UNESCO UK World Press Freedom Day Debate 9 April

The internet – Good for politics ...

How will online journalism affect this year's UK General Election? For good or bad, it is likely the internet will carry more breaking news, more contentious comment and more character attacks than ever before. The bloggers will be busy and their stories, true or not so true, will spread like wildfire.

... Or is it?

We have also had the arrival, since the last election, of online TV and radio channels, some of them run by newspapers, especially News International's, which run to heavy political agendas without any regulation or legal requirements on fairness or balance.

Will all this be good for the fair conduct of the election, or not? Where will it leave the strictly regulated public broadcasting sector?

This will be the issue at the 2010 World Press Freedom Day debate organised by UNESCO UK, which will debate the proposition...

'Unregulated political comment online helps the democratic process'

Sir Robert Worcester – MORI/Ipsos Group; University of Kent
Jon Gaunt - SunTalk
Caroline Thomson – Chief Operating Officer, BBC
Steve Barnett – University of Westminster
Sunny Hundal – Liberal Conspiracy blog
Nicholas Jones – Author, ex-BBC polcorr

Friday 9 April, 10 am to 12 noon - Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, Paddington, London W2 1QJ

Organised by the UK National Commission for UNESCO (www.unesco.org.uk) and the UK Press Freedom Network, with the support of the Frontline Club.

Admission is free but registration essential.

To book email worldpressfreedom@unesco.org.uk

or phone 0207 766 3492.