EARLIER this month The Rock has reported on one of the biggest journalism conferences of the year in Southampton.
The Society of Editors annual conference met in the port city to debate and discuss developments in the journalism industry.
A number of Rock reporters, including online editor Poppy Jeffery, opinions editor Corrie Smith and assistant multimedia editor Kelly Wyatt reported on the prestigious conference for the Society’s website. A number of notable speakers attended the conference including editors from the regional and national press.
Chairman of the Independent Standards Organisation (IPSO), Sir Alan Moses began the conference by making his first speech in charge of the newly established press regulatory body.
In his speech Sir Moses discussed simplifying the complex nature of press regulation. He aims to “remove complexity and obscurity in the rules, to make them effective, not to turn them upside-down”.
He also discussed how important it is to balance a free press with justice for phone hacking victims.
He said: “The crucial element that must never be forgotten is that we all want the same thing; readers and publications, the public and the press – the right to be heard and the right to listen, because freedom, true freedom, means a freedom from fear, and the public, your readers, want that as much as you do.”
The second day of the conference looked at the current state of journalism. President and Publisher of USA Today, Larry Kramer, and Amol Rajan, Editor of The Independent, were part of a debate discussing the changing face of the media.
Mr Kramer emphasised that journalists are forced to be omnipresent and constantly aware in this age of constant modification. He said: “The reporter’s job has changed; it’s not just report and go home. It’s to take it and stay with it. The role of the editor has changed dramatically. Editors are now involved from the beginning and help to change content.”
Other interesting debates discussed developments within the National Council for the Training of Journalists, the relationship between the police and the media and the digital opportunities available to journalists.
Reporting on the Society of Editors conference was a huge honour for all the Rock reporters and was invaluable in truly exposing us to the real world of journalism.