Media Masters

James Harding is co-founder and editor of Tortoise Media. Starting at the Financial Times on the European desk, he later opened their bureau in Shanghai before covering the media beat. In 2007, he moved on to the Times where, at 38, he became its youngest ever editor. He was ousted by owner Rupert Murdoch five years later, and moved on to the BBC as director of news and current affairs. In this in-depth interview, James argues that the demand for breaking news has led to "headline addiction", explains how their 'ThinkIn' conferences are creating a more open form of journalism which puts the emphasis on context and depth, and describes the moment he decided to leave the BBC to launch Tortoise on Kickstarter – despite being tipped to become Director-General.

Julia Hartley-Brewer is a journalist and talk radio presenter. A vocal and high-profile Brexiteer, her appearances on shows such as Question Time often divide opinion and provoke fierce debate on social media. In this in-depth interview, Julia argues that her talkRADIO show speaks to an audience that is “sneered at” by a “largely liberal media elite”, discusses the “terrifying phenomenon” of ‘no platforming’ and its effect on democracy, and defends the charge that opinionated, ‘non-neutral’ radio talk shows have contributed to the increasingly combative tone of political debate. 

Justine Picardie is the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK. During her long career she has been features director of Vogue, editor of the Observer magazine and a columnist for the Telegraph, and has written five books. In this in-depth interview, Justine reflects on her career as she departs the magazine and describes how she rediscovered “a sense of sisterhood” in the editor’s chair in memory of her late sister; discusses her role as launch editor of Town & Country, and how the “dream of Britishness” is popular in the US; and advocates for the “power of paper” over digital – and the connection between fashion and great works of literature.

Martin Bright is an investigative journalist and social entrepreneur. During his 20-year career he’s covered politics, religion and culture for a range of newspapers, magazines and television channels, and was the first non-Jewish political editor of the Jewish Chronicle. While at the Observer in 2003, he exposed the dirty tricks behind the Iraq War after receiving a leaked memo from GCHQ whistleblower Katherine Gun – a story dramatised in the new film ‘Official Secrets’.  In this in-depth interview, he discusses the real events behind the film and how it felt to see Matt Smith play him on screen; reflects on his time with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation – and why he now believes it was ultimately doomed to fail; and describes why he founded Creative Society, a non-profit dedicated to social mobility in journalism and the creative industries.

Jeremy Bowen is the BBC’s Middle East editor. One of Britain’s best-known war correspondents, over the last 35 years he has brought the region’s most important stories to our screens – despite being shot, robbed at gunpoint, threatened, arrested and even thrown in jail. In this in-depth interview, Jeremy relives some of his most pivotal moments, from his first foreign assignment covering the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 to his recent battle with cancer; discusses the practical challenges of reporting impartially on issues like Israel, when both sides complain every report is biased and even the choice of individual words have to be taken carefully; and takes us behind the scenes of his interview with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Roula Khalaf is deputy editor of the Financial Times. Described in 1991 as an “insolent reporter from Forbes magazine” by the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort, she was subsequently fictionalised in the Oscar-winning film. Starting as their North Africa correspondent in 1995, her rise though the FT ranks has been consistent – as Middle East editor she launched their regional edition, and led their coverage of the Arab Spring. In this in-depth interview, she celebrates the “rebirth of fact checking” prompted by the Trump presidency, discusses the implications of Brexit through a global financial lens, and describes the role AI plays in their journalism – including the “Janet Bot” which alerts editors to the under-representation of women within its pages.

Chris Burns is head of audio and digital for BBC England, and is responsible for the majority of their local radio stations across the country. Starting as a late-night phone-in presenter for Radio Trent, her career has included stints editing shows on Radio 4 such as Woman’s Hour, Any Questions and Start the Week, and she is now tasked with reinventing the medium for the next generation. In this in-depth interview, Chris walks through a career dedicated to radio, having developed a love for it as a child, argues that “repeats shouldn’t be a dirty word” as they give people a chance to revisit much-loved programmes, and explains how new technology is driving a deeper “emotional connection” with listeners.

Melanie Blake is a celebrity agent and author. Starting her career at ‘Top of the Pops’ in the 90s, in her four years on the show she increasingly advised stars on a myriad of professional opportunities, which led to her launching her own agency.  In this in-depth interview, she takes us behind the scenes of the multi-million pound deals brokered for client magazine spreads, books, tours and television shows; reveals her strategy for the cut-throat negotiations around structured reality shows such Big Brother; and pledges never to end her fight against industry “ageism, classism and sexism” – which are “still very real barriers for women in the entertainment industry”.

Fraser Nelson is editor of The Spectator, the world’s oldest weekly magazine. Celebrating a decade in the editor’s chair, on his watch circulation is now at its highest ever – nearing 80,000 print, 2.5m online and 1.4m podcast listeners. In this in-depth interview, Fraser describes how he spent his early years as editor trying to recreate “the Boris peak” and contrasts it with now covering his predecessor as Prime Minister; welcomes the greater numbers of people willing to pay for quality journalism, because print advertising revenue is “never coming back”; and explains why commissioning the cover cartoon is one of his most important responsibilities.

Adrian Lovett is CEO of the World Wide Web Foundation. Founded in 2009 by the inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, it tackles the “digital divide” – fighting for more than half the world’s population who still can’t get online, and for the other ‘connected’ half too, for whom the web’s benefits come with risks: to privacy, democracy, and freedom itself. In this in-depth interview, he argues that internet access is a “basic human right” akin to clean water and education, reflects on the web’s recent 30th birthday, and outlines his vision for the future where people “create as much as they consume”.

Christopher Hope is chief political correspondent and assistant editor at the Telegraph. He is chairman of the Parliamentary Lobby, and presenter of the ‘Chopper’s Brexit Podcast’ which features interviews with senior politicians and analysis from the Telegraph’s Westminster team. In this in-depth interview, he discusses the somewhat unusual situation of having his former colleague Boris Johnson become prime minister, and his appeal as the “Heineken” politician; tackles critics of the ‘Lobby’ and the alleged “cosy” relationship between reporters and MPs, and reveals how a family tragedy inspired him to found ‘Legacy of Hope’ - a charity helping child amputees in the developing world.

Dave Lee is Silicon Valley reporter for the BBC. Based in San Francisco, he has covered technology stories across the US since 2015. In this in-depth interview, he details how companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Tesla have an increasing impact on our lives, and the deep implications for society; argues that a growing ‘tech cynicism’ is now stifling innovation, and discusses the challenge of maintaining a working relationship with tech giants - whilst also holding them to account.

Kate Ward is international president of Refinery29, a media and entertainment company for women. She launched their London office in 2015 and now oversees their international operations. In this in-depth interview, Kate outlines how reach, revenue and relevance are key to the brand’s longevity at a time when other media businesses are closing, reveals how their expansion into video, filmmaking and live events helps to keep readers engaged, and discusses how building powerful relationships with women moves the business forward.

Terri White is editor-in-chief of Empire. An award-winning editor with 19 years’ experience on both sides of the Atlantic, she joined in 2015 from Time Out and led a radical reimagining of the magazine prior to its recent 30th birthday. In this in-depth interview, Terri describes how its “weirdly disparate” team of movie geeks translate their passion for film into every page, speaks out against unpaid internships and the lack of opportunities for budding journalists from disadvantaged backgrounds, and reveals how they maintain exclusive relationships with movie studios while still giving honest reviews.

Alan Hunter is head of digital at the Times and Sunday Times. Joining in 2001, he was appointed editor of News Review in 2010 and led their coverage of the London Olympics and the killing of Osama bin Laden. He became their ‘digital guru’ in 2013, and they were the first newspaper to announce that digital subscriptions had overtaken print. In this in-depth interview, Alan reveals how increased engagement from journalists deepens their relationship with readers, explains why taking the emphasis away from breaking news actually increased subscriptions, and recalls how inspiration for their popular ‘Walking the Dog’ podcast came when his family adopted a puppy.

Dave Berry is a presenter on Absolute Radio. After just a year on air, it is the number one commercial breakfast programme in the country, with over two million listeners. Starting his career in television with stints presenting on Nickelodeon and MTV, he switched to radio in 2007 and has fronted shows on Capital and XFM. In this in-depth interview, he reveals the technology behind the tricky balancing act which allows listeners to tune into alternative versions of the show on different stations; takes us behind the scenes of the show’s “capers” including reinventing Quantum Leap, racing a Sinclair C5 and trying to save the world’s last Blockbuster Video store; and discusses his celebrity interviews – including the day Denzel Washington came into the studio and “fired” the sound guy.

Bill Abbott is president and chief executive of Crown Media Family Networks – one of the most successful entertainment companies in the US and the team behind the Hallmark Channels. In his two decades with the business, it has expanded exponentially and now includes three top-rated channels, e-book publishing, a podcast and a streaming service with over 600,000 subscribers. In this in-depth interview, Bill tackles critics who call their content “saccharine”, and examines how their commitment to the ‘formula’ has delivered consistently high ratings; explains why they listen to feedback from focus groups when deciding storylines; and describes the brand’s success as the “best kept secret” in entertainment – in contrast to ailing mainstream TV networks, who have “lost their way”.

Heather Dietrick is chief executive of The Daily Beast. Previously president of Gawker Media, she was a key part of the legal team trying to save the company when they were sued by Hulk Hogan. In post at the ‘Beast’ since 2017, she is responsible for growing their reach, which already stands at 20 million. In this in-depth interview, she recalls how a billionaire with a grudge plotted the “litigation assault” on Gawker; discusses the focus on finding new revenue streams, and the first year of their paid membership programme ‘Beast Inside’; and argues how Trump’s war on the media has made ‘news neutrality’ impossible - for everyone.

Ken Bruce is a veteran radio presenter who has fronted the BBC Radio 2 morning show for over three decades. With nine million listeners, he is one of the most recognisable voices in broadcasting. In this in-depth interview, he takes us behind the scenes of his long-running show, sharing anecdotes about the genesis of PopMaster and plans to take the popular quiz on the road; explains why “feel and judgement” is more important to him than audience metrics; and admits that after hundreds of celebrity guests, the “greatest thrill” of his broadcasting career so far has been interviewing Basil Brush.

Dominic Smales is CEO of Gleam Futures, one of the biggest “digital-first" talent management firms in the world. They represent the brightest stars of social media including Tanya Burr, Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella), Pixiwoo, Grace Fit and Jack Maynard. In this in-depth interview, Dominic reveals how their talent is expanding into new areas like publishing and product creation, explains how to cut through the noise and stand out from the 25 million social media creators – and discusses how portraying “real lives” on social media sends a positive message around mental health.