Can Journalism Change the World?
A panel discussion at Birkbeck will explore the relationship between journalism and social change in a post-digital, post-Snowden world.
Birkbeck will bring together the worlds of professional journalism, citizen blogging and the tech industry this month to debate an age-old-yet-incredibly-current question: Can Journalism Change the World?
In recent years, the ability of the press to expose institutional and criminal corruption within the heart of establishment power has been openly demonstrated. From front page splashes on MPs expenses, secret rendition, phonehacking and mass surveillance, the media cycle has been dominated by a series of revealing investigations.
However, in some cases, the accountability of those wielding the power in the media industries has been called into question.
With this multi-faceted phenomenon squarely in mind, practitioners and academics in the field of journalism will speak at a public event exploring the relationship between journalism and social change in a post-digital, post-Snowden world.
Run by the Birkbeck Institute for Social Research on Tuesday 17 May, the panel event will feature the following speakers:
- Emily Maitlis (presenter, BBC Newsnight)
- Ewen MacAskill (defence and security correspondent, the Guardian)
- Peter Barron (vp communications and public affairs, Google)
- Owen Jones (author and columnist for the Guardian)
- Peter Jukes (author, screenwriter, playwright and investigative blogger)
- Dr Ben Worthy (lecturer in politics, Birkbeck)
Dr Justin Schlosberg, lecturer in Journalism and Media at Birkbeck and coordinator of the event, said: “On the surface, the fourth estate has never been more active in challenging and scrutinising power, even within its own backyard.
“From another perspective, professional journalists and news organisations have been widely implicated in accountability failure – failure to interrogate official claims especially around national security, failure to do justice to whistleblower accounts, and failure to sustain attention to stories and provide sufficient context and depth.
“Our aim for this event is to offer a platform for meaningful debate around this topic, by drawing on the voices and experiences of those researchers and journalists at the sharp edge of their professions. We also hope it serves to highlight the importance of investigative journalism which is built on the central tenets of professionalism and veracity.”
The event follows the recent launch of Birkbeck’s MA Investigative Reporting, the first cohort of who will begin studies this October. Prospective and enrolled students on the Master’s programme can also apply for funding via the Google Investigate Fellowship.
‘Can Journalism change the World?’ will take place on Tuesday 17 May, from 6-7.30pm at the School of arts, 43 Gordon Square. Find out more.
The free public event will be held during Arts Week, Birkbeck’s annual celebration of arts and culture, which this year features more than 50 free events for the public to attend. To see the full programme of free public events running from 16-20 May, visit www.bbk.ac.uk/artsweek
Listen to the Arts Week 2016 preview episode of Birkbeck Voices:
Find out more
- MA Investigative Reporting
- Courses at the Department of Film, Media and Cultural Studies
- Arts Week 2016