Broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove and guests bring you Talk Media: a forensic analysis of how the media works, and who works the media. Packed full of candid commentary and informed opinion, Talk Media features a weekly guest commentator from the worlds of journalism, entertainment and politics.
Full episodes are published weekly on Wednesday evenings via our Supporters Club. Join our Supporters Club now to listen for 99p per week: thebiglight.com/talkmedia
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Opening Up The National with Laura Webster & Stuart Cosgrove
Friday, May 1, 2026 • Duration 45:00
We are delighted to welcome back Laura Webster to the show again this week. Thanks to Laura for taking time away from The National to chat with us.
Later today, we will post an unedited video version of the main show recording - give us your feedback and let us know if it is something you'd be interested in having as well as the audio version.
Recommendations:
Laura
'The High Life' - The Musical
9 Inch Noise 2026 Album on Spotify
Stuart
Club Cumming - NYC
Pitlochry Festival Theatre
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Political Scientist, UK's foremost psephologist and the media’s favourite electoral dissector - Professor Sir John Curtice.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 • Duration 51:33
A special episode with Prof sir John Curtice.
Many thanks to John for giving us his time.
To hear these episodes fresh from the studio each week, go to www.patreon.com/talkmedia
For the price of a cup of coffee, you get the weekly episode immediately after recording PLUS a Bonusode featuring all our patreon's listener questions - your question can be submitted once you sign up.
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This week Stuart is in conversation with Laura Webster, editor of The National. ‘The BBC under attack as Trump Threatens a Billion Dollar Lawsuit’ and ‘Listener Questions for Laura.’
Season 8 · Episode 295
Monday, November 17, 2025 • Duration 01:05:10
We hope you enjoy this free full episode of Talk Media from Wednesday 12th November.
If you would like to hear the show on the day of recording and support the making of this podcast, go to www.patreon.com/talkmedia
Our pricing of 99p per episode helps us cover some of the costs of producing this independent look at the big stories hitting our media every week.
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‘Let Them Die’, ‘Harry, The Mail and Leveson’ and ‘Ryan Tubridy at Virgin’ / with Paddy Duffy
Season 6 · Episode 198
Wednesday, November 22, 2023 • Duration 06:17
Stuart is off grid this week so Eamonn is joined by producer and commentator Paddy Duffy to chat over some of the week’s media stories.
Please note this show was recording pre Autumn Statement.
At the end of the show a question from Kay Springham
Recomendations:
Eamonn
Spymaster book by Helen Fry
The dramatic story of a man who stood at the centre of British intelligence operations, the ultimate spymaster of World War II: Thomas Kendrick
“A remarkable piece of historical detective work. . . . Now, thanks to this groundbreaking book, the result of years of meticulous research and expert analysis, Kendrick’s role as one of the great spymasters of the twentieth century can be revealed.”—Saul David, Daily Telegraph
Thomas Kendrick (1881–1972) was central to the British Secret Service from its beginnings through to the Second World War. Under the guise of “British Passport Officer,” he ran spy networks across Europe, facilitated the escape of Austrian Jews, and later went on to set up the “M Room,” a listening operation which elicited information of the same significance and scope as Bletchley Park. Yet the work of Kendrick, and its full significance, remained largely unknown.
Helen Fry draws on extensive original research to tell the story of this remarkable British intelligence officer. Kendrick’s life sheds light on the development of MI6 itself—he was one of the few men to serve Britain across three wars, two of which while working for the British Secret Service. Fry explores the private and public sides of Kendrick, revealing him to be the epitome of the “English gent”—easily able to charm those around him and scrupulously secretive.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/spymaster/helen-fry/9780300266979
Paddy
Documentaries by Norma Percy
Israel and the Arabs
Award-winning film-maker Norma Percy looks back on her acclaimed 1998 documentary series The Fifty Years War: Israel and the Arabs.
Through interviews and analysis from key players of the time, the series forensically detailed the conflict’s origins and key moments, and here Norma shares how the programme came to life, how she gained the trust of some of the most significant figures of the day and what the lessons from history might be.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001sfvq/the-fifty-years-war-israel-and-the-arabs-eyewitness-to-history-norma-percy-on-the-fifty-years-war
The Elusive Peace - Monday 27th Nov BBC4 22.00
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001swsb
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'Poppy Day Reflections’, ‘Tory Reshuffle’, ‘SNP table Ceasefire amendment at Westminster’ / with Catriona Stewart
Season 6 · Episode 197
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 • Duration 06:18
Please note - This podcast was recorded at noon on Wednesday - before the Ceasefire Amendment in Westminster.
At the end a question from John Daly.
Recommendations:
Stuart:
The Pigeon Tunnel
Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of former British spy David Cornwell -- better known as John le Carré, author of such classic espionage novels as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Constant Gardener. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the Cold War leading into present day, the film spans six decades as le Carré delivers his final and most candid interview, punctuated with rare archival footage and dramatized vignettes. "The Pigeon Tunnel" is a deeply human and engaging exploration of le Carré's extraordinary journey and the paper-thin membrane between fact and fiction.
https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-pigeon-tunnel/umc.cmc.633pbtki99m7e8lc9ybbyab3
Catriona:
The Newsreader
Set in 1986, the show follows the unlikely bond between a young TV reporter (Reid) and a 'difficult' female newsreader (Torv), as they cover events such as the shock of the Challenger explosion, the hype of Halley's Comet and complexities of the AIDS crisis.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0cgx4k0/the-newsreader
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‘Firework Violence’, ‘The King’s Speech’ and ‘Michelle Mone changes her story’ / with Jim Spence
Season 6 · Episode 196
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 • Duration 06:16
At the end of the show a questions from James Robertson
Recommendations:
The Courier Talking Football Podcast
Scottish football is too often dominated by the Old Firm, but the teams across Courier Country deserve a football podcast that’s every bit as informed, every bit as passionate, and every bit as in-depth as anything covering Rangers FC and Celtic FC.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/courier-podcasts/courier-talking-football-podcast/
Stuart
Panenka
His name was Joseph, but for years they had called him Panenka, a name that was his sadness and his story. Panenka has spent 25 years living with the disastrous mistakes of his past, which have made him an exile in his home town and cost him his dearest relationships. Now aged 50, Panenka begins to rebuild an improvised family life with his estranged daughter and her seven year old son. But at night, Panenka suffers crippling headaches that he calls his Iron Mask. Faced with losing everything, he meets Esther, a woman who has come to live in the town to escape her own disappointments. Together, they find resonance in each other's experiences and learn new ways to let love into their broken lives.
Link Here
Jim
Bosch:Legacy
Season 1
Harry Bosch, retired homicide detective turned Private Investigator, fights to work cases without the authority his former job provided. Attorney Honey “Money” Chandler, having survived an attempted murder, struggles to maintain her faith in the justice system. And Maddie Bosch discovers the possibilities and challenges of being a rookie patrol cop on the streets of Los Angeles.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Legacy-Season-1/dp/B09PQ959KW
The Equalizer
Ex-assassin Robert McCall confronts his past as he battles the Italian mafia.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Equalizer-3-Bonus-X-Ray/dp/B0B673D7YL
Richard Osman
The Bullet that Missed
The Man who died Twice
https://www.waterstones.com/author/richard-osman/53658
Eamonn
Sly
His love of film began as an escape from a rocky childhood. From underdog to Hollywood legend, Sylvester Stallone tells his story in this documentary.
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81450717
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‘Whatsapp Doc’, ‘Baker’s Irish Meddling, ‘Starmer makes Statement’ and ‘Farewell to Chandler Bing' / with Ruth Wishart
Season 6 · Episode 195
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 • Duration 06:17
At the end of the show a listener question from Ian Mout
Recommendations:
Eamonn:
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent (Hardback)
Cavorting naked through the Warwickshire countryside painted green.
Acting opposite a child with a pumpkin on his head.
These are just a few of the things Dame Judi Dench has done in the name of Shakespeare.
For the very first time, Judi opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her seven-decade career, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Cleopatra. In a series of intimate conversations with actor & director Brendan O'Hea, she guides us through Shakespeare's plays with incisive clarity, revealing the secrets of her rehearsal process and inviting us to share in her triumphs, disasters, and backstage shenanigans.
Interspersed with vignettes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, she serves up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes, all brightened by her mischievous sense of humour, striking level of honesty and a peppering of hilarious anecdotes, many of which have remained under lock and key until now.
Instructive and witty, provocative and inspiring, this is ultimately Judi's love letter to Shakespeare, or rather, The Man Who Pays The Rent.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/shakespeare/judi-dench/9780241632178
Stuart:
@historyinmemes
Daily history lessons. Education through memes!
https://twitter.com/historyinmemes
Ruth:
Robert Carlyle returns to screens for the third instalment of fan favourite political thriller COBRA: Rebellion with Jane Horrocks joining the cast.
Prime Minister Sutherland (Carlyle) remains in office at Number 10 alongside Victoria Hamilton (The Crown), who is back as Chief of Staff, Anna Marshall. Jane Horrocks (Bloods, Absolutely Fabulous) also joins the cast, entering the cabinet as Victoria Dalton, a new populist Defence Secretary.
In this season, Prime Minister Robert Sutherland faces more challenges than ever before. Just as his popularity plumets in light of a new, controversial police-protest bill, his administration is plunged into chaos when an environmental demonstration ends with grave consequences.
As the inquest into the events at the protest gets underway, the Prime Minister and his government begin to realise that all is not as it seems. And with his daughter potentially embroiled with the group behind it all, his interest in the case isn’t purely political, adding further turmoil to his already strained homelife.
The investigation quickly takes them into the dark underbelly of the nation’s power, and the PM starts to doubt whom of his team he can truly trust. The crisis spirals further to encompass not only the urgent threat of environmental destruction but also the malignant corruption of the arms industry, the rise of shadowy corporate security firms and the grim reality of the UK’s relationship with a crucial ally.
The rebellion will push Robert Sutherland to the edge and force him to question what he’s personally willing to sacrifice in order to stay in power.
https://www.skygroup.sky/en-gb/article/-the-explosive-third-instalment-of-sky-original-drama-cobra-rebellion-coming-to-sky-max-and-now-on-12-october-
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‘Israel/Palestine death toll rises’ ,‘Labour resignations in wake of Starmer gagging order’ and "The Reckoning' / with David Pratt
Season 6 · Episode 194
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 • Duration 06:17
At the end of the show a question from Gill Blair.
Recomendations:
David:
Simon Murphy 'Govanhill'
This major exhibition of Simon Murphy’s photographic document 'Govanhill' brings together his long term project of a place in the southside of the city of Glasgow – a local place which is truly international in the demographics of those who live there.
Simon has been documenting people in this locality for several years with the resulting images giving an insight into one of Scotland's most diverse areas. Govanhill is a point of arrival for many. Traditionally it has been a place where immigrants arrive in Glasgow and often move on from. It is estimated that 88 languages are spoken in the densely populated area of only 0.33 square miles. It's a mixing pot of cultures and ethnicities. These differences have contributed to tension within the community but also make Govanhill one of the most diverse and exciting places in the city. Simon’s project consists mainly of street portraiture of individuals who live and pass through the area.
https://www.streetlevelphotoworks.org/event/simon_murphy_govanhill
My war gone by I miss It so. Anthony Loyd
In 1993, Anthony Loyd hitchhiked to the Balkans hoping to become a journalist. Leaving behind him the legends of a distinguished military family, he wanted to see ‘a real war’ for himself. In Bosnia he found one.
The cruelty and chaos of the conflict both appalled and embraced him; the adrenalin lure of the action perhaps the loudest siren call of all. In the midst of the daily life-and-death struggle among Bosnia’s Serbs, Croats and Muslims, he was inspired by the extraordinary human fortitude he discovered. But returning home he found the void of peacetime too painful to bear, and so began a longstanding personal battle with drug abuse.
This harrowing account shows humanity at its worst and best, and is acknowledged as a classic of the genre. It is a breathtaking feat of reportage; an uncompromising look at the terrifyingly seductive power of war.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/my-war-gone-by-i-miss-it-so/anthony-loyd/9781912836048
Stuart:
Grayson Perry | Smash Hits
This summer, come and see the biggest ever exhibition of Sir Grayson Perry's work, covering his 40-year career. Perry has gone from taking pottery evening classes to winning the Turner Prize, presenting television programmes on Channel 4 and writing acclaimed books. Pottery allowed him the opportunity to indulge his fascination with sex, Punk, and counterculture, amongst other things, in the most unlikely and polite of artforms. Today he is one of Britain's most celebrated artists and cultural figures.
Popular and provocative, Perry makes art that deals with difficult and complex ideas in an accessible and often funny way. He loves taking on big issues that are universally human: masculinity, sexuality, class, religion, politics and more. On view will be subversive pots, brilliantly intricate prints, elaborate sculptures, and huge, captivating tapestries - all imbued with Perry's sharp wit and social commentary. Working with traditional artforms, Perry addresses the controversial issues of our times.
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/grayson-perry-smash-hits
Eamonn:
Be Useful: Seven tools for life
The seven rules to follow to realise your true purpose in life-distilled by Arnold Schwarzenegger from his own journey of ceaseless reinvention and extraordinary achievement, and available for absolutely anyone.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Useful-Seven-tools-life/dp/1529146534/ref=asc_df_1529146534/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=641789777959&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10095737638662757955&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046946&hvtargid=pla-2089799233408&psc=1&th=1&psc=1
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‘THE SNP CONFERENCE’ AND ‘SATIRE GETS SACKED’ AND ‘SWEDISH FANS SHOT IN BRUSSELS’ / WITH SHONA CRAVEN AND PADDY DUFFY
Season 6 · Episode 193
Wednesday, October 18, 2023 • Duration 06:16
At the end of the show a question from Jim Anderson.
Recommendations:
Stuart:
Beckham
With never-before-seen footage, this docuseries follows David Beckham's meteoric rise from humble beginnings to global football stardom.
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81223488
Paddy:
Cassius X
Exploring the life of Cassius Clay as he undergoes his spiritual transformation as well as examining the evolution of his amazing boxing skills, this landmark film is structured around the early years of his boxing career between 1959 and 1964 when he turned professional and pursued his dream of becoming World Heavyweight Champion.
From his first contact with the Nation of Islam to the moment when he is given the name Muhammad Ali, we reveal the events in America that would shape his beliefs and examine the figures such as Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X who would become his spiritual advisors. Featuring interviews with people with a direct connection to these moments in Ali’s life, Cassius X: Becoming Ali examines the influences on Ali’s awakenings with regard to owning his own identity - the Nation of Islam, integration vs. separation, and the thoughts and perspectives and beliefs he adopts.
It is Ali’s origin story - the definitive observation of the emergence of a hero
https://www.screen.scot/film-in-scotland/made-in-scotland/film/cassius-x-becoming-ali
The Thief Collector
In 1985, Willem de Kooning's "Woman-Ochre," one of the most valuable paintings of the 20th century, was cut from its frame at the University of Arizona Museum of Art. 32 years later, the painting was found hanging in a New Mexico home.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/placeholder_title/dp/B0B8HVPLRH
Shona:
Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World: Signed Edition (Hardback)
What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired a double? Someone almost like you, and yet not you at all?
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn’t. She started to find herself grappling with a distorted sense of reality, becoming obsessed with reading the threats on social media, the endlessly scrolling insults from the followers of her doppelganger. Why had her shadowy other gone down such an extreme path? Why was identity – all we have to meet the world – so unstable?
To find out, Klein decided to follow her double into a bizarre, uncanny mirror world: one of conspiracy theories, anti-vaxxers and demagogue hucksters, where soft-focus wellness influencers make common cause with fire-breathing far right propagandists (all in the name of protecting ‘the children’). In doing so, she lifts the lid on our own culture during this surreal moment in history, as we turn ourselves into polished virtual brands, publicly shame our enemies, watch as deep fakes proliferate and whole nations flip from democracy to something far more sinister.
This is a book for our age and for all of us; a deadly serious dark comedy which invites us to view our reflections in the looking glass. It’s for anyone who has lost hours down an internet rabbit hole, who wonders why our politics has become so fatally warped, and who wants a way out of our collective vertigo and back to fighting for what really matters.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/doppelganger/naomi-klein/2928377214036
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Friday the 13th Special ‘The Labour Party Conference’ and ‘Israel at War’ / with David Pratt
Season 6 · Episode 192
Friday, October 13, 2023 • Duration 06:17
Friday the 13th Special
‘The Labour Party Conference’ and ‘Israel at War’ / with David Pratt
Thank you for all your questions for David
Recommendations:
Stuart:
The Reckoning
Factual drama examining the crimes of Jimmy Savile, with testimony from survivors.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0g4swnr/the-reckoning
Eamonn:
Race across the World
In a frenetic race across the world, travellers can choose any route they like - but no flights or phones are allowed. On the trip of a lifetime, which pair will finish first?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002tvs
David:
We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memoir
The author and activist Raja Shehadeh reflects on his complex relationship with his late father - fellow activist Aziz - in this searing and emotionally candid memoir that views the Palestinian struggle through the prism of a singular family dynamic.
A vocal and fearless opponent, Aziz resists under the British mandatory period, then under Jordan, and, finally, under Israel. As a young man, Raja fails to recognise his father's courage and, in turn, his father does not appreciate Raja's own efforts in campaigning for Palestinian human rights.
When Aziz is murdered in 1985, it changes Raja irrevocably. This is not only the story of the battle against the various oppressors of the Palestinians, but a moving portrait of a particular father and son relationship.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-could-have-been-friends-my-father-and-i/raja-shehadeh/9781788169974
This is the news media and article that David mentioned
Israel Can’t Imprison Two Million Gazans Without Paying a Cruel Price
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2023-10-09/ty-article-opinion/.premium/israel-cant-imprison-2-million-gazans-without-paying-a-cruel-price/0000018b-1476-d465-abbb-14f6262a0000
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