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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 news platform challenging the traditional model of regional journalism.

First up, Andy Burnham’s first Labour conference speech as Prime Minister. With promises to devolve power, rebuild Britain’s regions and offer the country “hope again”, has Burnham genuinely changed the political weather — and how has the media responded to a very different style of Labour leadership?

Then there’s the extraordinary Manchester City verdict. After years of allegations and argument, an independent commission has found City guilty of serious breaches of Premier League financial rules, including artificially inflating revenues. We look at the verdict, what happens next - and particularly the role of The Athletic and long-form investigative sports journalism in pursuing one of football’s biggest stories.

Finally, we turn the spotlight on Reach plc. Another major round of job cuts comes alongside a significant strategic change: less reliance on page views and referral traffic, and a renewed emphasis on original journalism, subscriptions, video and engaged audiences. After years of chasing digital scale, is Britain’s biggest commercial news publisher finally admitting that the old model no longer works?

And with Seamus building Plymouth Plus as an independent alternative in local news, we ask the bigger question running through the episode: what does all this tell us about where British journalism is heading next?

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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 publishing businesses, including Local World, Johnston Press, Trinity Mirror, Newsquest, Local IQ and National World.

Drawing on two decades of commercial leadership, Morgan offers an insider's perspective on how the industry has evolved, why so many traditional media organisations have struggled to adapt, and where the real opportunities for growth now lie.

Together they discuss the changing advertising landscape, the rise of digital platforms, AI's impact on journalism and commercial teams, the importance of trusted local news, and what publishers must do if they are to remain commercially relevant over the next decade.

Whether you're a journalist, publisher, advertiser or simply fascinated by the future of news, this is an honest and thought-provoking conversation about an industry that still matters - and how it might reinvent itself for the years ahead.

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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 semi-finals and Spain lifting the trophy, we discuss whether this was a World Cup that truly lived up to its billing. We also explore how broadcasters, journalists and digital creators covered the tournament, asking whether traditional television still owns football's biggest moments or whether social media has finally become the first screen for millions of fans.

We then turn our attention to Westminster following Andy Burnham's arrival as Prime Minister. Having inherited a divided country and a restless media landscape, Burnham has promised stability, economic reform and a fresh political direction after succeeding Keir Starmer. We examine the media narrative surrounding his first days in office, whether he'll enjoy the traditional political honeymoon period, how different newspapers are likely to position themselves, and what challenges lie ahead as journalists begin moving beyond the optimism of a new leader to holding his government to account. With trust in politics and the media under constant scrutiny, we ask whether Burnham can reshape not only Britain's future, but also the way it is reported.