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The Future of Journalism Conference Dates: 8 and 9 September 2011 Website: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jomec/conference/futureofjournalism/ Email contact: [log in to unmask] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Einar Thorsen, PhD Lecturer in Journalism and Communication The Media School, Bournemouth University Talbot Campus, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK E-mail: [log in to unmask] Twitter: http://twitter.com/einarthorsen Blog: http://multimediajournalism.info/ Phone: +44 (0)1202 968838 Convenor Journalism Research Group: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/imcr/cjcr/ Programme Coordinator MA Journalism and New Media: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/MAJNMF Communication Officer of MeCCSA: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ From: Einar Thorsen <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Reply-To: Einar Thorsen <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:11:14 +0100 To: MECCSA <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> Subject: [MECCSA] FoJ Special Session: A Roundtable - Murdoch, the ŒPhone Hacking Scandal¹ and the Future of Journalism ** On behalf of Bob Franklin, Cardiff University ** The Future of Journalism Conference Special Session: A Roundtable - Murdoch, the ‘Phone Hacking Scandal’ and the Future of Journalism The Conference is convening a special Roundtable to provide delegates with an opportunity to discuss the significant implications of what has been dubbed the ‘phone hacking scandal’ for the future of journalism. The Roundtable will be chaired by Bob Franklin (Cardiff University) and the panellists will be: Chris Bryant MP and Shadow Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform Ivor Gaber (University of Bedfordshire, UK) Bob McChesney (University of Illinois, USA) Bettina Peters (Global Forum for Media Development, Brussels) Lynette Sheridan Burns (University of Western Sydney, Australia) Panel presentations will be timed to allow fulsome opportunity for contributions and questions from the floor. The session will be streamed live and filmed for the School’s website. What UK press coverage called ‘the phone hacking scandal’, generated a steady stream of press stories and rumours across the last five years alleging the illegal invasion of the privacy of celebrities, politicians and members of the Royal family by employees of the News of the World. In July this year the story gained remarkable momentum when it was revealed that private investigators had hacked into the mobile phone of a missing young woman, who was later discovered to have been murdered. Publicoutrage transformed seemingly arcane concerns about journalism (mal) practice into a media feeding frenzy. Within two weeks, Murdoch had closed his most cherished and successful tabloid, the News of the World, Rebekah Brookes (CEO at News International) had resigned along with Les Hinton (Murdoch’s longest serving and trusted senior aide). Following press and politicians’ allegations about the lack of rigour with which the police had investigated the phone hacking claims, Metropolitan Police Chief Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates (the officer initially in charge of the investigation) also resigned. Labour leader Ed Miliband spoke forcibly in Parliament against News Corporation’s efforts to buy the satellite channel BSkyB and Murdoch eventually withdrew his bid. OnTuesday 19th July Rupert Murdoch and is son James were questioned by a Parliamentary committee about their knowledge and involvement in the scandal. Murdoch senior acknowledged it was the most humbling day of his life. Television news portrayals of Murdoch under questioning by MPs bore little relationship to the powerful media owner previously courted by Prime Ministers, politicians and spin doctors. Power relationships seemed to be in flux. US newspapers reported possible challenges to Murdoch by the Board of News Corporation. In UK newspapers, pundits speculated that Murdoch might close or sell the Sun, The Times and the Sunday Times; a substantial portion of the UK press, but only 1% of News Corporation’s holdings. The ‘brand’ was allegedly ‘toxic’. Commercial logic seemingly trumps public service and the democratic requirement for a vibrant and plural press. The Roundtable will discuss the wide range of issues of relevance and significance for the Future of Journalism which became evident as the scandal unravelled. They include the substantial implications for day to day journalism practice, journalism ethics, media ownership, concentration and regulation, journalists’ relationships with news sources, corporate involvement with the communication of politics and the shaping of media policy, and, of course, politicians’ relationships with news organisations (and their owners) which have grown increasingly supine and seemingly remote from the robust, critical and adversarial relationship necessary for a meaningful, democratic politics. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Einar Thorsen, PhD Lecturer in Journalism and Communication The Media School, Bournemouth University Talbot Campus, Poole, BH12 5BB, UK E-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Twitter: http://twitter.com/einarthorsen Blog: http://multimediajournalism.info/ Phone: +44 (0)1202 968838 Convenor Journalism Research Group: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/imcr/cjcr/ Programme Coordinator MA Journalism and New Media: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses/MAJNMF Communication Officer of MeCCSA: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ This email is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender and delete this email, which must not be copied, distributed or disclosed to any other person. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Bournemouth University or its subsidiary companies. Nor can any contract be formed on behalf of the University or its subsidiary companies via email. -------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA mailing list -------------------------------------------------------- To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the MECCSA list, please visit: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=MECCSA&A=1 ------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education. Membership is open to all who teach and research these subjects in HE institutions, via either institutional or individual membership. The field includes film and TV production, journalism, radio, photography, creative writing, publishing, interactive media and the web; and it includes higher education for media practice as well as for media studies. This mailing list is a free service from MeCCSA and is not restricted to members. For further information, please visit: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ -------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA mailing list -------------------------------------------------------- To manage your subscription or unsubscribe from the MECCSA list, please visit: https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=MECCSA&A=1 ------------------------------------------------------- MeCCSA is the subject association for the field of media, communication and cultural studies in UK Higher Education. Membership is open to all who teach and research these subjects in HE institutions, via either institutional or individual membership. The field includes film and TV production, journalism, radio, photography, creative writing, publishing, interactive media and the web; and it includes higher education for media practice as well as for media studies. This mailing list is a free service from MeCCSA and is not restricted to members. For further information, please visit: http://www.meccsa.org.uk/ --------------------------------------------------------