The Media Club · 24 February 2023 · 41 min
‘Death knocks’ in 2023, Bob ‘Icebreaker’ Iger & newsrooms get scruffier
- Nicola Bulley Media Coverage
- Paid Verification on Social Media
- Disney-China Relations
- BBC News Dress Code
- BBC Huawei Branded Content
- Media Quiz: TV Deals
In this episode of The Media Club, hosts Matt Deegan and Jamie East, along with TV and radio consultant Paul Robinson, discuss the media coverage of Nicola Bulley's disappearance and the subsequent Ofcom complaints against ITV and Sky News. They also debate the value of paid verification on social media platforms following Meta's announcement, and explore the warming relations between Disney and China, with insights from Paul Robinson on Bob Iger's strategy. The episode includes a media quiz on recent TV deals and a discussion on the BBC's relaxed dress code for news presenters.
Key takeaways
- Ofcom issued a formal statement in response to complaints about ITV and Sky News contacting Nicola Bulley's family despite privacy appeals.
- Meta announced paid verification for Instagram and Facebook at $12 a month, testing in Australia and New Zealand.
- Disney's relationship with China appears to be warming, with Avatar: The Way of Water performing well and Bob Iger leading the charge.
- BBC News presenters have been told to relax their dress code as part of a channel relaunch, sparking debate.
- BBC Studios' branded content for Huawei achieved a 61% uplift, raising concerns about labelling and editorial integrity.
In this episode
- Intro and news round-up
- Nicola Bulley coverage discussion
- Paid verification debate
- Disney-China relations
- BBC dress code and Huawei content
- Media quiz
- Outro and plugs
Notable quotes
“It's created this weird fever dream that the whole country seems to have been in over it.”
“If you're piloting something 29 times, there is something intrinsically wrong with the original idea.”
“I think paying for a blue tick is very, very dangerous and in fact encourages more impersonation and risks those who are the genuine article if they choose not to blue tick.”
“Within 24 hours, having a blue tick became an embarrassment, rather than an aspiration.”
“The risk is that if you compromise, you end up with a camel, not a racehorse, which satisfies nobody.”
“It's the Zelensky effect for me, is what it is.”
Discussed
Mentioned or recommended
- Avatar: The Way of Water
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Toy Story
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
- Toy Story 5
- Frozen 3
- Warcraft
- The Great Wall
- Uncharted
- Eternals
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Mulan
- Kung Fu Panda
- Avengers: Endgame
- The Fate of the Furious
- Boris
- Eurovision Song Contest 2023
- Doctor Who
- The Smart 7
