Tom Hopkinson Lecture

The Sir Tom Hopkinson Lectures honour one of Britain’s journalistic pioneers and the founder of the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University.

This year’s lecturer will be the Chief Executive of ITN, Rachel Corp. Rachel has had an impressive career in news, having been editor of ITV and Channel 5 News. She’ll have many interesting insights into the future of public sector broadcasting, how the journalism and media industry is transforming and untangling news information from disinformation.

About the Series

Henry Thomas Hopkinson began his journalistic career at Weekly Illustrated, which pioneered the introduction of photojournalism into the UK press and later Picture Post, where he was appointed Editor in 1940.

Picture Post was a hugely successful international news magazine, carrying ground-breaking photo essays of World War Two and catalysing public debate around progressive postwar reconstruction.

In 1950, early in the Korean War, Hopkinson tried to publish a story critical of the South Korean government’s inhumane treatment of POWs; the magazine’s proprietor first attempted to K*ll the story and then sacked him.

Widespread press coverage defended Hopkinson’s effort to fulfil his ‘public duty’ in publishing the facts of a controversial story.

Subsequently, he moved to South Africa, becoming Editor of Drum magazine and an ardent critic of apartheid.

In 1960, he published the first photographs of the Sharpeville massacre, where police opened fire on unarmed protestors, killing 69 and injuring hundreds more.

After he left Drum, he taught journalism in universities before becoming founding director of the Centre for Journalism Studies at University College Cardiff from 1970-to 1975. He was knighted in 1978.

Hopkinson advocated for journalism’s function in a democratic society, saying: “A free press is the most watchful sentry of the state. A ‘yes’ press is fatal to good government”. These words are writ large on the exterior of the school and formative in our research and teaching.

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