Media Society Update: Events
To explain our work, the Media Society is uploading a series of posts on LinkedIn this week on our various activities. This first post is by Alex Sinker, the co-chair of our Events Committee:
Media Society Events 2026
It’s been a busy year for The Media Society’s Events Committee, with a programme ranging from the media’s coverage of war and the future of TV news to crisis communications and the rapidly changing world of podcasts.
The Media at War was put together at very short notice, with Gavin Esler chairing a discussion with Farnaz Ghazizadeh, Leila Molana-Allen and Fergal Keane about the challenges of reporting the conflict in Iran. It was a good example of the value of responding quickly when something significant happens.
That was followed by Navigating Crisis Communications, chaired by Simon McCoy, with Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty, Abby Mangold and Scott Langham discussing reputation and how organisations respond when things go wrong.
The Future of TV News was held in partnership with the ITN 1955 Club and the BJTC - Broadcast Journalism Training Council, and featured Deborah Turness's lecture and her first interview since leaving the BBC. It was fascinating to hear her thoughts on the future of television news.
More recently, The Future of Podcasts, chaired by Ritula Shah, brought together Adam Fleming, Chloe Straw and Nick Hilton to discuss the growth of podcasts, the move towards video, changing audience habits and what AI might mean for the sector.
The programme has covered a wide range of subjects this year — some events have been prompted by what is happening right now, while others have allowed us to look further ahead at where the industry is going. The discussions are at the heart of the events, but the opportunity for members to meet people from across the media and exchange ideas is just as important.
Most of our in-person events take place at The Conduit in Covent Garden. A special thank you to everyone at The Conduit for making us feel welcome - as well as for the conversations that continue afterwards.
There is a lot of work behind each event, from identifying the right subjects and speakers to coordinating the arrangements and making sure everything comes together on the day. A committed group of people have put a lot of thought and energy into the programme, and it has been a pleasure to be part of the Events Committee this year. Thanks to Sue Ellis, Abby Mangold, Ivor Gaber, Dominic Cameron, Conrad Quilty-Harper and Nigel Dacre.
There’s more to come in the Autumn, and we’re already working on the next part of the programme. Find out more here: https://www.themediasociety.com/event
Alex Sinker
Co-Chair, Events Committee, The Media Society