From fake AI journalism to very real lives: An anatomy of a scoop September 2, 2025 Last week I wrote a wild story that began with an AI-generated pitch about warring London chicken shops and ended with a video call to Nairobi with the man who had willed it into existence. Wilson Kaharua – working under the alias Joseph Wales – was not a criminal mastermind but a small-time SEO writer [...]
Social Chain: Steven Bartlett’s first company returns to the black September 1, 2025 Social Chain, the media agency which was co-founded by Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett, has made its first profit since 2021, it has been revealed. The business, which was also set up by Dominic McGregor, has posted a pre-tax profit of £645,667 for 2024. New accounts filed with Companies House show that Social Chain’s return [...]
Mass hallucinations: How I caught a rogue AI reporter August 27, 2025 The ‘customer’ in the fried chicken shop didn’t touch his meal. Instead, he photographed the kitchen door’s keypad and left. ‘Corporate spy,’ muttered the cashier before showing me three identical incidents caught on his security cameras. This is the opening line of a pitch I received from a writer called Joseph Wales, entitled “London’s Fried [...]
Baby Reindeer maker falls to a loss after Netflix smash hit wears off August 8, 2025 The production company behind Baby Reindeer has fallen into the red as its earnings were slashed in the aftermath of the Netflix smash hit. Clerkenwell Films has posted a pre-tax loss of £1.5m for the year to 31 March, 2025, down from a pre-tax profit of £2.7m in the prior 12 months. New accounts filed [...]
Netflix rakes in record UK profits as cost conscious Brits choose adverts August 8, 2025 A rise in Brits choosing Netflix’s advertising tier helped the streaming giant rake in record profits as its UK revenue jumped towards the £2bn mark, it has been revealed. The UK arm of the US giant has reported a pre-tax profit of £63m for 2024, up from the £60.6m it achieved in 2023 – the [...]
Carter-Ruck’s libel lawyer referred to Disciplinary Tribunal August 7, 2025 A partner at the City-based law firm Carter-Ruck, renowned for its libel work, was referred to a prosecution hearing by the legal regulator over an “improper” threat to sue
WPP shares plunge again on halved dividend and strategic review August 7, 2025 Shares in advertising giant WPP dropped by as much as 4.7 per cent on Thursday morning after it revealed it would launch a strategic review and halve its interim dividend amid falling profit and stagnant revenue. The embattled media group, which owns major agencies like global PR shop Burson and creative juggernaut Ogilvy, revealed its [...]
All3Media: Losses balloon at The Traitors maker amid £100m hit August 6, 2025 Losses have ballooned at the production giant behind the likes of The Traitors, Race Across the World and Gogglebox as its revenue slumped by almost £100m, it has been revealed. All3Media has reported a pre-tax loss of £113.5m for 2024, after also posting a loss of £27.8m in 2023. New accounts filed with Companies House [...]
Sky challenges Ofcom’s end-of-contract notification rule in latest legal bid July 29, 2025 Media giant Sky is trying to appeal a regulatory ruling that put obligation on it to provide customers with end-of-contract notifications
Paramount bags South Park in $1.5bn deal after fierce bidding war July 24, 2025 Paramount has inked a $1.5bn (£1.1bn) deal with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, bringing the long-running animated satire exclusively to its streaming platform Paramount+ after a drawn-out bidding war with rivals including HBO Max and Netflix. The five-year agreement grants Paramount+ streaming rights to all 26 previous seasons of the Emmy-winning show [...]