News Centre

Tomorrow’s Journalists

20 August 2010

After 40 years at the forefront of journalism training in Britain, the Centre for Journalism at Cardiff University is inviting its alumni to a major event to mark its anniversary.

On 15 October 2010, former students and leading professionals will be welcomed to Cardiff for the Tomorrow’s Journalists conference and gala dinner in celebration of the Centre’s milestone.

The conference will look at the skills and values needed to ensure that quality journalism continues to make a vital contribution to the UK’s democratic and cultural life; and what that means for the next generation of journalists in a converged and fully digital world.

Alumni will hear from their peers own experiences and contribute to important debates on the challenges of the future including the funding of high quality journalism and reversing the decline in regional media.

Guest speakers include Mark Byford, Deputy Director-General, BBC; Simon Lewis, Former Director of Communications at No 10; Ron Jones, Chairman, Tinopolis; and Alan Edmunds, Publishing Director, Media Wales.

journalist presenting to camera outside the Welsh Assembly in Cardiff Bay

They will be joined by the Centre’s distinguished alumni - Ben Brown of BBC News and Alex Thomson of Channel 4 News who will chair sessions at the conference and three of the Centre’s most successful recent graduates. Hattie Brett (Grazia), Sally Rourke (ITV) and Hannah Waldram (Guardian) will show what the new generation of Cardiff journalists is already achieving in the world of multi-media and multi-platform journalism.

Speaking about the conference, Richard Tait, Director of the Centre for Journalism said: "Journalism is going through deeper, faster and more radical changes than at any time in the last 40 years. Which is why, when the Centre was looking for the right way to mark its first four decades as the UK’s leading journalism school, we realised that the only topic that really mattered was the future.

"Our guest speakers all have something original and relevant to say about the challenges facing our profession, and as always at Cardiff, the emphasis will be on debate and participation, sharing and testing ideas."

The Cardiff Centre for Journalism was set up by Tom Hopkinson - a key figure in the development of democratic journalism and popular media - as the UK’s first postgraduate journalism school 40 years ago.

His core belief was that journalism is a vitally important profession requiring high standards - the only way to secure its future was to attract the most talented and determined young people who share that view. That belief remains intact today and the Centre is widely recognised within the journalism industry, meeting the standards set by the three media industry accrediting bodies.

Graduates can be found in top newspaper, magazine and broadcasting jobs in Britain and around the world.

Alumni wanting to attend the Tomorrow’s Journalists conference and gala dinner can find more information and a booking form at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/jomec/conference/tomorrowsjournalists/booking/index.html

Tomorrow's Journalists Conference sessions will be streamed live from the School’s website and images of the event will also be available to download.