Should the journalist and the MP be friends? University hosts politics and the media debate
Just how close has the relationship been between politicians and the media in recent times?
Should former newspaper editors become political advisors to government – and are cosy relations between Westminster and Fleet Street bad news for the rest of us?
Journalist Polly Toynbee will join former Lib Dem politician Mark Oaten, University of Sussex political commentator Professor Tim Bale and University of Sussex media specialist Dr An Nguyen to discuss these and other questions at the latest Sussex Salon event – A Fatal Embrace? Politics and the Media in 2011 – at the Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton on Tuesday 6 December.
The Sussex Salon Series of round-table discussions offer an alternative evening out and will include views from academics and other experts as well as the audience, who will have a chance to voice opinions, ask questions and register their views using an electronic voting system.
The aim of the Salons, organised by Dr Ruth Woodfield for the University’s School of Law, Politics and Sociology, is to highlight research at the University that engages with contemporary issues in a way that will appeal to a wide audience.
The practice of debating intellectual matters in public places such as coffee shops was a part of everyday life in 18th-century Europe. Such events were known as "salons", hence the title of this university series.
The panelists represent a broad range of opinion which should make for a lively and engaging evening:
- Polly Toynbee is a columnist for the Guardian. She was formerly BBC social affairs editor, columnist and associate editor of the Independent, co-editor of the Washington Monthly and a reporter and feature writer for the Observer.
- Mark Oaten is a former MP, commentator and author. He retire from political life following a series of scandals played out in the tabloid press, notably the now defunct News of the World. He is the author of a memoir entitled Screwing Up: How One MP Survived Politics, Scandal and Turning 40.
- Tim Bale is Professor of Politics at the University of Sussex. He specialises in British, European and comparative politics, notably in the sphere of right and centre-right politics. He is the author of The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron, for which he was awarded the W.J.M. Mackenzie Book Prize for 2011 for the best book in political science by the Political Studies Association (PSA).
- Dr An Nguyen is Senior Lecturer in News Media/Journalism Studies at University of Sussex. He is the author of The Penetration of Online News: Past, Present and Future and is completing his second book, News and Numbers: Journalism and Statistics and is in the initial stage of another, Science News and the Public
Full details of the event plus ticket booking are available on the Brighton Dome web site or by calling 01273 709 709. Tickets cost £6 (£4 concessions), price includes one free drink.
Notes for Editors
The Sussex Salon Series
Previous press releases for Salon events:
Oct 2010: Do the doctors know best? Join the Sussex Salon debate
Nov 2010: Brave new world or same old spin? Politics in the spotlight at the Sussex Salon debate
May 2011: Brighton Festival – fun for all?
June 2011: Civil partnerships: A happy ever after for gay equality?
Nov 2011: Do we still care about climate change?
Future Salons
Tuesday 7 February 2012, 8pm, Pavilion Theatre : Inclusive Education
What does inclusion mean in the modern education system? And what are the obligations of education to promote an inclusive society? Join the debate with: Professor Judy Sebba, Education, University of Sussex; Jacqui Shepherd, Education, University of Sussex; John Parry, Lecturer in Inclusion, Open University; Professor Alan Dyson, Centre for Equity in Education, University of Manchester; Tara Flood, Alliance for Inclusive Education.
Tuesday 6 March 2012, 8pm, Pavilion Theatre: A Matter of Life and Death
Should we have the right to seek help to end our lives? Join the debate with: Professor Hazel Biggs, Professor of Medical Law, University of Southampton, author of Dying to Know, 2010; Professor Bobbie Farsides, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, medical ethicist; Gavin Ashenden, University Chaplain at Sussex and Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen.
Tuesday 3 April 2012, 8pm, Pavilion Theatre: The Body Beautiful?
Does the ‘beauty ideal’ presented in fashion, advertising and media have a negative impact on our own body image? If so, should such representations be more tightly regulated, as in the advertisement of alcohol and tobacco? Join the debate: Professor Carol Dyhouse, History, University of Sussex, and author of Glamour, Women, History, Feminism; Dr Emma Weddell, Sociology, University of Sussex.
University of Sussex Press office contacts: Maggie Clune and Jacqui Bealing. Tel: 01273 678 888. Email: press@sussex.ac.uk
View press releases online at: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents/