Launch of Tom Hopkinson Centre for Media History

The School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies will launch the new Tom Hopkinson Centre for Media History this week.

The Centre will form an international and interdisciplinary network focusing on the evolution of media forms, practices, institutions and audiences within broader processes of societal change and will bring together scholars, research students, journalists, photojournalists, documentary-makers, archivists, media activists and practitioners.

Guest speakers will include two of the School’s distinguished visiting fellows Amanda Hopkinson and Professor John Hartley as well as photojournalist David Hurn and Alan Hughes, Cardiff University’s Head of Special Collections and Archives.

The Centre’s name honours Sir Tom Hopkinson (1905-1990), a distinguished British journalist and founding director of the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.

Hopkinson’s professional achievements included his role as editor of Picture Post from 1940 to 1950, and later editorship of South Africa's Drum magazine. He was a steadfast advocate of socially responsible news reporting, with a lifelong passion for photojournalism.

“To teach the craft of the journalist in all its forms – the written or spoken word, or in pictures” was how Hopkinson summed up his mission in education.

Sir Tom was knighted in 1977 for services to journalism.

The new Centre will be co-directed by Professor Stuart Allan and Professor Richard Sambrook and will be launched on Wednesday 16 November, at 17:00-18:30 in Lecture theatre 0.53, Bute Building. For further information please visit our event website.