Is a lack of investment in local media damaging society? - CIPR panel event
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) will gather leading national journalists and a Member of Parliament for a panel discussion to explore the role of local media and its ability to serve society in 2017.
The evening discussion - which takes place at the CIPR's offices on 22 November - will explore the role of modern journalism and assess the extent to which resource-starved media organisations are equipped to serve society, with specific reference to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The theme - 'Is a lack of investment in local media damaging society?’- will be discussed by a panel featuring:
- Charlie Beckett is a former journalist, now a professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is founding director of the LSE's journalism think-tank, Polis and of the LSE's Media Policy Project. He is leading the LSE's Truth, Trust and Technology Commission which launches in autumn 2017.
Grant Feller is a content consultant, media trainer and brand strategist with more than 25 years’ experience leading teams of writers and editors, in both print and digital operations for the Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph and the Daily Express. He also launched WebMD’s UK website. He now runs a consultancy, GF-Media, that specialises in brand, CEO and senior executive content – narratives, speechwriting, blogging, storytelling and thought leadership.
Laura McInerney is the editor of Schools Week and a columnist for the Guardian. Prior to that she was a teacher and author of the book “The Six Predictable Failures of Free Schools… And How To Avoid Them”. She became a journalist after being taken to court by the education secretary Michael Gove for asking a question under the Freedom of Information Act.
Mathew Rodda MP is a former journalist and civil servant, and a current Labour Party politician. He is the current Member of Parliament for the Reading East parliamentary constituency.
Grant Feller
Laura McInerney
Mathew Rodda MP
The discussion will be chaired by CIPR President-Elect, Sarah Hall Chart.PR, FCIPR.
The general public has always relied on media to hold power to account but with waning budgets, local journalists now struggle to leave the newsroom, let alone conduct investigative journalism into the things that matter to their local communities.
This event will look at whether the tragedy of Grenfell Tower could have been avoided had there been greater investment into local media resources, and consider how declining trust in the mainstream media is affecting society. The debate is critical to anyone in the public relations and media business.
The event will be broadcasted live via the CIPR's Facebook page.
Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis via Eventbrite.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).