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Conference spotlight on ‘critical moment’ in UK press

The UK press faces a “critical moment” which will go under the spotlight at a major new media conference in Scotland, a senior industry figure has said.

Scottish Newspaper Society director John McLellan spoke as he revealed key speakers at the body’s inaugural conference tomorrow, in Glasgow.

John – who is former editor-in-chief at The Scotsman Publications – said: “It’s not as if there isn’t much to talk about.

“This is a critical moment for the UK Press as a whole, not only with a new minister installed in the Department of Culture Media and Sport, but with the imminent launch of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.”

Keynote speaker will be First Minister Alex Salmond who is expected to refer to the major issues affecting the industry, including Press regulation.

Other guest speakers will include: Executive Director of the Telegraph Media Group Lord Black of Brentwood; Scottish Information Commissioner, Rosemary Agnew; chief executive of DC Thomson, Ellis Watson and Professor Philip Schlessinger, of Glasgow University, who will speak on digital developments.

John said issues on the agenda included Ipso, the new regulator to replace the Press Complaints Commission, which will open for business before the summer.

He said “both journalists and the public need to know exactly how it will operate in practice.”

Development in digital media where “real progress was being made”, will also be discussed.

The speaker for a keynote political address was still being finalised.

The conference, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, will be held on the same day as the Scottish Press Awards, and it was hoped to unite the two on the same date in future.

The idea was to form one big day of events at which the future can be properly discussed and the recent past properly celebrated.

For more go to: http://www.scottishpressawards.co.uk/conference/