The News Agents

Last updated

The News Agents
The News Agents Global Player Podcast.png
Presentation
Hosted by
Genredaily news podcast, podcast, news commentary podcast, political podcast   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
LanguageEnglish
Production
No. of episodes341, 362, 368, 399, 447  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Publication
Original release30 August 2022 (2022-08-30) – present
Ratings4.4/5  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Related
Website globalplayer.com/podcasts/42KuVj/

The News Agents is a British daily podcast produced by Persephonica for Global Media & Entertainment. It is presented by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall. It launched on 30 August 2022, with episodes released every weekday afternoon. [1]

Contents

Overview

Presented by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall, The News Agents is a podcast that examines the day's news stories with a more informal presenting style than media outlets such as the BBC. It is marketed as an alternative to Radio 4's Today (although Fiona Sturges of The Financial Times has suggested "its real rival is The Rest Is Politics", a political podcast presented by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart). [2]

History

Details of a podcast presented by Maitlis and Sopel were first revealed in February 2022, when it was announced both would be leaving BBC News to join Global. Maitlis, a presenter of Newsnight , and Sopel, the BBC's North America editor, had previously worked together on the BBC's Americast podcast. On 22 August, Global confirmed The News Agents would launch the following week, with Maitlis and Sopel presenting from Mondays to Thursdays, and Goodall presenting on Fridays. [3] [4]

The podcast received extensive pre-launch publicity, which James Marriott, writing in The Times , has described as a "weeks-long publicity blitz" that promised a "suave up-to-date show that would blast aside the staid, fuddy-duddy stuff on Olde-Worlde radio". [5] A few days before the podcast's launch, Maitlis delivered the 2022 MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival, during which she spoke of what she believed to be a threat posed to journalism by populist politicians. [6] The opening edition, titled Trump – Prison or President?, focused on the FBI investigation into Donald Trump's handling of presidential documents and the subsequent raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate, [7] with Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House Director of Communications, appearing as a guest. [8]

In January 2023, the podcast obtained a leaked letter from Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in which she recommended the government reverse its plans to privatise Channel 4. [9] In an episode released on 27 January 2023, which contained an interview with Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, she accused some opponents of the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill of using women's rights as a "cloak of acceptability" for transphobia. [10]

On 27 June 2023, Global announced a deal with HSBC which would see the bank become lead sponsor of The News Agents. [11] On 11 January 2024, HSBC and Global announced the sponsorship deal had been extended for a further 12 months. [12]

Spin-off podcasts

On 26 May 2023, it was announced that a weekly US version of the podcast would launch on 20 June. The News Agents USA is hosted by Maitlis and Sopel. [13] On 29 September 2023, Global announced a further spin-off podcast, The News Agents Investigates, would launch on 1 October and be presented by Goodall. [14] On 7 February 2024, Global announced plans to launch The Sports Agents, presented by Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman, and available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the spring. [15] The Sports Agents was launched on 5 March 2024. [16] * On 26 April 2024, it was announced that Tesco had signed a deal to become headline sponsor of The Sports Agents. [17]

Audience

On 4 September 2022, it was reported that The News Agents had topped the Apple UK Podcast Chart. [6] On 8 December, it was reported by Press Gazette that The News Agents had reached 10 million downloads. [18] On 28 March 2023, media including the Radio Today website and Podnews, reported that The News Agents had become the UK's leading daily podcast, with 24 million downloads since its launch. [19] [20]

Reception

The first edition received a mixed reception, with reviewers praising the quality of its content but expressing concern about the informal approach of its presenters. James Marriott of The Times described it as "slick but a little baffling" with "tantalising glimpses of the much better show that will doubtless be constructed from all the beautiful, uber-professional moving parts that are welded together so oddly in this first episode". [21] Sean O'Grady of The Independent felt it was "balanced, informative and analytical" but was less impressed with the presenting style: "The thing I actively disliked about the podcast was the very thing that is supposed to make these exercises so refreshing and fun – that terrible forced chumminess and informality, supposed to be like three old friends gossiping in a bar". [22]

Mark Lawson of The Guardian suggested the edition "most resembled the post-show Newsnight green room cool-down, with presenters and contributors speaking slightly more loosely", and that it "is bold of Global" to launch the podcast, but concluded "It remains to be seen, though, if the best use is being made of these latest big-money signings". [7] Judith Woods of The Telegraph was critical of the episode for choosing to focus on an international story rather than focusing on UK news topics "on a day when the [British Medical Association] warned of a doctors' strike, a police investigation was reopened on an alleged child grooming gang in Hull and Goldman Sachs suggested inflation could top 22 per cent next year". [23] The topic choice was also highlighted by Fiona Sturges of The Financial Times , particularly as the Mar-a-Lago raid was by then an old news story; she highlighted other problems as well: "a surfeit of interviews with commentators you've never heard of; phoney-sounding listener questions; and, Lord help us, the small talk" which "comes over as forced and unfunny". [2]

Awards

The News Agents was the winner of the award for Best Podcast at the 2023 Global Awards. [24]

Related Research Articles

<i>Newsnight</i> BBC Television current affairs programme

Newsnight is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. The programme is broadcast on weekdays at 22:30 on BBC Two and the UK feed of BBC News channel; it is also available on BBC iPlayer.

<i>The Now Show</i> British radio comedy show

The Now Show is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which satirises the week's news. The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The show used to feature regular appearances by Jon Holmes, Laura Shavin, a monologue by Marcus Brigstocke, and music by Mitch Benn, Pippa Evans or Adam Kay, but later featured a much wider range of contributors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fi Glover</span> British journalist and presenter (born 1969)

Fiona Susannah Grace "Fi" Glover is a British journalist and presenter who currently hosts a two hour show for Times Radio and the Off Air podcast, for The Times. Before joining The Times in October 2022, Glover worked for the BBC for almost thirty years, most recently presenting the Fortunately podcast, with Jane Garvey, The Listening Project for BBC Radio 4 and My Perfect Country for the BBC World Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Amroliwala</span> British television newsreader (born 1962)

Matthew Amroliwala is a British television newsreader, who is one of the chief presenters on the BBC News Channel. He has also been an occasional relief presenter of the BBC News at One on BBC One. He also presented Crimewatch alongside Kirsty Young from January 2008 until March 2015.

<i>BBC London</i> (TV programme) BBC television news programme for Greater London

BBC London is the BBC's regional television news programme for Greater London and its surrounding areas. Its local competitor is ITV News London, which is produced by ITN for ITV London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Maitlis</span> British journalist

Emily Maitlis is a British journalist and former newsreader for the BBC. She was the lead anchor of the BBC Two news and current affairs programme Newsnight until the end of 2021, and is currently a presenter of the daily podcast The News Agents on LBC Radio.

Mark Mardell is a British journalist, formerly the presenter of The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4. He had previously served as BBC News's Europe editor, and provided coverage for each United Kingdom general election between 1992 and 2005, before he became North America editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Sopel</span> British journalist

Jonathan B. Sopel is a British journalist, television presenter and podcaster. He was formerly BBC News's North America editor; chief political correspondent for the domestic news channel BBC News; a presenter on the Politics Show on BBC One and the BBC News channel; and from 2013 to 2014, the main presenter of Global on BBC World News. Since 2022, he has been presenting the Global daily news podcast The News Agents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Minchin</span> British journalist and news presenter

Louise Mary Minchin is a British television presenter, journalist and former news presenter who currently works freelance within the BBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Global Media & Entertainment</span> British media company

Global Media & Entertainment Limited, trading as Global, is a British media company formed in 2007. It is the owner of the largest commercial radio company in Europe having expanded through a number of historical acquisitions, including Chrysalis Radio, GCap Media and GMG Radio. Global owns and operates seven core radio brands, all employing a national network strategy, including Capital, Heart, Gold, Classic FM, Smooth and LBC.

<i>Global</i> (TV programme) British TV series or programme

Global, styled also as Global with Matthew Amroliwala, was a news programme on BBC World News that premiered on 14 January 2013 with the relaunch of the channel from Broadcasting House. The programme was hosted initially by Jon Sopel who joined the channel from the domestic BBC News channel. Sopel regularly presented the programme on location around the world and in this case it is broadcast in part on the BBC News channel. Sopel was promoted to North America Editor in 2014, and was succeeded in September by Matthew Amroliwala.

<i>The Context</i> (TV programme) British television programme

The Context, also styled as The Context with Christian Fraser, is a live current affairs programme that airs Monday to Friday on the international and UK feeds of the BBC News channels from 20:00 GMT till 22:00 GMT.

This is a list of events taking place in 2019 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

Newscast is a British daily podcast and weekly television programme produced by BBC News. It takes a look at the day’s main news, political events and talking points. It is the most listened to podcast on BBC Sounds and consistently ranks as the most popular news podcast in the United Kingdom. It is presented by the BBC's former chief political correspondent Adam Fleming with political editor Chris Mason.

Lewis Goodall is a British journalist, broadcaster and author. Raised in Birmingham, he worked as a journalist for Granada Studios before becoming a political correspondent for Sky News. He later became policy editor of the BBC's flagship current affairs programme Newsnight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Podcast Awards</span> Annual awards

The British Podcast Awards is an annual awards ceremony intended to celebrate outstanding content within the British podcast scene. The British Podcast Awards is owned and operated by Haymarket Media Group, which also owns several media businesses, including Campaign and PRWeek.

This is a list of events taking place in 2022 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

This is a list of events taking place in 2023 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

<i>The Rest Is Politics</i> British podcast

The Rest Is Politics is a British podcast hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart.

This is a list of events in 2024 relating to radio in the United Kingdom.

References

  1. ↑ "The News Agents with Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel & Lewis Goodall: episodes, how to listen & more". LBC. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 Sturges, Fiona (5 September 2022). "Podcast review — The News Agents sets out to break the mould". The Financial Times. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel: 'Risk, jeopardy, challenge. Whatever you want to call it we've got it'". The Guardian. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Details of Emily Maitlis & Jon Sopel's new Global podcast revealed". Radio Today. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "News Agents review: is Sopel and Maitlis's podcast a 'slick, expensive mess'?". The Week UK. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 Havelock, Laurie (4 September 2022). "Lewis Goodall: Old-fashioned TV news bulletins are 'like eating your greens or going to church'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  7. 1 2 "The News Agents review – how Maitlis and Sopel will use their post-BBC freedom remains to be seen". the Guardian. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "'You got me fired!': Anthony Scaramucci jokes with Emily Maitlis on first ep of The News Agents podcast". LBC. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "Channel 4: Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan advises PM against privatisation". BBC News. 4 January 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Nicola Sturgeon accuses gender reform opponents of using women's rights as 'cloak of acceptability' for transphobia". Sky News. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Martin, Roy (27 June 2023). "The News Agents secures HSBC UK as headline podcast sponsor". Radio Today. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  12. ↑ "HSBC UK extends sponsorship of The News Agents podcast". Radio Today. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Collins, Steve (26 May 2023). "Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel to host The News Agents: USA". Radio Today. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Global launches new spin-off to The News Agents podcast". Radio Today. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Collins, Steve (7 February 2024). "Global adds The Sports Agents to The News Agents brand". Radio Today. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  16. ↑ "Global announces launch date for The Sports Agents podcast". Podcasting Today. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Tesco Mobile to be headline sponsor of Global podcast The Sports Agents". Radio Today. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "News Agents podcast hits 10 million downloads". Press Gazette. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "The News Agents podcast hits 24 million downloads in seven months". podnews.net. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  20. ↑ Collins, Steve (28 March 2023). "Global's The News Agents podcast hits 24 million downloads". Radio Today. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Marriott, James. "The News Agents review: Maitlis and Sopel return, slick but a little baffling" . Retrieved 2 September 2022– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  22. ↑ "Opinion: Leaving the BBC for a podcast – what is Emily Maitlis thinking?". The Independent. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  23. ↑ Woods, Judith (30 August 2022). "The News Agents, review: a wasted opportunity – and boring to boot". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 September 2022– via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  24. ↑ Martin, Roy (1 April 2023). "Global's The News Agents win Best Podcast at Global Awards". Radio Today. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.