda The Good Weekend (SMH, The Age, WA Today, Brisbane Times) Sunday Life (SMH, The Age, WA Today, Brisbane Times) 89 local online news services through Australian Community Media servicing regional, rural and remote Australia The Canberra Times, The Newcastle Herald, The Illawarra Mercury (through ACM) The Land Starts at 60 online publication ABC Radio Upper Hunter ABC Radio Goulburn Murray ABC Radio Shepparton 2GB Sydney...and she's booked to do an interview on Sunday for ABC Radio Melbourne. Completing the Media Masters Academy course created an incredible "Aha" moment in Dimity's business journey, where she realised she never had to self-promote again to grow her business and gain valuable brand awareness, because she learned how to get the media to do that for her. This is Dimity's story.

John Whittingdale OBE MP is former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. A Member of Parliament for over 30 years, he also previously chaired the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee during its most famous moment – when a pie was tossed in the face of media mogul Rupert Murdoch at the end of a session. The Sun dubbed John ‘Maggie's Toy Boy' when in 1988, aged just 28, he became then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's political secretary. In this in-depth interview, John discusses how people are surprised when they hear of the “vast range of responsibilities” he had when leading the DCMS – including overseeing the work of The National Lottery, leading on policy relating to blockchain and the digital economy, and promoting the UK on a global stage; praises the BBC as “the finest broadcaster in the world” and acknowledges that it may “surprise some people” to hear his strong support – making the case again for the continuation of the licence fee settlement; and shares the challenges involved in balancing protecting the vulnerable from “harmful content online” yet preserving the core democratic principle of free speech – a conundrum which gave rise to the predictably divisive Online Safety Bill.

Hillary Frey is editor-in-chief at Slate. Founded in 1996 by software giant Microsoft, the online magazine brings thoughtful, long-form journalism on culture, politics and current affairs to a global audience. Previously, Hillary worked for the likes of NBC News, Politico and HuffPost, and was editor-in-chief at Yahoo! News. In this in-depth interview, she reflects on how her very first regular writing gig in the late 1990s was for Slate – and how returning nearly three decades later in the editor's chair is a “funny story and an exciting opportunity”; shares how the company is always searching for ways to “experiment and innovate” in order to retain and grow its subscriber base, in an era when “too many consumers” expect to get high-quality journalism for free; and discusses the tension between covering the most popular stories – such as whether Donald Trump's putative comeback will be a success – while also ensuring they offer their readers a wide variety of topics.

Carl Zimmer is an award-winning science writer and New York Times columnist. A three-time winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's journalism award, in 2021 Carl was a member of the team at The New York Times which won The Pulitzer Prize in Public Service for their coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this in-depth interview, Carl discusses the topic of his latest book – ‘Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive' – shedding light on why it is “very difficult and may be impossible” to know precisely what life and death actually are; shares some of the problems that are caused by humans “wrongly making themselves the centre of any definition of life”, instead of realising that “the vast majority of life is not like us”; and reflects on just how much the pandemic dominated his work for two years, and how people trusting the accuracy of Covid-19 coverage is quite literally a matter of life and death.

Scott Armstrong is the former editor-in-chief of Arabian Business magazine, and founder of ‘mentl' – a platform which provides a holistic approach to mental health issues in the workplace. With more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, editor and strategic communications consultant, his storied career has taken him from the UK to the Bahamas, through Oman to the United Arab Emirates. In this in-depth interview, Scott reflects on his years as an editor and how “instinct, leadership and management skills” are key to success – despite editors rarely receiving management training when promoted, which results in them lacking the necessary skills to lead effectively; argues that in local journalism, there is always a local angle to be found even within global news events – recalling his time working on The Evening Chronicle in Newcastle (UK), when they were able to find local residents who had been first-hand witnesses to the 9/11 attack in Manhattan; and reveals what inspired him to set up his new firm ‘mentl' – a medium that finds solutions for protecting employees' mental health – which is “the right thing to do” and is “best for both them and the business”.

Sophie Ferron is CEO of Media Ranch, an award-winning, Canadian production and distribution company, specialising in unscripted TV formats – including factual, reality/docu-reality and lifestyle. After two decades of working across production, broadcasting, distribution and business development, she launched her own venture in 2008. In this in-depth interview, Sophie recalls how working with media giant Endemol, the company behind ‘Big Brother' and ‘The Real World', inspired her to focus on unscripted programmes and drove her to expand the concept globally; explains why a reality show needs to leave room for cultural differences, while keeping its overall structure to achieve international success; and shares how her desire to promote the Canadian TV production industry abroad is now bearing real fruit.

Gavin Allen is executive editor-in-chief of Huawei. He joined in 2021, after nearly two decades at the BBC, taking in senior editorial roles at BBC News, including flagship programmes like ‘Question Time'. In this in-depth interview, Gavin tackles the groundless conspiracy theories levelled at the company, the real-world consequences, and the strategy for handling an unjustified reputational attack; shares lessons learnt from launching ‘Transform' - Huawei's thought leadership magazine covering brand development across all sectors; and takes us behind the scenes of how he has shaped the role of editor-in-chief in one of the biggest tech companies in the world, taking into account its experience in the media.

Andy Varley is founder and CEO of Insanity Group. The international talent management firm employs more than 80 people across offices in London and LA - representing the likes of artistes Tom Grennan, Atomic Kitten, and presenters including Jordan North. In this in-depth interview, he recalls how winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year aged 17 gave him the confidence to grow and expand the company to represent broadcasters and content creators as well as DJs; shares how the pandemic prompted a pivot to creating subscription-based models for many of their content creators - allowing talent to work digitally rather than through in-person events; and discusses how the media industry is undergoing a revolution, and will never be the same for artists, agents or record companies.

Harry Mount is an author, journalist, and editor of The Oldie magazine. The monthly British title describes itself as a “light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity.” A former New York correspondent for The Daily Telegraph who remains a regular contributor to The Spectator, Daily Mail, and Evening Standard, he became editor of The Oldie in 2014, following the untimely death of his predecessor Alexander Chancellor. In this in-depth interview, Harry reflects on the magazine's upcoming 30th anniversary, and how it's “stood the test of time”, always staying true to its original aim of being “jokey, funny, cynical, and aimed predominantly at old people”; shares his surprise at how enthusiastically his readership has embraced the move to digital, with the website, app and podcast all popular; and discusses his close-up experience of working with two “Fleet Street legends”, Charles Moore and Paul Dacre - praising the former's “meticulous” work and the latter for his “sixth sense” when selecting stories which matter to readers.

Isaac Saul is founder and editor-in-chief at Tangle News. Starting last year on Substack, the popular newsletter “brings all views of the news under one roof” and has already drawn in 40,000 daily readers and 6,000 paying subscribers. A former political reporter hailing from Pennsylvania, Isaac was named by Yahoo News as “one of the 16 people who shaped the 2016 election,” and in 2020 Forbes called him “one of the next 1,000 upstart entrepreneurs redefining the American dream.” In this in-depth interview, Isaac reflects on how starting his career at The Huffington Post was a “baptism of fire,” teaching him that “well-reasoned arguments will often be lost on readers who are already strongly wedded to the opposing view;” discusses the importance of “courting a diverse political readership,” rather than catering to only a narrow subset of the politically engaged; and shares his exciting plans for further growth - including expanding beyond the US into other countries, and even applying Tangle's template to other topics beyond politics - such as sport and culture.

Toby Harnden is an award-winning author and veteran foreign correspondent. In 2012 he won the Orwell Prize for his book ‘Dead Men Risen' - an account of beleaguered British soldiers fighting desperately to prevent the Taliban from seizing Afghanistan's Helmand province. As foreign correspondent, he reported from 33 countries for The Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Sunday Times, including postings in Belfast, Baghdad and Washington DC. In this in-depth interview, Toby shares the inspiration and journey behind his new book ‘First Casualty' - which is the prime account of CIA Team Alpha in their own words - the first Americans to be dropped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan after 9/11; reflects on how a decade serving in the Royal Navy inspired him to become a foreign correspondent, and better equipped him to report on “real stuff, real people - war, blood, and guts;” and discusses why much of his work is dedicated to covering PTSD - including presenting a BBC Panorama special, with the shock revelation that more British soldiers and veterans took their own lives last year than were killed in action.

Gideon Lichfield is global editorial director at WIRED. First published in 1993, with an initial focus solely on consumer tech, it has evolved over three decades to become a respected global media brand; reporting on - and influencing - global thought on “how emerging technology impacts culture, the economy, and our society.” With 52 million readers across print and online, and a further 30 million followers on social media, they have recently celebrated a 20% increase in paid subscribers. In this in-depth interview, Gideon shares how he is shaping WIRED's global vision - widening their scope from reporting on technological change to becoming “the authority on tomorrow;” discusses how the “dizzying speed of cultural change” has inspired a greater focus on healthcare, civic society and the climate crisis; and reflects on his recent one-on-one interview with President Volodymir Zelensky, about how Ukraine's innovation in tech and social media has strengthened the country's defence against the Russian invasion.

Rebecca Whittington is the online safety editor for Reach plc, publisher of over 130 national and regional titles in the UK; including the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express and the Manchester Evening News. She joined Reach in 2021, in a newly-created role - the first of its kind - to tackle the growing problem of journalists coming under attack online. In this in-depth interview, Rebecca outlines the sheer scale of abuse which their journalists face, and the debilitating toll on their mental health; argues that only a multi-stakeholder approach will be effective - involving government, tech platforms and employers; and offers practical advice for those who find themselves under attack.

Tim Kring is a television writer and producer. He created the hit sci-fi drama ‘Heroes', which became a global sensation - running for four seasons and winning him both a BAFTA and an Emmy nomination. Tim got his big break on ‘Knight Rider' in 1985, and since then he's worked on some of TV's biggest shows like ‘Chicago Hope' and the Jason Bourne spin-off show ‘Treadstone', going on to become series creator for many flagship programmes, such as ‘Crossing Jordan' and ‘Touch'. In this in-depth interview, Tim candidly reflects on his long and varied career, and tells us what Hollywood is really like from the inside - warts and all; takes us behind-the-scenes on how TV shows are made - from the initial idea, to seeing the results on screen - including the casting, production and politics challenges along the way; and reveals how he wasn't prepared for just how profoundly his hit show ‘Heroes' would change his world view.

Chris Kay is chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi. Founded in 1970, the iconic advertising agency employs over 6,500 people and has offices in 76 countries. An advertising industry veteran, prior to joining Saatchi he had senior roles at Manchester City Football Club, LA agency 72andSunny, and also worked for Fallon at the time when they were producing some of their most memorable work - including the ‘balls' campaign for Sony, and the Cadbury's Dairy Milk advert featuring the gorilla's famous drum solo. In this in-depth interview, Chris reflects on a career journey that started in the unlikely place of a management science degree which, “despite being dull,” set him on the right path because brief encounters with advertising throughout the course sparked his passion; discusses the challenges ahead for the advertising industry, which must evolve to seismic changes such as the decline of traditional TV and the impact of the current cost-of-living crisis; and shares his determination to play his part in “rekindling Britain's status as the world's creativity and entertainment hub.” 

Zillah Byng-Thorne is chief executive of Future plc. Founded in 1985, the leading publisher produces some of the UK's most popular magazines, including Country Life, FourFourTwo, Marie Claire and The Week. Joining Future in 2014, Zillah has presided over a spectacular turnaround in the company's fortunes - publishing 160 titles, and expanding the brand's portfolio to include video games and digital magazines; and in 2020, they ventured into e-commerce, purchasing insurance company GoCompare.com for £590m. Under Zillah's watch, their share price has soared, and the company is now valued at £4bn. In this in-depth interview, she shares her career journey - starting out as an accountant in working-class Glasgow before a dramatic pivot saw her set her sights on leading a large company, starting with a masters in behavioural change to build her leadership skills; shares the secrets behind Future's strategy, resulting in 80% growth and £600m+ revenue despite the pandemic; and passionately argues that Future “has a moral responsibility, as much as a business responsibility, to maintain the quality and accuracy of its content.”

Erin McCarthy is editor-in-chief of Mental Floss. Founded in a university dorm room in 2001, the intellectual trivia brand for “curious people” blurs the lines between entertainment and education, and its “smart, quirky content” has reached over 1 billion people across multiple platforms including print, online, YouTube and podcasting. Joining in 2012, Erin hosts many of their most popular YouTube shows, and edited their book ‘The Curious Reader;' as well as creating, producing, and hosting the ‘History Vs.' podcast - which discusses “how historical figures faced off against their greatest foes.” In this in-depth interview, Erin discusses the growth of their YouTube channel which now has more than 1 million subscribers - covering a mammoth range of topics, from archaeology to mashed potato; explains why podcast episodes are her favourite part of the job - offering her the chance to provide in-depth analysis of a fascinating topic; and given the niche and eclectic nature of their work, delves into the detailed process fact-checking to make sure they get everything right - consulting with an array of independent fact-checkers, cross-referencing all their content before sharing it with the world.

We're delighted to put a cherry on top of our sixth season, The Media Masters, by having Professor Santosh Patra, Associate Professor & Area Leader in Media and Entertainment Management at MICA, join us for a crossover Overtime episode! We discuss: 1. How gaming plays into the world of experiential marketing 3:37 2. Disruptors in the media industry 6:00 3. The future of M&E in a rapidly evolving world 14:22 Professor Patra is an expert on exploring the dynamism involved in the domain of media and entertainment business, digital sociology and new media philosophy. Tune in for an enriching conversation that skims through all these topics!

James Bloodworth is an author and political journalist. A former editor of the blog Left Foot Forward, James' work has appeared in The Guardian, The Spectator, the New Statesman and The Wall Street Journal. Author of ‘The Myth of Meritocracy' and ‘Hired: Six Months Undercover in Low Wage Britain', his work was long-listed for the 2019 Orwell Prize. In this in-depth interview, James discusses his experience going undercover in the low wage economy for his book ‘Hired' - and why a number of his discoveries, including Amazon workers urinating in coke bottles, made international news; reflects on his political journey, from Trotskyism and ultimately moving to the progressive centre-left - recently reserving his most strident criticism for his former far-left colleagues; and shares the plans for his next book which tracks how people become “radicalised into the manosphere” - arguing the growth of toxic masculinity and how our shared complacency ignores a very real threat.

Ricky Sutton is the founder of Oovvuu, the world's leading AI video-matching engine. Launched in Australia in 2014, Oovvuu uses AI to match ad-funded videos with relevant news articles anywhere in the world instantly. The business has 600 participating broadcasters and its content is seen by millions of people daily. In this in-depth interview, Ricky reflects on starting out in his career and why he decided at the age of 12 he wanted to be a war correspondent; delves into how Oovvuu helps welcome a “new era of positive disruption in news” by adding relevant videos into news articles; and shares why he believes the companies that don't make the change to embrace video “might not survive.”

Jason Cowley is an author, writer and editor-in-chief of the New Statesman. Since taking the reins in 2008, Jason has pushed the political and cultural magazine's print circulation to a 40-year high. The publication's longest-serving editor since the 1960s, he previously held staff roles for both The Times and The Observer. In this in-depth interview, Jason details how he used the time during lockdown to redesign the magazine's branding - and launched a new “elegantly designed” website; shares his bold plans to grow the title worldwide, and how new political editor Andrew Marr is the first of many big-name signings to come; and discusses his latest book ‘Who Are We Now? Stories of Modern England' - which uses key news stories from recent years to determine the state of the nation, and how it has evolved.

Galen Gordon is senior vice president of talent strategy and development at ABC News. An award-winning journalist with more than 25 years experience in both network TV news and sports, he was previously a producer for the likes of NBC, CNN and ESPN. In his current role, based in New York, Galen ensures that ABC News reflects the society it serves - both on-air and behind the camera. In this in-depth interview, Galen argues that - as well as being the right thing to do - promoting diversity gives the company an edge over other newsrooms, and ensures they hire the very best people; takes us behind the scenes of what a TV news producer actually does - from deciding what to cover, and ensuring the result on-screen is visually engaging; and reflects on his sabbatical from journalism to work at the NFL where he was in charge of talent management for the league's media division.

Darren Scott is editor of SFX, the world's most successful sci-fi, fantasy and horror magazine. Approaching three decades of success, it is the market leader - and takes in films and comics, as well as games. Darren previously wrote for The Guardian and The Independent; and spent 10 years as editor of Gay Times, the largest, longest-running and most-recognised LGBTQ+ media brand. In this in-depth interview, Darren explains how there was no such thing as a typical week for him before the pandemic - and shares his pleasure at different aspects of his role as editor slowly returning to their in-person forms; takes us behind the scenes - walking us through a complete timeline of bringing an issue from initial ideas to print; and discusses how they retain their “old school fanbase” that have supported them for nearly 30 years through keeping the physical magazine copy, whilst also developing their presence online and on social media.

In this podcast I introduce a powerful new koan practice, a chant designed to break us free of "screen prayer," a meditative redefinition of good and evil and a timely dharma prayer designed to inspire equanimity in times of crisis. Also included: Identity Transplant, the title of this month's Astrodharma Transit Report, "The French Fry Meditation" and some tips on how to use war as a catalyst for awakening. Join me, as we sip the tea of self-inquiry and sit proud in our infinity. www.astrodharma.org Show Notes 5:30 We're not surfing; We're praying 7:00 Prayer to the Media Masters 9:27 Screen Prayer Confession 11:15 I'm not safe, I'm eternal 12:37 Dharma Poem: Safe-Sick 15:41 Two Misconceptions 17:21 Redefinition of Good and Evil 20:19 The Lockdown Years 21:55: Two ways to meet war 22:05 Koan Practice: War is at peace with itself 31:16 Robosapien Prayer 13:25 Astrodharma Transit Report: Identity Transplant 14:39 The French Fries Meditation --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/astrodharma/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/astrodharma/support

London N. Breed is the Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco. The untimely death of her predecessor Ed Lee in December 2017 saw Breed appointed acting mayor, and the following year she won a special election and gained a mandate in her own right - becoming the first-ever Black woman elected to the role. Since taking the reins of the city, Mayor Breed has spearheaded its Covid recovery programme, making public safety and affordable housing her priorities in office. San Francisco has a proud history of encouraging female political leadership - with many of its luminaries going on to hold national office; including Vice-President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In this in-depth interview, Mayor Breed reflects on how growing up in an underprivileged part of the city gave her the determination to fight injustice and speak up for the most vulnerable; shares how she is tackling the huge disparity between the most and least fortunate in her community - and how she is addressing the city's “complicated” history with law enforcement - balancing the need to support the police, who put their safety at risk to keep everybody safe, with protecting marginalised groups from excessive use of police force; and discusses with pride how the city's subsided medical care programme boosted its response to Covid - and her hopes that universal healthcare will ultimately be extended to the whole of the United States.

Nathalie Cox is an actor, model and co-founder of CountryLine, a global media brand and community uniting country music fans around the world. Launching five years ago, Natalie's role as creative director involves capitalising on a surge of interest in country music worldwide. The subscription service offers fans access to backstage interviews, exclusive sessions, gig guides and tickets. In this in-depth interview, Nathalie delves into turning her passion for country music into a business and making the genre easily accessible to British fans; discusses their acquisition of the UK's leading country music station, Chris Country, which they've rebranded as CountryLine Radio; and delves into her work outside of country music as a successful model and actor, sharing how she “fell” into both industries.

Richard Bernabe is an internationally acclaimed wildlife and travel photographer. Throughout his career, he has travelled to over 60 countries to capture incredible shots of the natural world on behalf of National Geographic, CNN, the New York Times, and the BBC. He has also built a significant following online, amassing a reach of over one million followers on both Instagram and Twitter, and has been named by Huffington Post as one of the most influential photographers on the web. In this in-depth interview, Richard winds back the clock and shares what inspired him to become a wildlife photographer; reflects on how he's tried to give back to the photography community by writing books and running training workshops for people picking up their cameras for the first time; and discusses the successful launch of his own podcast ‘Beyond The Lens' - and the unexpected advantages that discussing a visual medium through audio can bring.

Michael Ornstein is an actor, writer and visual artist. He began his creative career as an actor in New York, taking in 25 years on and off Broadway, before moving into film and television - where he is perhaps best-known for playing Chucky in the TV shows ‘Sons of Anarchy' and ‘Mayans M.C.' In recent years, he has shifted his primary focus to another of his great passions - painting. In this in-depth interview, Michael talks us through his varied and accomplished career, and how choosing to pursue the creative arts from a young age “gave me a purpose in life;” reflects on the nature of fame and celebrity, and how the blessing of playing such memorable a role as Chucky has come with the typecasting curse, where he is often seen as the character rather than as himself; and talks about how his creative career journey has culminated in monetising his most enjoyable pursuit - painting - through the fascinating new medium of NFTs.

Darren Marble and Todd Goldberg are co-founders of the TV show ‘Going Public.' The series streams on the ‘Entrepreneur' platform and charts the rise of founders on their capital-raising journeys - uniquely allowing viewers to ‘click-to-invest' in the featured companies in real-time, live, while they watch the show. They're currently halfway through season one and have already bagged 10 million views, 25 million ad impressions and 200k website visits - as well as raising over $10 million so far for the companies taking part. In this in-depth interview, they talk through their five-year journey of bringing the show from an idea to fruition; delve into why they engaged a ‘digital first' broadcast strategy - and how the platform gives them to freedom “create content which is both entertaining & actionable;” and discuss their ambitious plans to ultimately rival globally recognisable brands such as ‘Shark Tank' - guided by their deep access to data-driven insights revealing how viewers interact with the platform.

Let's talk movies! In our second episode of The Media Masters, we're excited to have Mrs. Ridhima Lulla, Chief Content Officer at Eros International. From analysing India's changing taste in film, to deciding which stories are worth telling, we explore all that there is to be learned about the business of cinema. Stay tuned for a conversation about: 1. The delicate balance between profitability and creativity (4:44) 2. How OTT has expanded the scope of new, innovative content (13:00) 3. Metaverse and the future of films (15:04) Our industry expert answers some questions from MICAns themselves, about OTT vs Theatres and Eros' Bollywood Film Festival campaign, and joins us for an exciting rapid-fire segment at the end.

Sarabeth Berman is chief executive of the American Journalism Project, a philanthropic organisation which supports local non-profit newsrooms. The project's mission is to accelerate the sustainable growth of regional news for the long term. In this in-depth interview, Sarabeth discusses the “real harm” to communities that the decline of local news has caused - and the “lack of transparency and accountability local governments enjoy as a result;” outlines their approach - partnering with communities, coaching leaders and sustaining their offices; and argues that society has been complacent in ignoring the dangerous implications of empty local newsrooms, which the pandemic has shown can be a matter of life and death. 

Simon Leslie is the founder and joint chief executive of Ink. Founded in 1994, they are the world's leading travel media company, producing 33 in-flight magazines for 24 airlines worldwide, including many of the largest carriers in the world, such as Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic. In this in-depth interview, Simon talks through the “incredible challenge” the pandemic caused the air travel industry, tackling the terrible devastation that the global depression bought on both aerospace and adjacent industries such as media; discusses the “enforced pivot” covid bought them, and his determination to “seize the opportunity to transform the company,” and grow in a new direction producing airport television and digital content; and shares how his latest book ‘White Belt Thinking' documented these recent challenges and the “cathartic experience.”

Christopher Snowdon is a libertarian writer, commentator and self-styled “scourge of the nanny statists.” He joined the Institute of Economic Affairs in 2012 as their head of lifestyle economics, where his work focuses on social freedoms and what he sees as “the dangers of prohibition.” He often appears on TV and radio programmes offering a contrarian view on political topics and lifestyle choices, and writes regularly for a number of titles, including Spiked, The Critic and The Daily Telegraph. In this in-depth interview, Christopher discusses why Covid has been “a challenge” for libertarians' and criques the UK government's response as “very bad in 2020, and pretty good in 2021;” argues passionately why he believes “it's not the government's job to interfere with people's personal choices” which often leads to repercussions of what he defines as “victimless crimes;” and delves into his book ‘Killjoys: A Critique of Paternalism' which makes the case that the government is too intrusive in our lives, particularly with health restrictions such as sugar intake and smoking.

Harry Jarman is founder and editor-in-chief of Gentleman's Journal, the men's luxury lifestyle magazine. Launched in 2011, the print edition regularly sells 35,000 copies, and overall monthly reach online regularly exceeds one million. It has expanded to include both its own e-commerce website, and a creative agency which builds campaigns for fashion clients. In this in-depth interview, Harry reflects on how the journey began, spotting a gap in the market when he was unable to promote his swimwear brand; argues that print is “enjoying a renaissance” and is “far from dead,” driving yet more traffic to their website; and shares his ambition to grow the company's retail operation, building on the successful launch of their first shop in London's Mayfair.

Christopher Lamb is the Vatican correspondent for The Tablet. Founded in 1840, the weekly journal is a hugely influential voice amongst the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. Joining in 2009 from the Daily Telegraph, he also appears regularly on TV news around the world. In this in-depth interview, Christopher reflects on the depth of his access to the Vatican, and his ringside seat witnessing Pope Francis' battle to modernise the church - suggesting “the forces seeking to block a Pope's agenda” have “not been this powerful since the Renaissance;” reflects on Pope Francis, the human being - “a reforming, enigmatic figure,” whose unique journey to becoming Pope has shaped a progressive, forward-thinking outlook - and leads him to challenge the church on clerical sexual abuse, injustice, and the exploitation of the world's most vulnerable people - including refugees and those in poverty; and shares the nuts and bolts of how the Pope has harnessed modern media management techniques to improve the Vatican's communication.

Batya Ungar-Sargon is deputy opinion editor of Newsweek, and author of ‘Bad News: How Woke Media is Undermining Democracy.' Before Newsweek, Batya was opinion editor of The Forward, the largest Jewish media outlet in America, and has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, and appears regularly on MSNBC and CNN. In this in-depth interview, Batya argues that mainstream news is “no longer just liberal,” but by being “woke” is “abandoning the working class by creating a culture war around identity;” argues “the media chasing the profit through outrage” is leading to the current crisis of misinformation and so-called fake news; and expresses her anguish that opinions have become so polarised - appealing for people “to find ways to meet people who you disagree with.”

Jolyon ‘Jon' Connell is a journalist-turned-entrepreneur who founded the hugely successful global magazine The Week. His new venture ‘The Knowledge' monitors hundreds of news media and compiles the very best stories into one weekly, easy-to-digest newsletter. Jon started his career at The Sunday Times, later becoming deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph, leaving in 1994 to launch The Week - which now has editions in the UK, US and Australia, and was sold to Dennis Publishing in 2018. In this in-depth interview, Jon shares his ambitious plans for his new venture, building on a major investment from Lord Rothermere, to deliver “all the wisdom of the week in one place;” talks about why his daughter Flora gave up her promising career as a popstar to become a partner in The Knowledge and ensure it appeals to readers of all ages; and reflects on the “rollercoaster” journey of founding The Week, which he “grew out of impatience and laziness” - and which went on to become a global phenomenon. 

Amanda Knox is an author, activist and journalist, best known for fighting to regain the narrative of her own life after being wrongfully convicted of murder. The global media seized on her case, after her 2007 arrest in Perugia and subsequent conviction for the murder of her friend Meredith Kercher. After four years in prison, she was exonerated by Italy's highest court - but continues to be treated as a source of profit by the media and attacked online. In this in-depth interview, Amanda reflects on the devastating impact of those events and her efforts to build a new life; attacks a media “overwhelmed with sensationalism” which “wanted her to be guilty,” in spite of the facts - declining to focus on the actual murderer Rudy Guede, and continuing to push the profitable ‘Foxy Knoxy' construct; and shares her frustration at Hollywood's indifference to their damage - with new movie ‘Stillwater' featuring a fictional character, clearly based on her, but with a so-called ‘twist' that she was indeed the murderer.

Michael Cockerell has been described as “the Prime Minister of the political documentary.” His Emmy award-winning films have featured intimate conversations with the past 12 prime ministers, winning near-universal recognition for being the definitive account of their time in No 10. He has also produced captivating programmes taking viewers inside the Home Office, Foreign Office, HM Treasury and the House of Commons. In this in-depth interview, Michael reflects on his ring-side seat at the major political events of the last five decades, as well as the impressions he's gained from his behind-the-scenes access to some of the most powerful people in the world; charts his journey covering Boris Johnson, starting with his famous 2013 interview which elicited the “if the ball came loose from the back of the scrum” quote which revealed his ambition; and recalls how at the height of the Falklands War, then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher lambasted his “odious” journalism in Parliament… only for history to prove him right - and confirm that the government did indeed mislead the public.

Gordon Crovitz and Steven Brill are co-CEOs of NewsGuard. Founded in 2018, their mission is to rate the trustworthiness of more than 7,000 news and information websites, and give every site its own “nutrition label” based on transparency and integrity. Prior to leading NewsGuard, Steven founded The American Lawyer, Court TV, and the Yale Journalism Initiative; while Gordon was executive VP for Dow Jones and a columnist for The Wall Street Journal. In this in-depth interview, they share how witnessing the depressing rise of fake news and the genuine harm it's doing, gave them the idea for a platform which assesses the credibility of news outlets; discuss the nine criteria they use to rate news platforms - for example, how well a publication distinguishes between fact and opinion, and whether it clearly labels advertisements; and reflect on what has become their biggest challenge - tackling the “avalanche of covid-19 misinformation” and hoax sites getting more engagements than responsible health sites during the pandemic.

Annette King is CEO of Publicis Groupe UK. Founded in 1926, Publicis Groupe employs 80,000 people in 100 countries, and boasts an annual revenue of nearly €10bn. Annette previously spent 17 years at Ogilvy, latterly as CEO of its 10 UK operating companies. In this in-depth interview, Annette reflects on how digital has “revolutionised the advertising industry” with the insight that data brings; and proudly shares Publicis Groupe UK's commitment to promoting the positive mental health of their staff - as it “makes business sense… as well as being the right thing to do.”

Craig Engler is general manager of Shudder, a premium streaming service focusing on horror, suspense and thriller content. A subsidiary of AMC Networks, they have over 1 million subscribers across North America and Europe, and have recently expanded to Australia and New Zealand. Joining in 2018, Craig previously enjoyed a long-standing career as a writer and TV network executive, spending a successful 15 years at Syfy. In this in-depth interview, Craig talks through the journey of their successful original series ‘Creepshow,' when an “amazing series of coincidences” brought the show to launch, working with an array of Hollywood A-List talent including Stephen King, Kiefer Sutherland, Justin Long and Giancarlo Esposito; tackles critics who say the streaming market is saturated, and explains why “finding ways to surprise and delight members” is helping making Shudder “not your only streamer - but your favourite streamer;” and shares the creative process involved in bringing the hit TV show ‘Z Nation' to the screen as writer and producer.

Harleen Kaur is co-founder and chief executive of Ground News. Created last year, the app was formed to handle the growing problem of misinformation and curates stories from a variety of media sources across the political spectrum, which are independently reviewed for bias and reliability, allowing users to see how the same stories are covered differently. In this in-depth interview, Harleen discusses how she abandoned her engineering career at NASA, and was inspired to tackle “information overload and media sensationalism;” shares how the app manages “filter bubbles” by revealing blind spots and news bias; and delves into how the app allows people to reach their own conclusions about developing stories.

Anna Palmer is the founder and chief executive of Punchbowl News. Nearly a year old, the daily email newsletter focuses on the “power, people and politics” in Washington DC. For almost two decades Anna has covered congressional leadership, campaigning, lobbying, the politics of government and the presidency - and in her prior role as Washington correspondent for Politico, co-created their successful ‘Playbook' newsletter franchise. In this in-depth interview, Anna reflects on launching their new venture just three days before the “astonishing” Capitol attacks on January 6th; delves into her New York Times bestseller ‘The Hill To Die On' which documented Trump's first two years and won acclaim for “bringing to life the deal-breaking and backstabbing as never before;” and discusses whether Trump could return to the White House, and if so, how it would happen.

Zach Seward is co-founder and chief executive of Quartz. Founded in 2012, and now boasting a readership of over 10 million, its mission is to “make business better” and “solve real problems without creating new ones.” Previously at The Wall Street Journal, he reported on education and health and was the paper's first-ever social media editor. In this in-depth interview, Zach reflects on the “emotional rollercoaster” of the pandemic - with the pain of restructuring and layoffs now eased with a return to growth across people, profitability and subscriptions; welcomes the “fresh energy” that returning to ownership and its renewed independence has brought; and shares his view on the future of the economy as it recovers from the pandemic.

In a special edition, we're joined by the new editorial leaders of GQ. Established in 1957, the iconic men's fashion and style title has a global reach of 10m in print, and over 50m online. Joining from New York is global editorial director Will Welch; and from London, deputy global editorial director Adam Baidawi. Will was previously the editor of GQ America; and Adam was previously editor of GQ Middle East, moving from Dubai to London to take the role. Both newly-promoted to deliver publisher Condé Nast's new digital-first strategy, the pair immediately made their mark with a special issue - in which 17 of the brand's international editions joined forces to simultaneously publish The Weeknd on September's cover. In this in-depth interview, they pay tribute to Dylan Jones who left the UK editor's chair after 22 years; share their plans to “harness the power of global unity” and end the era of local editions “competing” against one another for stories and interviews; and share insight from their strategic pivot to digital - with the “physical glossy magazine” always being “the shining diamond at the center of what we do.”

John Micklethwait is editor-in-chief of Bloomberg. Responsible for its editorial content across all global platforms, he leads its news, television and research services - with 2,700 staff in 120 countries. Beginning his career as a banker at Chase Manhattan in London, he switched to journalism in 1987, joining The Economist as financial correspondent, ultimately becoming editor-in-chief in 2006, and joined Bloomberg 9 years later. In this in-depth interview, John shares why he sees audio content as integral to their future growth, following the success of their recent podcasts; discusses how they use “restless energy” to compete against digital-only startups for scoops and stories; and sets out his prediction on how the global economy will recover from Covid-19 - and why the pandemic has “exposed the weakness of the West.”

Noah Shachtman is editor-in-chief of Rolling Stone. Previously executive editor at The Daily Beast, and before that a national security reporter based in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, he also worked on Bill Clinton's 1992 election campaign. In this in-depth interview, Noah talks about taking the reins of the iconic publication - and how the music, politics and culture title will become “faster, louder, harder” as he seeks to grow its impact; shares how he turned The Daily Beast into a “scoop factory,” breaking some of the biggest stories of recent times including Jeffrey Epstein's arrest and Donald Trump's impeachment; and drawing on his years of experience in the Middle East, reflects on President Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan - and the likely consequences.

Richard Gibbs is a leading Hollywood movie composer, and music producer. Starting his career as a session musician, he was playing keyboards in the band Oingo Boingo when in 1988 an unexpected opportunity to score a film led to a long career as a film composer. He has worked on some of the very biggest movies and TV shows including Say Anything, Dr Dolittle, The Simpsons and Queen of the Damned. His studio in Malibu ‘Woodshed Recording' is the musical home of U2, Chance the Rapper, Coldplay and Sting. In this in-depth interview, Richard reflects on a long career in music, working on dozens of movies - and explains how the business of making music in Hollywood really gets done; takes us behind-the-scenes of the whole process of film music composition from start to finish; and shares the journey of founding his charity ‘Armory of Harmony' which takes guns - formerly in the hands of criminals - melts them down and turns them into musical instruments for deprived students.

Max Siegelbaum is co-executive director of Documented, an innovative non-profit news site solely dedicated to covering the plight of New York's immigrant community, and the policies which affect them. Last year, they won an Online Journalism Award and LION Award for their use of WhatsApp as a news distribution platform to their most vulnerable readers, and also for their coverage of how the Coronavirus pandemic made life unthinkably harder for those seeking a new life in the Empire State. In this in-depth interview, Max recalls the early stages of the venture, gaining the trust and support of an ever-increasing readership, but also experiencing the struggles of having to “fight for a space” in the industry; discusses the lack of awareness of how tough the life of an immigrant can be, and how arduous a task it is to be represented in a city as fast-paced as New York; and reflects on how Donald Trump's presidency created an “extreme and almost immeasurable impact” for immigrants - in which the ‘othering' of recent settlers to the city only increased.