No industry is changing faster than media. The business models that have supported journalism since the birth of newspapers are broken. Yet at the same time new media offers unprecedented opportunities for spreading news and information. In an age where anyone can publish to the world, what role is there for the professional journalist? Are we entering a new dark age of myth and misinformation, or a new enlightenment? And what can a University like this one do to contribute to a better future for journalism?

In this lecture the recently appointed Director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism, Assoc Prof Margaret Simons, will argue that we are living through an era of innovation at least as great as that sparked by the invention of the printing press. She will review what lessons we can learn about the future from the past and explain why the future of journalism is about citizenship - not just jobs for hacks. Assoc Prof Simons will then outline the plans, future research projects and vision for the Centre of Advanced Journalism.