Programme

Society of Editors 25th Anniversary Conference Programme
30 April 2024

9.00 am        Coffee and Registration

10.15 am     Welcome from Kamal Ahmed, President of the Society of Editors and Dawn Alford, Executive Director, Society of Editors 

10.25 am      Keynote address

10.40 am      Power, politics and the press – how do we grow and diversify audiences in a year of elections?

As the UK and other countries head to the polls in 2024, how do newsrooms plan to engage audiences, restore trust and what will be the big challenges in tackling disinformation, news avoidance and engaging first time voters? 

Chaired by: Ros Atkins, Analysis Editor, BBC

Panellists include:
Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor, ITV News
Jack Blanchard, Editor, POLITICO
Pippa Crerar, Political Editor, The Guardian
Kate Ferguson, Political Editor, The Sun on Sunday
Gavin Foster, Regional Editor, Newsquest North

11.30 am       Coffee

12pm              The Repair Shop – how can the press and the police be reconciled, and trust restored?

This session will explore the next steps for police and media relations including whether national guidance should be revised to highlight the importance of non-reportable background briefings and how protocols for sharing sensitive details can enhance rather than compromise ongoing investigations.

Chaired by: Tessa Chapman, Chief Correspondent, 5 News

Panellists include:
Rebecca Camber, Chair, Crime Reporters Association
Andy Marsh, Chief Executive, College of Policing
Robin Punt, Head of Corporate Communications, Essex Police
Pia Sarma, Chair, Media Lawyers Association 
Charles Thomson, London Investigations Reporter, Newsquest  

1.00 pm         Lunch 

2.00 pm         Keynote address by the Lady Chief Justice, the Rt Hon Baroness Carr of Walton on the Hill plus Q&A chaired by Kamal Ahmed, President, Society of Editors 

2.30 pm         AI and the future of journalism

Introduction from the moderator on the current AI media landscape including adoption of the technology by various newsrooms as well as AI opportunities for back-end news automation and making businesses more efficient.

Chaired by: Charlie Beckett, Director of JournalismAI and Polis, LSE

Panellists include:
Peter Clifton, Editor-in-Chief, PA Media
Jody Doherty-Cove, Head of Editorial AI, Newsquest
Blathnaid Healy, Executive News Editor (Growth, Social and Delivery) at BBC News
Tami Hoffman, Director of News Distribution and Commercial Innovation, ITN

3.30 pm          Coffee

3.45 pm         Reporting from the warzone – challenges and responsibilities 

Beyond the Frontlines: How to source accurate, bi-partisan and trusted news in global war zones. The importance of the whole team- from fixers and translators to producers, on the ground and back in the newsroom.   Plus how audiences want to receive news and avoiding news avoidance.

Chaired by: Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, Sky News

Panellists include: 
Rushdi Abualouf, Gaza correspondent, BBC
Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent, The Sunday Times
Simon Robinson, Executive Editor, Reuters 
Danielle Sheridan, Defence Editor, The Telegraph

4.35pm           The Editors’ Panel

A discussion with news leaders on the biggest opportunities and threats to journalism as well how to better represent audiences with a particular focus on supporting disabled journalists and training and development for young journalists.

Chaired by: Krishnan Guru Murthy, Presenter, Channel 4 News

Panellists include: 
Maria Breslin, Editor, Liverpool Echo
Danny Groom, Editor, MailOnline
Dylan Jones, Editor, Evening Standard
Jonathan Munro, Director of Journalism and Deputy CEO, BBC

5.30pm           Keynote address by The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

6.00pm           25th anniversary drinks reception and presentation of Fellowship Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism to Ian Hislop, Journalist, Broadcaster and Editor of Private Eye