Kamal Ahmed, Editorial Director of BBC News, and Rachel Corp, recently appointed Editor of ITV News, will speak at the conference’s keynote In Discussion With sessions to take place on Thursday lunchtimes on November 12 and November 26 respectively.
Taking part in the In Discussion With series on November 19 will be the Lord Chief Justice, The Right Honourable The Lord Burnett of Maldon, the most senior figure of the judiciary in England and Wales.
Mental health, lessons from lockdown, diversity and training are all topics that will be debated in the additional evening panel discussions commencing from November 10. Registration for the In Discussion With series and the panel debates are now open and are free to all.
Chairing a debate on ‘Mental Health in the Newsroom’ is SoE President Alison Gow, Audience and Content Editor North West for Reach Plc. The ‘Diversity in the News Media’ discussion will be steered by Managing Director of PA Media, Polly Curtis.
‘Lockdown lessons from Leicester and beyond’; ‘The size of Wales’; ‘Tackling the increase in online abuse against our journalists’; ‘Information in lockdown’ and ‘Northern Ireland: A place apart?’ are five panel debates that will explore pressing issues affecting the media from the UK’s regions and nations.
A dedicated training panel, held in conjunction with the NCTJ, will also look at journalism education and continuous development in the newsroom.
The panel discussions will be chaired by leading figures who understand the bespoke issues the media faces in each area, says the SoE.
The Birmingham Mail’s Marc Reeves will look at lessons learnt from the Leicester lockdown and Reach Editorial Revenue Director – formerly WalesOnline editor – Ceri Gould will steer a debate discussing Wales’s place in the world and whether it punches above or below its weight when it comes to topics from sport to politics and creative thinking.
JPIMedia’s Joy Yates will chair a debate bringing figures of the North East media together to discuss the rise in online abuse faced by journalists day-to-day.
Newsquest Scotland’s Donald Martin will delve into the ‘Information in lockdown’ topic and Sunday Life editor Martin Breen will chair a panel for Northern Ireland looking specifically at libel reform, threats to press freedom and media plurality.
Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors said: “Over the past 20 years the Society’s annual conference has set the agenda by getting to grips with issues at the heart of the media.
“I’m delighted that some of the strongest voices in the industry will be joining us virtually to give their thoughts on the future and challenges facing the UK press as we come to the end of an unprecedented year for news.”
