On Monday 28th May 2012, former Prime Minister Tony Blair was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry into the press. Over the course of that week a number of cabinet ministers gave evidence: Theresa May, Michael Gove, Vince Cable, Kenneth Clarke and Jeremy Hunt. It followed a sensational week of evidence from a succession of […]
Tag: Archive
Trust me, I’m a journalist!
Tomorrow (Wednesday), the Church and Media Network will hold a day-conference in London exploring issues of trust in the media. It’s an important subject and could not be more topical. The conference blurb says: “It has been a traumatic period for everyone who works in media, with a constant stream of stories in which the […]
Great speeches that were never delivered: Part One – Neville Chamberlain
Great speeches that were never delivered: Part One – Neville Chamberlain 11.15am, 3rd September 1939 “I am speaking to you from the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street. “This morning the British Ambassador in Berlin handed the German Government a final Note stating that, unless we heard from them by 11 o’clock that they were […]
Coroner rebuked for “shame on media” comments at Lucy Meadows inquest
The coroner who presided over the inquest into the death of Lucy Meadows has been rebuked by the Office for Judicial Complaints for carrying out private research into the case and for his outspoken attack on journalists covering the hearing. Lucy Meadows killed herself in March, just a few months after she began to live […]
Bootleg of Will Todd’s alarming new composition
I am partially deaf. In my case it is not the most severe of disabilities but it can hamper my work as a journalist at times. I use a number of tools and workarounds to overcome the difficulties that would otherwise prevent me from listening carefully and being able to report accurately. One of these […]
Am yow alright?
In the Church of England, it is customary during a General Synod debate for the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to be called to speak whenever they stand, jumping the queue ahead of bishops, clergy and laity (they usually let the debate proceed for a while before availing themselves of this opportunity). Last night the […]
“Embarrassing security failure” or embarrassing lack of religious literacy
A man was arrested yesterday morning (Sunday) after two people were assaulted at York Minster. You can read about it on most UK news websites (but if you’re particularly discerning you can read my report for the Church Times here). An unusually high number of journalists were inside the Minster when the assaults took place because […]
Comment: What’s your motive?
As a journalist, I’ve been asked many questions over the years as I worked on stories; and it is very rare that a question causes me to stop and think about what I’m doing. But that happened earlier this year as I researched the “Kung-Fu evangelist” Tony Anthony. His published autobiography and the testimony he […]
Bishops in the House of Lords
Calls for the Lords Spiritual to be removed from the House of Lords are nothing new. It is a frequent occurrence that only increases whenever the 24 bishops who occupy the Bishops’ Benches are perceived to be holding back the advance of progressive liberalism, such as the current Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. But it […]
An open letter to the Lord Chancellor
An open letter to the Lord Chancellor The Right Hon Chris Grayling MP Ministry of Justice 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ 28th May 2013 Dear Lord Chancellor, Your colleague, the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Maria Miller MP, will shortly receive a letter from Her Majesty’s Coroner for […]