A Public Press: Reclaiming the Media

A PUBLIC PRESS: reclaiming the media is a public seminar on problems and solutions in the media, organised by Bella Caledonia and Scottish PEN. Wednesday 20th August 1.00 pm – 6.30 pm at the Saltire Society, Fountain Close, 22 High Street, Edinburgh

Power and Print. Misrepresenting Women in the Media , Onslaught and Fightback     1.00-2.30 After seemingly new waves of misogyny and misrepresentation the last few years has also seen the emergence of new responses and a fightback against these forces, from Everyday Sexism, No More Page 3, Keep Women on Banknotes and many more. With Margie Orford (President of PEN South Africa, Patron of Rape Crisis & the Little Hands Trust) and Caroline Criado Perez (freelance journalist, broadcaster, feminist campaigner and Co-founder of The Women’s Room)

Democracy and the Press in Scotland     3.00-4.30 The independence referendum campaign has been dominated by issues of social media v the old press and controversy over the role of the BBC and new media forms. Exploring these issues of impartiality and freedom in the media are Iain Macwhirter (columnist), Joan McAlpine MSP and Derek Bateman (broadcaster).

New Democracy New Media? 5.00-6.30 As faith in the state broadcaster has crumbled and the print media faces a seeming inexorable decline, what new media forms have emerged and what long term resilience do they have? With Mike Small (Bella Caledonia), Lesley Riddoch (author, broadcaster, podcaster) Peter Geoghegan, freelance journalist Robin McAlpine (Commonweal)

Background on the speakers:

Caroline Criado-Perez is a freelance journalist, broadcaster and feminist campaigner. Co-founder of The Women’s Room, an organisation that campaigns for more women experts in the media, she also started and ran the high-profile Keep Women on Banknotes campaign. See more here at her website here. 
Margie Orford is a South African journalist, film director and author of crime fiction, children’s fiction, non-fiction and school text books. Read a feature about her incredible life here. 
Lesley Riddoch is one of Scotland’s best known authors, broadcasters and columnists, she has just completed an epic book tour to promote ‘Blossom; what Scotland needs to flourish’. You can listen to her podcast here. 
Iain Macwhirter is the political commentator for the Herald and the Sunday Herald, an author and documentary film and radio presenter and former Rector of Edinburgh University. He is the author of ‘Democracy in the Dark: the Decline of the Scottish Press and How to Keep the Lights On’ (Saltire Series No. 5). 
Joan McAlpine is a journalist and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for the South of Scotland. She is a former Journalist of the Year in the Scottish Press Awards and won a number of commendations for her personal blog, Go Lassie Go. 
Derek Bateman is an ex BBC Scotland radio presenter who now runs his own blog and online radio show. Read this blog here and listen to his online radio show here. 
Robin McAlpine of Jimmy Reid Foundation, and author of ‘Commonweal’ a left blueprint for the new Scotland. 
Peter Geoghegan is a freelance journalist exploring new alternatives with a new project called Scottish Inquirer. More here.