18.17. The formal business of the conference concludes.  There now follows a drinks reception to mark the 25th anniversary of the Society’s formation by the late, great Bob Satchwell in 1999 and the presentation of the Fellowship to Private Eye editor Ian Hislop.  Thanks for following the live blog today.

17.58. SoE president Kamal Ahmed, who is chairing the session, asks Ms Frazer about the need to tackle the resourcing issues facing the regional press which he argues is “undermining” journalism as a whole. Ms Frazer agrees that “regional news is absolutely fundamental” but offers no specific measures to help the sector.

17.55. Ms Frazer, left, concludes her speech saying: “While you may not always be on your side, we are on yours. This Conservative government will always stand on the side of newspapers and we will always ensure that the press is free.”

17.45. The culture secretary sets out three ways in which she says the government has acted to protect press freedom, in the fields of newspaper ownership, strategic lawsuits (SLAPPS) and curbing the power of big tech.  She defends the decision to intervene in the sale of the Daily Telegraph and to ban the potential sale of UK titles to foreign states.   On big tech, she highlights the government’s Digital Markets Bill although some feel this didn’t go far enough in terms of rebalancing the relationship between major platforms and publishers.

17.40. Ms Frazer speaks of “absolutely indispensable role” the news media plays in our democracy and praises the SoE’s record on campaigning for editorial freedom over the past 25 years.  “The SoE is widely respected as an organisation that speaks with one voice in advocating for press freedom at every opportunity.”

17.35. Final speech of the day comes from the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer.  With the conference having already heard from PM Rishi Sunak she is the second Tory minister to address the gathering.  With an election looming, some might feel the SoE could have been more even-handed in its selection of speakers.

17.20. Former Northampton Chronicle and Echo journalist, now journalism lecturer Hilary Scott asks about the availability of work experience for students with the decline in the number of regional newsrooms. Maria says: “I totally share your pain. It is making it very difficult for some titles to offer work experience.  We work closely with the universities in our area and we do work experience programmes with both them.”

17.12. Maria defends the Echo’s ‘page-view’ model saying she is a “firm believer” that its website should be free-to-access, arguing that paywalls restrict the access to information on which democracy depends.  “I don’t think it means we won’t experiment with paid for models where we can make that work, though.”

17.10. Maria also says the Echo has yet to make a decision on whether to endorse a political party in the forthcoming general election. “It’s a decision we are still to make.  We are political, but not necessarily party political.”

17.06. Maria, left, suggests regional newspapers are more trusted by their audience by virtue of their “connectivity” with their audiences.  She says: “You have got to earn trust and titles like the Liverpool Echo have done that for over 140 years. From a regional perspective, we’re very much on the ground and there’s a lot of connectivity between us and our audience.  There’s a real authenticity in regional papers and that’s what help build trust.”

16.55.  It’s time for the ‘Editor’s Panel’ where conference attendees get the chance to quiz panellists on a variety of topics including opportunities and threats for journalism and how to better represent audiences.  Liverpool Echo editor Maria Breslin is among those taking part, Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy is in the chair.

15.25. A key question around AI is whether it will be used to reduce publishers’ cost-base (as per previous technological developments in the industry.)   PA’s Pete Clifton says the level of human involvement in news content “is in our absolute DNA and that won’t change.” Jody doesn’t answer the question directly but says AI will be “part of the role [of a journalist] in an assisting way.”

14.50.  Panel chair Charlie Beckett of the London School of Economics suggests theat Newsquest is “pushing the boundaries” on the use of AI with its use of AI-assisted journalists.  The company’s head of editorial AI Jody Doherty-Cove, left, agrees and reveals that the regional publisher now has 12 AI-assisted journalists.  He says it “frees up time for [other] journalists to go out and get top-of-website, front page sorts of stories.”

14.40. PA editor-in-chief Pete Clifton speaks about how the agency is using AI in backroom tasks, for instance the “first draft of subbing, checking spelling, checking against the PA style guide, doing some of the heavy lifting.”

14.30. We now come to the session on the use of AI in journalism with Newsquest’s head of editorial AI Jody Doherty-Cove on the panel.

14.25. Baroness Carr urges reporters to make use of the right to challenge reporting restrictions. “If you have a well-founded challenge to the imposition of reporting restrictions, there is no reason why you can’t stand up and put your point – to keep judges on trial why they are trying.”

14.20. Baroness Carr’s announcement about online attendance at courts seems particularly aimed at the local media. “I remember the important role that the local press used to play in court reporting.   I know that the financial pressures on you are an increasing concern, partcularly when court reporting means you have to travel between courts to find stories.”

14.04.  The conference resumes with a speech from the Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr.  From her comes an actual substantive announcement – a new board to examine the judiciary’s approach to open justice, to cover all courts and tribunals.  This will include making online attendance at court proceedings easier and giving the media better advanced information about proceedings. She says:  “I am really concerned that you [the journalists] have the tools to scrutinise the justice system effectively.”   The new board will “challenge the way the judiciary works to ensure that openness and transparency are at the heart of what we do.”

13.00. The conference is now adjourning for lunch.

12.50. Another great example of the deterioration in police-media relations from Newsquest’s Charles Thomson, this time illustrating how a police force used social media rather than a local newspaper to get a story out. “There’s a problem with the police thinking they don’t need the press and they can just use social media, only putting things on Facebook and not putting out a press release.  For instance a woman’s body washed up in Southend with her head wrapped in gaffer tape.  [Essex Police] only put it out on Facebook and didn’t put out a press release.  When I spoke to the [press office] about this he said that he had a KPI to get it out to as many people as possible. When I told him how many people followed our newspaper he was astonished.    If you want to get a story in front of lots of eyes, you still need the local press.  Unfortunately there’s an attitude among some officers that they don’t need us.”

In response, Robin Punt, who is now the head of comms for Essex Police but wasn’t in post at the time of the above incident, broadly agrees and says he has reduced the force’s social media accounts by 90 percent.

12.45. Northern Echo editor Gavin Foster asks whether part of the problem is that there are simply too many police forces (43 across the country), all of whom have different policies towards the media.   Andy Marsh says such a reorganisation would be hugely expensive and bring different problems.  “Some things can only be delivered locally.”

12.32. Newsquest’s Charles Thomson, left, tells a great story illustrating the current problems in police-media relations. “I cover the Met, and the Met has a policy banning its officers from talking to the press without press office approval.  A few weeks ago, I was working on a big story. The press officer went AWOL so I rang the officer.  Fifteen minutes later I get the hairdryer treatment from the press officer saying ‘what are you doing?  You know our policy is that you are not to talk to officers without our approval. That policy ended up sabotaging the story and we had to delay publication.”

12.28. In response to Rebecca’s points, police press officer Robin Punt pledges to give out his phone number and email address to as many people as possible.

12.15. Rebecca Camber, chair of the Crime Reporters Association, is setting out a series of recommendations for improving police-media relations in thew wake of the review of police handling of the Nicola Bulley case – including police press officers actually answering the phone. “Lots of police forces no longer have the telephone numbers or email addresses of their press officers on their websites. The reason for that is that some forces don’t even answer the phone.  Some forces no longer respond to emails, they just put out releases on their websites.  Having that relationship [with individual press officers] is vital. All police press officers should answer the phone.

12.07. Andy Marsh admits that not all is well. “I always felt in my relationships with the media that openness and transparency was the best way to build trust. I know that is not the experience of all of you.”

12.00. Tessa Chapman, chief correspondent for 5 News, introduces the session on police-media relations.  “The relationship at the moment is not healthy, it is fractured. We know when we talk about police-media relations there was a chilling after Leveson and it hit rock bottom with the Nicola Bulley case in Lancashire.”  As well as journalists the panel also includes College of Policing chief executive Andy Marsh and Essex Police head of comms Robin Punt.

11.30. There is now a half hour break for coffee.  Coming up next: Panel discussion on relations  between the police and the media, with Newsquest’s London investigations reporter Charles Thomson among the panellists.

11.15. On the question of access to politicians, Gavin says the Echo has never had a problem.  “We are still the authoritative voice, certainly from a regional perspective.  We never have problems with access or inclusion because they are desperate to speak to us.”  He cites the example of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who visited the Echo’s offices last week.  Other regional publications have had somewhat different experiences, however.

11.02. Gavin spoke of the challenge of explaining politics to readers amid widespread disengagement.  “In the North-East this year there are local elections, there are two important mayoral elections, there is a police and crime commissioner election. There’s a huge work in explaning what all this actually means.  What is a police and crime commisioner?  Many people are completely disengaged.”

10.50. Gavin, left, speaks about the “tide of misinformation” facing journalists covering politics.  “For us it’s about cutting through the noise.  There’s a tide of misinformation. Filtering that down to the man in the street is our job, and to cut through that noise. It’s becoming more and more difficult.”

10.44. We move into the first panel discussion, focusing on growing audiences for political coverage in an election year.   Northern Echo editor Gavin Foster is among the panellists.

10.41. The PM concludes his speech by again drawing the link between press freedom and democracy.  “It’s your job to hold us to account. Please keep doing what you do.  As long as the British media continues to thrive, so will British democracy.”

10.36. Mr Sunak speaks about the importance of press freedom amid the threat of authoritarianism abroad and ‘cancel culture’ at home.  “That’s why we’re acting to protect a free press here at home.  We’re making sure that .  We’re going to put an end to so-called SLAPPS, to prevent those with deep pockets abusing our courts.  That is why we must tackle cancel culture – that’s not who we are as a country. Democracy depends on the ability to challenge views.  If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they don’t want to hear.”

10.30 The additional mystery speaker is revealed as the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. He begins his talk with a reference to his local paper, the Southern Daily Echo, where Dawn Alford began her career.

10.28 Dawn Alford, executive director, looks back on 25 years of the SoE and forward to the business of the day.  “The purpose of journalism hasn’t changed, but the tools of the trade certainly have.”

10.20 Kamal Ahmed, president of the Society of Editors, opens the 25th anniversary conference.  In a sobering introduction, he reminds delegates that 2023 saw 78 journalists killed doing their work – the highest number on record.  This year has seen a further 19 deaths.   There follows a minutes’ silence.

---

The 25th Society of Editors Conference takes place in London today and HTFP will be bringing you the news as it happens.  Just refresh this page to follow the latest developments.

Topics to be covered include election coverage, media-police relations, and the role of AI in the future of journalism.

Speakers and panellists from the regional press will include Northern Echo editor Gavin Foster, Liverpool Echo editor Maria Breslin, Newsquest investigative reporter Charles Thomson and Newsquest AI expert Jody Doherty-Cove.

There will also be keynote addresses from culture secretary Lucy Frazer and an as-yet-unnamed speaker who will take the stage at 10.25am.

After the conclusion of the conference business there will be a reception to mark 25 years of the Society, at which Private Eye editor Ian Hislop, pictured, will be awarded its highest honour, the Society’s Fellowship.

The full programme is as follows:

9.00 am        Coffee and Registration

10.15 am     Welcome from Kamal Ahmed, President of the Society of Editors and Dawn Alford, Executive Director, Society of Editors

10.25 am      Keynote address – speaker to be announced on the day

10.40 am      Power, politics and the press – how do we grow and diversify audiences in a year of elections?

As the UK and other countries head to the polls in 2024, how do newsrooms plan to engage audiences, restore trust and what will be the big challenges in tackling disinformation, news avoidance and engaging first time voters?

Chaired by: Ros Atkins, Analysis Editor, BBC

Panellists include:
Anushka Asthana, Deputy Political Editor, ITV News
Jack Blanchard, Editor, POLITICO
Pippa Crerar, Political Editor, The Guardian
Kate Ferguson, Political Editor, The Sun on Sunday
Gavin Foster, Regional Editor, Newsquest North

11.30 am       Coffee

12pm              The Repair Shop – how can the press and the police be reconciled, and trust restored?

This session will explore the next steps for police and media relations including whether national guidance should be revised to highlight the importance of non-reportable background briefings and how protocols for sharing sensitive details can enhance rather than compromise ongoing investigations.

Chaired by: Tessa Chapman, Chief Correspondent, 5 News

Panellists include:
Rebecca Camber, Chair, Crime Reporters Association
Andy Marsh, Chief Executive, College of Policing
Robin Punt, Head of Corporate Communications, Essex Police
Pia Sarma, Chair, Media Lawyers Association
Charles Thomson, London Investigations Reporter, Newsquest

1.00 pm         Lunch

2.00 pm         Keynote address by the Lady Chief Justice, the Rt Hon Baroness Carr of Walton on the Hill plus Q&A chaired by Kamal Ahmed, President, Society of Editors

2.30 pm         AI and the future of journalism

Introduction from the moderator on the current AI media landscape including adoption of the technology by various newsrooms as well as AI opportunities for back-end news automation and making businesses more efficient.

Chaired by: Charlie Beckett, Director of JournalismAI and Polis, LSE

Panellists include:
Peter Clifton, Editor-in-Chief, PA Media
Jody Doherty-Cove, Head of Editorial AI, Newsquest
Blathnaid Healy, Executive News Editor (Growth, Social and Delivery) at BBC News
Tami Hoffman, Director of News Distribution and Commercial Innovation, ITN

3.30 pm          Coffee

3.45 pm         Reporting from the warzone – challenges and responsibilities

Beyond the Frontlines: How to source accurate, bi-partisan and trusted news in global war zones. The importance of the whole team- from fixers and translators to producers, on the ground and back in the newsroom.   Plus how audiences want to receive news and avoiding news avoidance.

Chaired by: Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, Sky News

Panellists include:
Rushdi Abualouf, Gaza correspondent, BBC
Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent, The Sunday Times
Simon Robinson, Executive Editor, Reuters
Danielle Sheridan, Defence Editor, The Telegraph

4.35pm           The Editors’ Panel

A discussion with news leaders on the biggest opportunities and threats to journalism as well how to better represent audiences with a particular focus on supporting disabled journalists and training and development for young journalists.

Chaired by: Krishnan Guru Murthy, Presenter, Channel 4 News

Panellists include:
Maria Breslin, Editor, Liverpool Echo
Danny Groom, Editor, MailOnline
Dylan Jones, Editor, Evening Standard
Jonathan Munro, Director of Journalism and Deputy CEO, BBC

5.30pm           Keynote address by The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

6.00pm           25th anniversary drinks reception and presentation of Fellowship Award for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism to Ian Hislop, Journalist, Broadcaster and Editor of Private Eye