SoE
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, will join a debate on public trust in the media at the Society of Editors’ conference in just over two weeks’ time.
Burnham, a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Health Secretary, was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017 and led the city’s response to the arena terror attack – an atrocity that occurred seventeen days after his election to the role.
Following the attack in which 22 people died, the media came under particular scrutiny with the official Kerslake Report into the aftermath of the bombing describing media behaviour as “intrusive and overbearing” with the panel reporting that they were “shocked and dismayed” by reports of press intrusion.
Burnham will join Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Darren Thwaites, the editor of the Manchester Evening News and Bénédicte Paviot, President of the Foreign Press Association to debate the aftermath of the Kerslake report and trust in the media more generally. The session will be chaired by Jane Martinson, Professor of Financial Journalism at City University and a columnist for The Guardian.
Burnham joins a host of other important names from the media world and elsewhere – such as Paul Dacre, chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers, Katharine Viner, Editor-in-chief of The Guardian, Amol Rajan, Media Editor at the BBC and Lloyd Embley, Group Editor-in-Chief of Reach plc- to discuss the trust factor at the conference next month.
Ian Murray, Executive Director of the Society of Editors said: “Mayor Burnham was instrumental in ensuring the spotlight fell on the role of the media following the Manchester Arena atrocity which resulted in the Kerslake Report’s criticism of some sectors of the industry. His thoughts on the report and the way the industry is responding will be a vital part of the Society’s Conference looking at the Trust Factor surrounding the UK media at the moment.”
Responsible for shaping the future of Greater Manchester, Andy’s priorities include ending rough sleeping, transforming Greater Manchester into one of the greenest city regions in Europe, and making Greater Manchester a great place to live, get on, and grow old. Before being elected Mayor, Andy was MP for Leigh from 2001. In government, Andy has held Ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009. In opposition, Andy has served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.
The conference will take place on Sunday 4 November and Monday 5 November at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester.
Booking is open and members can take advantage of rates of £549 +VAT for full conference and accommodation. Full conference including accommodation for non-members is £599+VAT. More information on the conference can be found online on our Conference page.
