Senior editors and a Reuters digital strategist will be among experts at the London Press Club debate on the media issue of 2020 – have mainstream publishers lost touch with Generation Z.

The forum on Monday 10 February will examine whether traditional publishers can survive without the post millennials, or if the lost audience can be won over.

A recent in-depth study by Reuters Institute researchers showed that under-25s seldom went to mainstream publishers for news. The findings will be presented on the evening – sponsored by the Society of Editors and Cision – at Stationers’ Hall near St Paul’s. The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A, and then networking over glasses of wine.

Tickets cost £10 (including VAT) and are free for paid-up members of the London Press Club and the Society of Editors. To purchase or reserve your ticket at londonpressclub.co.uk

The debate will be chaired by BBC journalist and news presenter Samantha Simmonds.

Panellists will include Reuters Institute director Nic Newman, a digital strategist who as Head of Product Development for BBC News helped introduce innovations including blogs, podcasting and on-demand video. Nic Newman said: “Reaching and engaging young people is one of the key challenges for news media as we enter a new decade.”

Also on the panel will be:

• Vicky Frost who recently joined the Evening Standard as editor of Future London and was previously lifestyle editor at the Huffington Post and before that headed up the Guardian’s public registration and support project;
• Yara Silva, Group Head of Social Media for Reach plc’s national titles, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Express and OK! Magazine. Before heading up the group she was Head of Social for the Daily Mirror for two years, and before that she worked in social media for the Daily Mail. 

Previous London Press Club debates held in association with the Stationers’ and Newspaper Makers Company have included focussing on equal opportunity and pay for women journalists, surveillance and data intrusion, and the battle for survival of freedom of the press and quality journalism.