Stop The Press!
by Nick Copson, Bill Martin, Rob Chadwick
The podcast where journalism, politics and the media industry collide. Listen to Bill Martin, Nick Copson, and Rob Chadwick as they go from current affairs to investigative storytelling, from where news and media came from, to where it's heading, we explore the forces shaping how information is reported, consumed, and manipulated in today's fast-paced digital age.
Episodes
-
Back to the Future: Why Plymouth Live is Becoming The Herald Again
Send us Fan Mail Is the future of local journalism actually in its past? In this episode of Stop The Press!, the boys are joined by special guest Edd Moore, Editor-in-Chief for the South West at Reach PLC, to discuss a significant change in direction for one of Britain's biggest regional news...
-
One Man, One Newsroom: How a 23-Year-Old is Reinventing Local News
Send us Fan Mail Who says local journalism is dying? This week on Stop The Press!, we're joined by Seamus McCoy, the 23-year-old founder, owner and sole employee of Plymouth Plus, a fast-growing independent news network making waves in Plymouth. What started as a website and TikTok channel while...
-
Power, Money & the Press: Burnham, Man City and the latest legacy media battleground
Send us Fan Mail It’s been quite a summer for politics, football and the media - so Stop The Press! is back to pick through three stories where the headlines are almost as interesting as the events themselves. Nick and Bill are joined by Seamus McCoy, owner of Plymouth Plus, the independent local...
-
#38: The Future of Media with Morgan Stevenson: Can traditional publishers fight back?
Send us Fan Mail Traditional media is at a crossroads, but is its future as bleak as many predict? In this episode of Stop The Press!, Rob and Nick are joined by Morgan Stevenson, Chief Growth Officer at Iconic Media, whose career has spanned many of the UK's biggest regional and national...
-
#37: World Cup Wrap-Up, Media Winners & Andy Burnham's First Day in Downing Street
Send us Fan Mail The FIFA World Cup is over, and in this episode the team reflects on a tournament that delivered memorable football, surprise stories and plenty of debate both on and off the pitch. From the quality of the football and the atmosphere across North America to England's run to the...
-
#36: Makerfield to Manchester: Labour's new era and Stokes calls time
Send us Fan Mail This week on Stop the Press!, Nick, Rob and Bill round up the biggest stories dominating the UK headlines. They unpack the political fallout from the Makerfield by-election and what it signals for British politics, before debating the growing momentum behind Andy Burnham as the...
-
#35: Has Sports Journalism Changed Forever? Special Guest Episode with Chris Errington
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Stop The Press!, Nick Copson, Rob Chadwick and Bill Martin are joined by one of the South West's most respected sports journalists, Chris Errington, for a fascinating look behind the scenes of modern sports reporting. With decades of experience covering…
more -
#34: Can England finally bring it home? | World Cup 2026 Preview Special with Chris Errington
Send us Fan Mail The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is on. On this special football edition of Stop the Press!, Nick Copson, Rob Chadwick and Bill Martin are joined by respected Devon sports journalist Chris Errington to preview what could be one of the most intriguing World Cups in modern...
-
#33: Is Journalism Still Alive? Special Guest Episode with Adam Tinworth
Send us Fan Mail On the latest episode of Stop the Press!, Nick Copson, Rob Chadwick and Bill Martin sit down with media veteran, blogger and digital media lecturer, Adam Tinworth, for a brutally honest conversation about the future of journalism in the age of TikTok, YouTubers, creators and...
-
#32: Britain’s political circus: Can any party actually govern anymore? With Special Guest: Tess Tucker
Send us Fan Mail This week on Stop The Press!, Rob, Nick and Bill are joined by Tessa Tucker, former Conservative Party candidate for Exeter, to ask a question that increasingly feels unavoidable: Is Britain becoming ungovernable? As Westminster descends further into personality politics, support...
-
#31: Is social media dead?
Send us Fan Mail A landmark ruling in Los Angeles has sent shockwaves through Silicon Valley, with tech giants like Meta and Google found liable for contributing to the worsening mental health of a young woman who argued their platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive. In this episode…
more -
#30: Special Guest Episode with Pete Holdgate - War, Newsrooms, and the Power of the Image
Send us Fan Mail This week on Stop The Press!, the team sit down with Falklands War veteran and former Western Morning News and Plymouth Herald photographer Pete Holdgate for a powerful conversation about the craft and courage behind photojournalism. From his early days in the Marines to…
more -
#29: The Blair Years - His legacy and his leadership
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, Nick, Bill, and Rob discuss the recent Channel 4 documentary series The Blair Years and revisit the political era shaped by former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair. From the landslide victory of 1997 to three consecutive terms in office…
more -
#28: Iran invasion: War, Restraint, and the Media’s Reckoning
Send us Fan Mail The Middle East is once again at war. Following the joint Israeli and American strikes on Iran, the geopolitical consequences are unfolding at speed - from retaliation across the region to rising tensions between allies and growing uncertainty about what comes next. In this…
more -
#27: Hacked Off! Will it mean more press regulation?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, Nick, Bill and Rob unpack a week where media accountability, political influence and public broadcasting all collide. First, the team examines the latest developments in the Hacked Off trial - what it means for press regulation, whether the...
-
#26: Epstein Fallout: Andrew under arrest, the monarchy and the battle for the truth.
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, Nick Copson, Bill Martin and Rob Chadwick dig into the latest developments surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case and the continuing ripple effects across the media and the monarchy. With fresh documents and renewed online speculation driving...
-
#25: A round-up of the news and how it affects the media! And there's lots of it.
Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode of Stop The Press! Bill, Nick and Rob discuss what's been happening in the news, (or rather what's been happening in Trump-land) because that's the only show in town at the moment, and there's lots to discuss. The guys also discuss Starmer, Epstein, and who...
-
#24: Expose or Entrap? Sven, Big Sam, and the limits of the press
Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of the press and England sport pod, Bill, Rob, and Nick take on one of the biggest ethical questions in journalism: does the press go too far in pursuit of a headline? Using the historic but high-profile sting operations involving Sven-Göran Eriksson and Sam Allardyce…
more -
#23: From tabloids to Bazball - England sport’s never-ending media battle
Send us Fan Mail England’s Ashes tour of Australia didn’t just take place on the pitch - it played out in headlines, columns, and outrage too. From stories about drinking culture to fierce criticism of Bazball tactics, the coverage often felt less like analysis and more like a prosecution - in…
more -
22: Our wildly fanciful, slightly irreverent, almost certainly wrong... predictions for 2026
Send us Fan Mail What’s going to happen in 2026? Almost certainly not what we predict… which makes this episode perfect Stop The Press! territory. Bill, Nick and Rob each bring three predictions for the year ahead across news, media, politics and culture - and they range from the vaguely…
more -
21: 2025 - A Year in Review – Winners, Losers and the Wild Ride of 2025
Send us Fan Mail In this special year-in-review episode of Stop The Press!, Bill, Nick and Rob take a deep breath and dive into the whirlwind that was 2025. From Trump’s escalating tariff battles to the latest round of turmoil inside the Labour Party, the trio unpack the stories that dominated...
-
20: From Thatcher to Boris: How Britain’s Leaders Handle the Media
Send us Fan Mail This week, Rob, Bill and Nick, look back at 30 years of crossing paths with every British Prime Minister from Margaret Thatcher to Boris Johnson. Bill, especially shares what they were really like when the cameras stopped rolling, how they dealt with the media - and how the media...
-
19: Trump vs BBC: What this could mean for the future of the beeb
Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Stop the Press!, hosts Rob Chadwick, Nick Copson and Bill Martin break down the latest developments in Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the BBC for defamation. The team explores why the lawsuit has escalated now, the likely legal outcomes, and what this unprecedented...
-
18: Prince Andrew and Rachel Reeves scandals - British media prove there's nowhere to hide
Send us Fan Mail In this week’s episode of Stop the Press!, hosts Nick Copson, Rob Chadwick, and Bill Martin unpack two of the biggest stories shaking the UK media landscape — the latest developments in the Prince Andrew scandal and the property licence avoidance controversy surrounding Rachel...
-
17: Journalism on film - How media in pop culture has shaped views of the news
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop the Press!, hosts Nick Copson, Rob Chadwick, and Bill Martin explore how journalism in film and media in pop culture have shaped the public’s view of the news. From the iconic All the President’s Men and the Oscar-winning The Post to the modern digital-era...
-
16: Silly season 2025... or was it? What happened in the news this summer
Send us Fan Mail While the rest of Britain was busy incinerating sausages and arguing over who forgot the sun cream, Westminster went one better and set itself on fire. What’s usually the media’s quiet season — when journos are forced to turn “seagull steals chip” into a front-page exclusive —...
-
15: Gen Z and the News: Are They Even Listening?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, Rob, Nick and Bill dive into the shifting habits of Gen Z when it comes to consuming news. With headlines losing ground to TikToks and traditional media struggling to keep up with scroll culture, what does journalism mean to a younger audience?...
-
14: How podcasts revived long-form journalism
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, we explore how the podcast boom has breathed new life into long-form journalism. From deep-dive investigative series to immersive narrative storytelling, podcasts have created space for nuance and depth in a fast-twitch media world. We chat…
more -
13: Why don't we care about the news anymore?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, we delve into a pressing question: Why does the public seem to care less about the news today than they did 30 years ago? From the rise of digital overload to growing distrust in media, we explore the shifting habits, attitudes, and platforms...
-
12: Reform UK: Media Bias and the Rise of a Disruptor
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, we dive into the media coverage surrounding Reform UK - the most disruptive force in British politics today. As the party gains traction in the polls, we examine how outlets on both the left and right are reporting on its progress, policies…
more -
11: The BBC Unscripted: Past, Present & Future - Part 2
Send us Fan Mail In this special two-part edition of Stop The Press!, Rob, Bill and Nick turn the spotlight on the BBC - Britain’s most iconic media institution. Part One charts the broadcaster’s historic role in shaping journalism, culture, and public trust, from its founding principles to its...
-
10: The BBC Unscripted: Past, Present & Future - Part 1
Send us Fan Mail In this special two-part edition of Stop The Press!, Rob, Bill and Nick turn the spotlight on the BBC - Britain’s most iconic media institution. Part One charts the broadcaster’s historic role in shaping journalism, culture, and public trust, from its founding principles to its...
-
9: With Mike Baker: Is there still a career in Journalism?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, hosts Rob Chadwick, Nick Copson, and Bill Martin sit down with special guest Mike Baker to tackle a question weighing on the minds of aspiring reporters: Is there still a career in journalism? With the industry facing challenges like dwindling...
-
8: Henry Winter, Claire Balding, and Chris Sutton's 606 - the best of sports media according to us.
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stop The Press!, hosts Rob, Nick, and Bill dive into the world of sports journalism, sharing their all-time favourite pieces, writers, and moments that shaped the industry. From legendary columnists to groundbreaking investigative reports, they explore what…
more -
7: Is WhatsApp a legitimate news source... surely these messages are private?
Send us Fan Mail In the wake of the sacking of Labour MPs Andrew Gwynne and Oliver Ryan, who were dismissed from their positions and suspended from the Labour Party over offensive WhatsApp messages. These messages, leaked from a group chat named "Trigger Me Timbers," contained racist, sexist, and...
-
6: News & Media Predictions for 2025
Send us Fan Mail The news and media landscape is evolving faster than ever. From the rise of AI-generated content to the shifting tides of social media platforms, what trends will shape how we consume information in the coming year? In this episode, we break down our media predictions — from the...
-
5: How well does the BBC cover its own news?
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into the intriguing topic of how the BBC covers its own news, from internal controversies to its role as a global broadcaster. With a reputation for impartiality and credibility, the BBC often finds itself under scrutiny, especially when it is the subject...
-
4: News, Journalism and does it work on Social Media?
Send us Fan Mail Social Media and News have shared the same bed for 20 years, but how much is this space now affecting democracy, freedom of speech, and is it creating more and more division in society?
-
3: AI and the future of journalism
Send us Fan Mail We're no AI experts, we're all still learning (everyone is), but we've learnt enough to form opinions, so listen to Bill, Nick, and Rob debate how AI is currently infiltrating our newsrooms and news consumption habits, and where it all could eventually lead.
-
2: Local Newspapers: Does anyone care?
Send us Fan Mail Our first ever episode! It's a little rough around the edges but we'll get better and more polished. It's the topics that are most important, right? On this episode, Bill, Nick, and Rob, discuss the current state of local newspapers (and media in general) and ask the big…
more -
1: How can local media make money?
Send us Fan Mail
About this show
The podcast where journalism, politics and the media industry collide.
Listen to Bill Martin, Nick Copson, and Rob Chadwick as they go from current affairs to investigative storytelling, from where news and media came from, to where it's heading, we explore the forces shaping how information is reported, consumed, and manipulated in today's fast-paced digital age.
Hosted by
Nick Copson, Bill Martin, Rob Chadwick
Categories