A debacle with sports host Gary Lineker sparks a furious debate about free speech and impartiality at the BBC. Plus, what could AI mean for the media?

The suspension by the BBC of Gary Lineker, a well-known footballer-turned-broadcaster, over a tweet comparing the United Kingdom’s new immigration bill with 1930s’ Nazi Germany, is exposing the double standards in British journalism and politics.

Contributors:
Myria Georgiou – Professor, LSE
William Turvill – Media correspondent, New Statesman
Ash Sarkar – Contributing editor, Novara Media
Martin Bell – Former correspondent, BBC News

On our radar:

Afghan journalists are paying with their lives in the power struggle between the Taliban and ISIL (ISIS). Producer Flo Phillips looks into the targeted explosion that marked Afghanistan’s National Journalism Day.

Generative AI and journalism:

Are you OK with AI?  Artificial intelligence is not exactly new, but it is having a blockbuster few months with constantly developing software that can do much more than responding to instructions. Producer Ahmed Madi explains the potential of AI and how it might transform the media you consume.

Contributors:
Jon Christian – Managing editor, Futurism
Melissa Heikkilä – Senior reporter, MIT Technology Review
Pranav Dixit – Tech reporter, BuzzFeed News