T The University of Bedfordshire is pleased to host outspoken journalist Andrew Pierce to deliver a Public Policy Lecture on Thursday 19th January

Andrew Pierce’s perceptive right-of-centre political journalism is required reading for its insider’s view of parliament. After twenty years on The Times, Andrew was then assistant editor of The Daily Telegraph. He is now Consultant editor of the Daily Mail. He knows everyone in the Westminster village and his ability to ferret out scandal and gossip means that he has a reputation for breaking stories that the great and the good might prefer kept quiet.

Pink News named Andrew the sixth most powerful gay man in British politics, describing him as ‘A ball of giggles, gossip, scandal and kinetic energy, Pierce is an interesting mix of rebel and establishment figure’.

Andrew is also a seasoned broadcaster, appearing on Question Time, The Daily Politics, Sky News and LBC radio, where he has a weekly Friday evening show. Andrew has enough Westminster gossip to fill a diary section every day, and he can’t wait to tell you all the gory details.

Vice Chancellor’s Public Policy Lectures are designed to improve the public understanding of politics, to foster debate on current affairs and to encourage our students to consider taking an active role in politics in their future lives through giving them access to the insights of current and former public servants who are world-class experts in their field.

Lecture title: Media regulation in the internet age

Lecture Overview:

In the wake of the Brexit debate and the Trump campaign mainstream media has been criticised for its failure to contain the so-called ‘post-truth’ trend in political debate. Government never implemented the recommendations of the 2012 Leveson inquiry into the conduct and ethics of the press, much to the chagrin of its high-profile supporters. But champions of state regulation of the press are unwilling or unable to address the realities of the Internet age, where news is not contained within state borders and is not governed by professional codes of practice. If state regulation of the media is not the answer – what is?  

Agenda

17.30 Arrival, tea and coffee, Café Neo, Campus Centre, Luton campus

18.00 Lecture commences, G101

After the lecture: Drinks and light refreshments, Café Neo

We look forward to welcoming you.

Many thanks,

Bill Rammell

Vice Chancellor