Editors will debate the naming and shaming ofpaedophiles during their three-day annual conference in Cardiff next month.

Paul Nicholas, assistant editor of the News of the World – the paper that embarked on a campaign to publish pictures and details of sex offenders in the wake of Sarah Payne’s murder – will join a debate on October 16.

The session, called “News in a politically correct world”, will be chaired by Fran O’Brien, deputy commissioning editor,news and current affairs at Channel 4.

On the same day, in another session, William Hague,leader of the Opposition will speak to the conference as will politicians from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

On the closing day, October 17, Chris Smith, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will deliver the firstSociety of Editors Lecture on “The Future of News”.

President Neil Fowler, editor of the Western Mail, said: “The past year has been immensely busy with so much legislation that willaffect the media passing through Parliament. The conference will be a key meeting for media practitioners, politicians and some of the manyorganisations that affect our work.”

Also contributing to various sessions of the conference at the Hilton Hotel, in Cardiff, will be: Philip Graf, chief executive of Trinity Mirror plc; Brian MacArthur, associate editor of The Times; Nigel Dacre, editor of ITN; Sue Ryan, managing editor of the Daily Telegraph; investigative journalist Phillip Knightley; Jamie Shea from NATO; John Wadham, Director, Liberty; Nicholas Jones, Political Correspondent, BBC; David Walters, Director ofMedia Communications, Liberal Democrats; Lord Warner, Chairman of the YouthJustice Board; Dafydd Wigley MP; Alex Salmond MP; Geoffrey Robertson QC; Guy Black, Director, Press Complaints Commission; Mike Granatt, Head of Communication Service, Cabinet Office; Fran Unsworth, Editor, Home News,BBC; Shirley Harrison, Lecturer in Public Relations, Leeds MetropolitanUniversity; Ed Townsend, Manager of Corporate PR Programmes, BT; Peter Long,Editor in Chief, Celtic Newspapers; Rachael Campey, Editor, Evening Herald,Plymouth; David Clarke, Managing Director, Trinity Mirror New Media; ChrisMann, Editor, Sport First; John Jeffay, editor of Metro Weekly, Manchester,and Welsh entertainer Max Boyce.

There will be two formal dinners during the conference including the society’s gala annual dinner at Cardiff’s City Hall on Monday October 16, which is supported by the Welsh Development Agency.

The Society of Editors has more than 450 members in national, regional andlocal newspapers, broadcasting, new media, media law and journalismeducation, and campaigns on behalf of the industry for media freedom,editorial standards and training and self regulation of the press.

Ed Curran, editor of the Belfast Telegraph will take over as president during the conference and Liz Page editor of the Evening Press, York, is expected to be confirmed as vice-president.

The annual conference is supported by the Western Mail and Echo, the Welsh Development Agency, the Wales Tourist Board, Unisys, BT, PR Newswire, Tera UK, British Gas, Golley Slater and PA News.

A copy of the full programme is available at www.ukeditors.com

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