The Sceptic
The Sceptic
The Daily Sceptic
From Fleet Street To ‘Fake News’: The Decline of British Journalism | The Sceptic Ep.92
42 minutes Posted Aug 21, 2026 at 5:50 am.
Intro01:18 Mike Graham on ‘Fake News’08:46 Why Trust in the Media Has Collapsed10:55 How Journalism Changed14:26 The Working-Class Media Divide16:23 How Headlines Shape Public Opinion23:40 The Wild West of Fleet Street28:39 How Social Media Killed the Press30:27 The Collapse of Journalism’s Pay & Ambition32:09 The End of the 9-to-5 Journalist34:47 Building an Independent News Channel39:53 Roger Pielke on Europe’s Heatwaves40:34 Beyond the ‘Climate Change’ Explanation42:32 Why Europe is Warming43:14 The Role of Cleaner Air & Dry Soils44:12 Adapting to Extreme Heat45:39 The Problem With RCP8.548:40 What Happens to the Research?
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Show notes
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.
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Produced by Richard Eldred.
Filmed at the Westminster Podcast Studio.