Veteran investigative reporter Phillip Knightley will launch the new visiting speaker series at the Lincoln School of Journalism with a talk to focus on spooks and hacks.

His October 9 talk, What’s the Difference Between Spies and Journalists?, is the first in a series from guest lecturers titled Journalists Speak Out On Journalism.

Phillip, who is a visiting professor at the university, is a member of the celebrated Sunday Times Insight team which worked from the 1950s to the 1970s and broke such famous stories as the Kim Philby spy scandal, the Profumo sex scandal.

He is also the author of a number of books including the seminal history of the intelligence services, The Second Oldest Profession, and the acclaimed history of war correspondents, The First Casualty.

Other speakers scheduled for the series include Heather Brooke, an expert on freedom of information and author of Your Right to Know on October 23 and Libby Purves, the eminent novelist, broadcaster and Times columnist on November 27.

Phillip Knightley’s talk will start at 6pm in the Cargill Lecture Theatre at the university’s Brayford Pool campus and is open to everyone. More details of the career and publications of Phillip Knightley can be found at his website: www.phillipknightley.com