From Fleet Street To ‘Fake News’: The Decline of British Journalism | The Sceptic Ep.92

Why trust in the mainstream media has collapsed, the rise of the ‘lanyard class’ and why cleaner air may be behind Europe’s heatwaves.

In Episode 92 of the Sceptic, Ellie Hodges is joined by veteran broadcaster and journalist Mike Graham to lift the lid on Britain’s increasingly cosy media establishment, the decline of Fleet Street and why so many journalists now seem cut from the same cloth. They also discuss his new book, Fake News: The Secret Deal Between Government and the Media, and the rise of independent journalism.

And for our premium subscribers, Ellie talks to Prof Roger Pielke Jr, who challenges some of the simplistic claims surrounding Europe’s heatwaves and explains why cleaner air may actually be contributing to warming.

Donate to the Daily Sceptic to access our premium content. 

Follow Ellie on X.

Follow Mike on X.

Watch Mike’s YouTube channel here.

Buy his new book here.

Follow Roger on X here.

Read his Honest Broker Substack here.

Produced by Richard Eldred.

Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.

00:00 Intro 01:18 Mike Graham on ‘Fake News’ 08:46 Why Trust in the Media Has Collapsed 10:55 How Journalism Changed 14:26 The Working-Class Media Divide 16:23 How Headlines Shape Public Opinion 23:40 The Wild West of Fleet Street 28:39 How Social Media Killed the Press 30:27 The Collapse of Journalism’s Pay & Ambition 32:09 The End of the 9-to-5 Journalist 34:47 Building an Independent News Channel 39:53 Roger Pielke on Europe’s Heatwaves 40:34 Beyond the ‘Climate Change’ Explanation 42:32 Why Europe is Warming 43:14 The Role of Cleaner Air & Dry Soils 44:12 Adapting to Extreme Heat 45:39 The Problem With RCP8.5 48:40 What Happens to the Research?