University News Last updated 22 October 2012
Crusading MP Tom Watson - who has championed reform of one of the world’s biggest media empires - will be turning his energies to help regional media rethink their future.
Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East, will join the UK’s leading media experts, professionals and policy-makers at a forum organised by Birmingham City University, a leader in media and journalism education, in partnership with NEC Group
Entitled Re-thinking Regional Media, the big debate will be held on Thursday 25 October (9am-4.30pm) in the ICC Birmingham – attracting ‘thought leaders’ who have helped shape media coverage of the 2012 Paralympics and outputs by organisations such as the BBC, Channel 4 and the Guardian.
The aim of the summit is to focus on the many challenges facing the regional sector and to develop a vision for supporting a sustainable and vibrant local and regional media. Recommendations will help inform national policy-makers and industry leaders.
“Nationally the media has reached a watershed with the Leveson enquiry and new recommendations to regulate its ethics and integrity,” said Tom Watson, who has been a high profile member of Parliament’s highly influential Culture Media and Sport Select Committee.
He added: “However, regional media has always retained its integrity and trust within its own communities but has reached its own watershed for very different reasons - the digital revolution, the empowerment to self-publish on free-to-view social media, plus the loss of traditional advertising revenues are all factors that have had their impact.
“The purpose of this Big Debate is to face those challenges head-on and to help set a new vision for regional media - radically re-thinking this sector’s future.
“A strong, future-proofed regional media is crucial to our economic wellbeing - creating jobs, attracting investment and giving the regions a powerful voice of their own.”
Driving innovation
Event organiser Joanna Birch said the Re-thinking Regional Media Big Debate aims to facilitate a new way of thinking to drive innovation in the industry, its communities and the public to establish a new way of working.
“The conference will ask some of the difficult questions including who is going to pay for regional media from radio, TV, newspaper and online and how can journalistic integrity be maintained,” added Joanna, Head of Enterprise Development at Birmingham City University.
“The Big Debate is bringing together decision makers, visionaries, experts and practising professionals to embark on reviewing the necessary key ingredients, through keynotes, debates and discussion with a view to making recommendations to drive the industry forward.
“The conference will result in a paper from highly reputed academics to make recommendations on how to move forward.”
Panel of experts
Joanna explained Tom Watson will join a team of experts who will share their expertise and advice with delegates drawn from across the regional media sector, including local newspapers, broadcasters and the burgeoning new media.
Keynote speaker will be Matt Locke, owner of Storythings and former head of Multiplatform Commissioning at Channel 4, developing multi-platform projects around some of the channel biggest brands, including Embarrassing Bodies and Big Brother. Matt also recruited and managed the team responsible for building Channel 4’s online presence for its highly praised 2012 Paralympics coverage.
Also, a Question Time-style panel of experts - chaired by BBC radio and television presenter Adrian Goldberg - will share their views and opinions at the event to help power debate. Members will include:
- Tom Watson, as a high profile member of the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee lead the debate on phone hacking and review on the future of media.
- Stuart Taylor, previous CEO of GMG Radio, sitting on the board of parent group, Guardian Media Group Plc. Stuart sits on the boards of Radio Player, Radio Centre and DRUK. Previously he was Commercial Director of Guardian News and Media.
- Paul Bradshaw, probably the UK’s leading digital journalist. Paul a Reader in Online Journalism at Birmingham City University and a Visiting Professor at City University’s School of Journalism in London, is an online journalist, media commentator and blogger. He has written for journalism.co.uk, Press Gazette, The Guardian’s Data Blog, Nieman Reports and the Poynter Institute in the US.
- Sarah Hartley, Managing Director of Talk About Local, an organisation that helps people find a powerful online voice through their own community websites and blogs.
Contribute and have your say before the event by following our blog and using the Twitter hashtag #rethinkmedia