An annual, UK conference of newspaper editors is to debate phone hacking and self-regulation in what could be its “most important conference to date”.
Say organisers, the Society of Editors, the programme for its annual conference “has been revised” to debate the issues thrown up “after a summer when the media was at the centre of a political storm”.
Says a statement issued by the Society: “The conference at Runnymede on the edge of London in November will see some of the biggest names in the industry, including national and regional editors, politicians and lawyers debate the future of media relationships and regulation.”
The statement quotes president, Robin Esser, executive managing editor of the Daily Mail, as saying: “This could prove to be our most important conference to date.”
After the conference opens on Sunday evening with the Society of Editors’ annual lecture delivered by the chair of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, the main working sessions on Monday will take the form of a rolling debate focusing on the future of self-regulation and the relationship between the press, politicians, the police and the public.
Confirmed speakers include Alan Rusbridger of The Guardian, Chris Blackhurst of the Independent, James Harding of The Times, former editor of the News of The World, Colin Myler, and Stephen Abell of the Press Complaints Commission.
Other speakers include John Whittingdale, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, and Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham.
The conference is taking place on November 13, 14 and 15.
For more information, visit www.societyofeditors.org
