2012 - A Good year for Journalism?

“2012 - A Good year for Journalism?”

Blair Jenkins OBE

RSA Scotland in collaboration with Carnegie Trust UK and Strathclyde Business School invite you to attend a speaker and panel debate, presented by Blair Jenkins OBE.

In February 2012, the Carnegie Trust published a new report – Better Journalism in the Digital Age – written by Carnegie Fellow Blair Jenkins OBE. Blair will present the key findings of his report to the audience, and a panel comprising media professionals and academics will discuss, debate and invite audience response ensuring a highly engaging and participative session.

Professor Susan Hart, Dean, Strathclyde Business School, will chair the event, and he will be joined on the panel by Lesley Riddoch and Eamonn O’Neill.

The formal part of the evening will run for around 1.5 hours (including panel session and discussion). Drinks and an opportunity to meet the panel will follow directly after the event.

To accept this invitation, we ask that you formally register for this event here.

Blair Jenkins OBE

Blair Jenkins OBE is a Fellow of the Carnegie UK Trust and one of the most experienced figures in Scottish media. He has been Director of Broadcasting at Scottish Television and Head of News and Current Affairs at both STV and BBC Scotland. In 2008 he chaired the independent Scottish Broadcasting Commission set up by the Scottish Government to make recommendations on the future of the industry, and from September 2010 to January 2011 he chaired the Scottish Digital Network Panel which examined funding models for the proposed new Scottish public service broadcaster.

In 2010 Blair was made an OBE for services to broadcasting. He is Visiting Professor of Journalism at Strathclyde University and a Governor of Glasgow School of Art.

Lesley Riddoch

Lesley Riddoch is one of Scotland’s best known commentators and broadcasters. She has held many influential positions including assistant editor of The Scotsman and contributing editor of The Sunday Herald. She is perhaps best known for her broadcasting with programmes on Radio 4, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Scotland, for which she has won two Sony speech broadcaster awards.

Lesley runs her own independent radio and podcast company, Feisty Ltd, which has produced several series including a weekly topical phone-in programme for BBC Radio Scotland.

Dr Eamonn O’Neill

Dr Eamonn O’Neill is a one of the UK’s most respected journalists specialising in investigations in print, broadcast and online platforms. His work has been recognised in major industry awards both nationally and internationally including: British Press Awards; Paul Foot Award for Investigative Journalism; BAFTA Awards (British Film and Television Academy); and most recently in the pre-eminent US-based IRE (Investigative Reporters & Editors) Awards – Special Category Tom Renner Award.

His articles have appeared in every broadsheet newspaper in the UK and on the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery Channel, and the Crime & Investigation Network. He has specialised in intelligence, crime and terrorism issues. He is noted for his work investigating miscarriage of justice cases and has presented conference papers, authored articles and consulted on training for students and professionals in this field.

Eamonn is a lecturer at Strathclyde’s School of Journalism and Communication.

John McLellan

Until recently John was Editor of The Scotsman, and Editor-in-Chief of The Scotsman Publications Ltd. He has just won Newspaper of the Year in this year's Scottish Press Awards.

Prior to taking up the editorship of The Scotsman on 23 February 2009, John was twice Editor of the Edinburgh Evening News from 1997 until 2001 and from the end of 2004. He spent the intervening years editing Scotland on Sunday. His early career in newspapers was spent in the North of England, working in Chester, Barrow-in-Furness and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

John, 50, is a member of the Press Complaints Commission, Chairman of the Scottish Newspaper Society's editors' committee and a member of the Defence, Press and Broadcasting (D-Notice) Committee. He is also an Honorary Professor of Journalism at Stirling University.

Born in Glasgow, he was educated at the old High School of Glasgow, Hutchesons' Grammar School, Stirling University and Preston Polytechnic. His main interest is rugby and he still plays for Watsonians FC. He is married with three children and lives in Merchiston, Edinburgh.

Professor Susan Hart

Professor Susan Hart is responsible for providing academic leadership to the Strathclyde Business School as well as contributing to the overall leadership of the University. At Faculty level this includes effective management of resources, in alignment with the University's Strategic Plan, to support, develop and enhance teaching, learning, research and knowledge exchange activities.

Read Susan's full profile here