Best of times or worst of times? Lessons for British journalism from Leveson and the hacking scandal, City Uni – 26 March

Debate – with networking drinks afterwards – 26 March, from 6.30pm at City University, London

Five months after Lord Justice Leveson began his inquiry into the culture and practices of the British press it already feels like we are living in a different era.

The tabloid kiss and tell, which had something of a Ryan Giggs-inspired renaissance around a year ago, appears to be a thing of the past.

The Press Complaints Commission has been killed off and currently lies in limbo awaiting regeneration from chairman Lord Hunt.

Tabloid editors, after their brief forays into the limelight at Leveson just before Christmas, have returned to their bunkers and appear much more hesitant creatures than they were in the pre-Leveson world.

And all the while the News Corp management and standards committee continues to dredge through the company’s innards in search of new reasons to arrest journalists.

Once all this is over can we rebuild British journalism on firmer more ethically sound foundations?

Has British journalism changed for the better or worse in the post Leveson era?

Is there a danger the pushy, irreverent and risk-taking Fleet Street tradition could be regulated out of existence?

To provide some assistance to Lord Justice Leveson has he mulls these and other questions City University journalism department is hosting a debate in association with Press Gazette – The best of times or the worst of times: What are the lessons of Leveson and the hacking scandal?

Chaired by former Panorama journalist – now a Professor of Journalism at City University – Suzanne Franks, the panellists are:

Former News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck
Independent editor Chris Blackhurst
General Secretary of the National Union of Journalists and former Daily Express journalist Michelle Stanistreet
Brand finance consultant and phone-hacking victim Mary Ellen Field

Press Gazette is also keen that as many other voices from across British journalism come along to have their say and contribute to the debate. We will ensure that a full report of proceedings is sent to the Leveson Inquiry.

The event starts at 6.30pm on 26 March in the Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre at City University, Northampton Square, London.

Click on this link to put your name down for this free event and for detailed directions

Afterwards there will be networking drinks provided by City University.

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