In this episode, we will investigate the world’s most notorious political scandals and shocking tragedies and how these stories played out in the media around the world. The affairs, the assassinations, impeachments, and corruption of leaders that resulted in the painfully public ending of political careers.

In this episode, we cast a spotlight on our fascination with real life crime. Unpicking the details of brutal murders, kidnappings, and mysteries. Exploring the way these stories are reported, the relentless pursuit of new morsels of information, where every sordid detail was uncovered and revealed, and the inevitable trial by media that so often followed.

In this episode, we look at events in the lives of royal families. From dream weddings and new princesses, like Grace Kelly, to the splashy tabloid headlines of affairs and divorce. The ripples of these events reveal the sense of personal connection that citizens feel for royal families. We look back at the way these stories were reported and the impact they had on society to understand why they affected us so much, and the role the media plays in sustaining our adoration and fascination.

In this episode, we explore the changing face of war reporting and what this has done to public perspectives of conflict. Over two world wars, to Vietnam and then the Gulf War, the media has been there and brought the reality – increasingly so and in real time – into every home. The true cost in death and damaged lives has become familiar to us all – and yet, in a world of the 24hr news cycle, has that made it more ‘real’?

In this episode, we turn the lens back on the media, to examine those stories where shocking revelations, or errors or biases in reporting, lead the public to lose faith in those they trust.

This episode explores the world’s biggest financial scandals and crimes. These were headlines that affected thousands, or even millions of lives. Stories that many around the world couldn’t just watch with fascination as it unfolded; they were living and suffering from it directly. We look at who was involved, how it was reported and what caused these stories of multimillion dollar frauds and failures, bankruptcies, fortunes made and lost.