The changing shape of newsrooms, the future of journalism training, and what the media will look like in 2020 are among the big issues set to be discussed at a top industry gathering this weekend.

The cream of the UK newspaper industry is preparing to descend on Bristol for the Society of Editors annual conference which begins on Sunday.

The conference will open on board Brunel’s SS Great Britain on Sunday night when Paul Dacre, editor-in-chief of the Daily Mail group, will deliver the prestigious annual Society of Editors Lecture.

Regional editors among the speakers include Malcolm Pheby, of the Nottingham Evening Post, who will take part in a discussion on the changing shape of newsrooms and Donald Martin of the Evening Times, Glasgow, on new approaches to journalism training.

Other key speakers will be Sly Bailey, chief executive of Trinity Mirror and Guardian Media Group’s Carolyn McCall, who sparked controversy this week with her claim that regional news provision was becoming “increasingly uneconomic.”

Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, will deliver a keynote speech on Monday while Andrew Marr, television historian and former BBC political editor, will speak at the annual gala dinner that evening where he will also present the new ‘Rat up a Drainpipe’ award in honour of former lobby colleague Tony Bevins, for journalism that has rocked the boat.

Other conference sessions will include a discussion on digital convergence, chaired by Alastair Stewart of ITV with Ms McCall and Daily Mail online editor Martin Clarke among the participants.

There will also be a debate entitled “Platforms for cash” on whether anyone is making any money from the internet, with media commentator Raymond Snoddy in the chair.

Information Commissioner Richard Thomas and PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer, who are both stepping down from their posts in the spring, will each deliver swan song addresses.

Clarence Mitchell will discuss the McCann saga, BBC business editor Robert Peston will talk about the credit crunch, and incoming president Nigel Pickover, of the Evening Star, Ipswich, will close the conference on Tuesday.

Comments

Vivienne DuBourdieu, MCIJ (06/11/2008 11:20:23)
Have you invited key members of the CIoJ and other organisations representing professional journalists to have their say.

Alan (06/11/2008 12:15:56)
Does the institute have anything to say? On so many occasions it has failed to say boo to even a deaf goose.