All-male panel at Conservative Party conference

A regional editor has expressed concern over the all-male make-up of a Tory party conference panel discussing the future of journalism, reports Hold The Front Page.

Right-wing think-tank the Institute of Economic Affairs organised the fringe meeting at this week’s gathering in Manchester, featuring a line-up comprised solely of men.

Now Katie French, regional group editor for Newsquest Berkshire & Buckinghamshire, has written to IEA boss Mark Littlewood to demand an apology.

She claimed the make-up of the six-man panel conveyed a message that women in leadership positions in the industry were not valued.

The panel, pictured above, included former Tory minister John Whittingdale and News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith among others, and debated the issue of whether the tech giants should be required to fund news publishers.

Wrote Katie: “I am writing to express my concerns regarding the panel organised by the IEA at the Conservative Party Conference yesterday, titled ‘The Future of Journalism.’ While I appreciate the effort put into curating this event, I think there is room for improvement in the panel selection to promote inclusivity and diversity.

“The composition of the panel, consisting solely of six men and featuring more individuals named Matthew than women, is concerning and does not accurately reflect the gender balance within the journalism industry.

“It inadvertently conveys a message that the perspectives and insights of women in leadership positions within the field may not be valued, or worse, that there is a lack of suitable female voices to consult.  I trust that this was not the intended message, but hindsight allows us to recognise potential interpretations."

Read the full story here.