Conferences 2004 – 2010
Glasgow 2010
Have we got GOOD news for you
November 14, 15, 16 2010
Located in the heart of Glasgow City Centre, next to Central Station, the historic Glasgow Central Hotel was designed by Robert Rowand Anderson.
Alexander Lebedev, owner of the London Evening Standard, the Independent, the Independent on Sunday and i delivered the prestigious Society of Editors Lecture.
Session speakers included:
Bill Akass, Managing Editor, News of the World, Joanne Butcher, Chief Executive, National Council for the Training of Journalists, Jim Chisholm, Media Consultant and Analyst, Martin Clarke, Publisher, MailOnline, Robin Esser, Executive Managing Editor, Daily Mail, Paul Francis, Political Editor, The KM Group, Jodie Ginsberg, Bureau Chief, UK and Ireland, Reuters, Deric Henderson, Ireland Editor, Press Association, Stephen Heppell, CEO, Heppell.net and Visiting Professor, Bournemouth University, Steve Hewlett, Columnist and consultant, Mike Ironside, Chief Executive, National Readership Survey, Tony Jaffa, Partner, Foot Anstey Solicitors, John Kampfner, Chief Executive, Index on Censorship, Marie Kinsey, Chair, Broadcast Journalism Training Council and Director of Postgraduate Journalism, University of Sheffield, Alexander Lebedev, owner, London Evening Standard, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday, Fred MacAulay, Comedian and presenter, Donald Martin, Editor, Sunday Post, Douglas McCabe, Press and Online Analyst, Enders Analysis, Denzil McDaniel, Editor, Impartial Reporter, Maria McGeoghan, Editor, Manchester Evening News, John Mullin, Editor, The Independent on Sunday, Stewart Purvis, Professor of Television Journalism, City University, Lesley Riddoch, Journalist, Feisty Productions, Alex Salmond MSP, First Minister of Scotland, Clare Sambrook, novelist, journalist and pro-bono coordinator of End Child Detention Now, Raymond Snoddy, Media Commentator, Martin Stanford, Presenter, Sky News, Alastair Stewart OBE, Presenter, ITV News, Dianne Thompson, Group CEO, Camelot, Darren Thwaites, Editor, Evening Gazette, Teesside, Derek Tucker, Editor, Press and Journal, Ellis Watson, CEO, Syco Entertainment and Joy Yates, Editor, Hartlepool Mail.
London Stansted 2009
The Fightback
November 15, 16, 17 2009
MEDIA analyst Claire Enders and newspaper strategy guru Jim Chisholm set the scene for debates about the future of news at the Society of Editors annual conference located at London Stansted.
Baroness Buscombe, Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission delivered the Society of Editors lecture Chaired by Nigel Pickover, President, Society of Editors.
Session speakers included:
Roger Alton – Editor, The Independent, John Angeli – Head of Content, Press Association, Ruth Barnett – Social Media Correspondent, Sky News, Neil Benson – Editorial Director, Trinity Mirror Regionals, Helen Boaden – Director, BBC News, Matt Brittin – Director UK, Google, Benedict Brogan – Assistant Editor, The Telegraph, Simon Bucks – Associate Editor, Sky News, Baroness Buscombe – Chairman, Press Complaints Commission, Jim Chisholm – Joint Principal, iMedia Advisory Services, Caroline Diehl MBE – Chief Executive and Founder, Media Trust, Torin Douglas – Media Correspondent, BBC News, Jonathan Edwards – Olympic Athelete, Christopher Graham – Information Commissioner, Geordie Greig – Editor, London Evening Standard, Dominic Grieve QC MP – Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, John Hardie – Chief Executive, ITN, James Harding – Editor, The TImes, Steve Hewlett – Columnist and Consultant, David Higgerson – Head of Multimedia, Trinity Mirror Regionals, David Holdsworth – Controller, English Regions, BBC, Morgan Holt – Director of HUGE, Rt Hon The Lord Judge – Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Donald Martin – Editor-in-Chief, Herald & Times Group, Glasgow, Douglas McCabe – Enders Analysis, John Meehan – Editor, Hull Daily Mail, Andrew Moger – Independent Specialist in News Media Rights, François Nel – Director, Journalism Leaders Programme, University of Central Lancashire, Martin Newland – Editorial Director, The National, Abu Dhabi, Joshua Rozenberg – Legal commentator, Raymond Snoddy – Media Commentator, Martin Stanford – Anchor, Skynews.com, Keir Starmer – Director of Public Prosecutions, Alastair Stewart OBE – Presenter, ITV News, Andrew Trotter – Chairman Media Advisory Group, ACPO, Tony Watson – Managing Director, Press Association, Jim White – Columnist, Daily Telegraph and Martin Wright – Associate Editor, NWN Media.
Bristol 2008
November 9, 10, 11 2008
The 2008 conference in Bristol, which once again featured a packed programme, was a huge success. The conference began with a reception on board ss Great Britain.
The annual lecture was delivered by Paul Dacre, Editor, Daily Mail and Editor-in-Chief, Associated Newspapers (Read the full text here in word format).
Chief of Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup told the Society of Editors Conference that the British media must strike a balance between reporting the day-to-day drama of military engagements and the broader strategic context in which they must be judged.
Session speakers included:
Sly Bailey – Chief Executive, Trinity Mirror Plc, Ruth Barnett – Multimedia Producer, Sky News, George Brock – International Editor, The Times, Simon Bucks – Associate Editor, Online, Sky News, Hugh Carnegy – Financial Times, Martin Clarke – Publisher, Mail Online, Pete Clifton – Head of Editorial Development, BBC Multi-Media Journalism, Paul Dacre – Editor of the Daily Mail and Editor-in-Chief, Associated Newspapers, Torin Douglas – Media Correspondent, BBC News, Paul Egglestone – Senior Lecturer in the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire, Robin Esser – Executive Managing Editor, Daily Mail, Jon Godel – Editor of ITN, Graham Hansell – Founder and Head of Strategy, Sitelynx, Andrew Hawken – Editorial Director, online, BSkyB, David Holdsworth – BBC Controller of English Regions, Andrew Marr – Presenter and Journalist, Donald Martin – Editor, Evening Times since, Glasgow, Kevin Marsh – Editor, BBC College of Journalism, Carolyn McCall – Chief Executive, Guardian Media Group, Sir Christopher Meyer – Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, Clarence Mitchell – Freud Communications, Andy Moger – Executive Director, News Media Coalition, Jane Omara – Reporter, Western Morning News, Robert Peston – Business Editor, BBC, Malcolm Pheby – Regional Editorial Director, Northcliffe Midlands and Editor, Nottingham Evening Post, Nigel Pickover – Editor, Evening Star, Ipswich, Pete Picton – Editor Sun Online, Peter Preston – Co-director of the Guardian Foundation, Michael Rosenblum, Alan Rusbridger – Editor the Guardian, Dietmar Schantin – Director, IFRA Newsplex, Ian Squires – Director, ITV Regional Production, Mark Smith – Managing Director of s1, Raymond Snoddy – Media Commentator, Jon Snow – Channel 4 News Main Presenter, Alastair Stewart – ITV News, Sir Jock Stirrup – Chief of the Defence Staff, Richard Thomas – Information Commissioner and Martin Stanford – Anchor, Sky.com News.
Manchester 2007
A Matter of Trust
November 4, 5, 6 2007
Senior figures from across the media debated A Matter of Trust at the Society of Editors ninth annual conference in Manchester between 4-6 November 2007.
They included Will Lewis from the Daily Telegraph, Peter Wright from the Mail on Sunday, BBC Deputy Director General Mark Byford, Dorothy Byrne of Channel 4, Anne Spackman of TimesOnline, Georgina Henry of The Guardian, Steve Lowe of LSN Media, Philip Graf of Ofcom, Neil Fowler of Which?
Speakers from other organisations included Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Ken Macdonald QC and Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty .
The Director General of MI5, Mr Jonathan Evans made a keynote contribution that made front page news.
Paul Horrocks, past-president of the society and editor of the Manchester Evening News, said: “As new platforms for distributing news are developed, we have looked at the technology and marketing of the modern converged media. This years conference concentrated on how the new-look industry will mature.
“Credibility and trust are essential for any media organisation to prosper. How will traditional print or broadcasting organisations maintain that trust? How will new websites, digital channels, blogs or podcasts earn it? How do relationships with government, other organisations and, most important, readers, listeners and viewers need to change? We looked at the political, legal and training implications behind A Matter of Trust.”
Glasgow 2006
The Next Generation
Herald editor Charles McGhee opened the 8th annual Society of Editors (SoE) conference, at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow, by outlining future challenges for the industry.
The event, staged in Scotland for the first time, focuses on the next generation of reporting across the print, online and broadcast media.
The outgoing SoE chairman said: “Rarely has our industry faced so many challenges, threats and opportunities. And rarely have we been required to move so quickly to meet them. But the UK media is the best in the world because it is the most competitive in the world – and the tougher the challenge the more creative we have become to survive.”
The conference ran until Tuesday lunchtime with a variety of high-profile speakers from across the media spectrum. It gave professionals in the industry a chance to exchange views and engage in contemporary debate.
McGhee added: “At the Society of Editors conference, we examine and debate the issues that affect all of us. And let’s not forget, the Society fights on behalf of the entire media to uphold the principles of freedom of speech and the public’s right to know.”
Delegates have congregated in Glasgow and represent all areas of the British media, and McGhee urged his audience to forget about competition between sectors.
He said: “The beauty of conference is that it affords us the opportunity to forget our cross-media rivalry and remember the fact we’re all united in the same business – the business of journalism.”
A full day’s programme is scheduled for Monday when BBC director general Mark Thompson delivers the key-note address, entitled ‘The BBC: Expensive Big Brother or International Media Icon?’.
Other subjects include a debate on the impending impact of digital technology, the latest threats to the media’s ability to report on behalf of the public, and an insight into what prevents editors from getting a sound night’s sleep.
By Gordon Bell and Paul Thomson
Windermere 2005
Whatever Next?
Editors sat down to the hard work of debate about current media issues against the beautiful background of the English Lake District during their annual conference in October 2005.
The conference opened with the prestigious Society of Editors Lecture delivered by Les Hinton, executive chairman of News International and chairman of the Editors’ Code Committee.
Speakers included the big names from the industry, politics and the law, such as: Melvyn Bragg, Richard Scase, Pat Loughrey BBC, Ken MacDonaldDPP, Steve Egginton Worldwide Media Ltd, Asha Oberoi PA News, Kevin Maguire The Daily Mirror, Alan Rusbridger The Guardian, Simon Kelner The Independent, Charles McGhee Evening Times Glasgow, Paul Horrocks Manchester Evening News, John Meehan, Hull Daily Mail, Sir Christopher Meyer, Press Complaints Commission, Robert Cockroft, Barnsley Chronicle, David Gledhill Bath Chronicle, Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun.
The event was based at the Low Wood Hotel on the shores of Lake Windermere with the gala annual dinner taking place on the evening of Monday 17 October. The conference wrapped up with an breakfast seminar, starting a little late on Tuesday 18 October, so as not to impede a hard night’s networking at the dinner.
Newcastle 2004
Let’s get real
Delegates were welcomed to the Newcastle conference sessions by the outgoing society president Neil Benson.
Mr Benson, Trinity Mirror’s Regional Editorial Director, said he spent seven very happy years in Newcastle where he edited the Evening Chronicle and hoped delegates would get a chance to see the city.
He thanked last night’s Society of Editors lecturer Stewart Purvis who he said “had got the event off to a terrific start.” Mr Benson also thanked the event sponsors One North East for their support and introduced its chief executive Margaret Fay to the conference.
A former managing director of Tyne Tees Television, where she worked for 23 years, Margaret Fay stressed the importance of the media in reporting positive stories about the region.
She said: “The media have a key role in helping us to achieve what we want to do in this region. We can work together at both a national and regional level to change perceptions of places like Newcastle.”