The series is seen by some as a replacement of The Message, a previous BBC Radio 4 series covering the media which was hosted by Jenni Murray and was dropped in 2008.[2][7]The Media Show is produced by Richard Hooper.[8] Previous producers have included Katy Takatsuki, Paul Waters, Simon Tillotson, Ruth Watts and Dan Hardoon.
Format
The Media Show looks at various different kinds of media, including print, television, radio, online, and telecommunications. It also features discussion of various media areas such as creativity, culture, censorship, business, and ethics. Hewlett said of the programme that: "I hope [it] will be able to lift the lid on many of the current stories within the media, offering genuine insight and intelligence, making this show a must-listen for both those within the industry – but always accessible to a wider audience of those interested in a subject that affects all our lives."[2]
On 14 November 2012, the programme broadcast a one-hour-long special edition, prompted by the controversy that the BBC was undergoing at that time, partly highlighted by the resignation of George Entwistle from his job as Director-General of the BBC.
Reception
Reviews of The Media Show have been mixed. Elisabeth Mahoney in The Guardian wrote that the show covered "a pleasing range of stories" and that it was better than The Message because "it's better to have a BBC outsider hosting [compared to insider Murray], and to place the show right in the middle of the week, allowing some looking back, but also some consideration of the unfolding media stories that will dominate the rest of the week."[9] However, Mahoney criticised the way it dealt with The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row saying that, "you'd hope for in-depth analysis and insight. Instead, they left the story until last, and zipped through it."[10]
