Talks
Insight with Nick Hawton: The Quest for Radovan Karadzic
Nick Hawton will be discussing his new book The Quest for Radovan Karadzic that chronicles his six-year search, while working as the BBC’s Foreign Correspondent in the former Yugoslavia, for the most wanted man in Europe. It was a search that took him into the heart of Balkan politics, crime and espionage, bringing to light a murky world of intrigue, murder and dirty deals.
Media Talk: China 20 years after Tiananmen
To mark twenty years since the bloody crackdown of the student-led pro-democracy movement in China’s Tiananmen Square, join us at the Frontline Club to discuss the impact of the events of 4 June on Chinese society and the extent to which this defining historical moment still resonates today.
Dinner Briefing: Will the internet win the next election?
Join us at the Frontline Club for a discussion over dinner with some of the country’s most powerful bloggers including Guido Fawkes and Iain Dale as we examine the impact of the web on politics and hear from Matthew McGregor, of Blue State Digital, the company credited for the success of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, on what can be learnt from the web dominance that gained him $200 million for his campaign and one million Facebook friends. Alex Smith, new editor of LabourList.
FULLY BOOKED Insight with David Aaronovitch- Deconstructing Conspiracies
This event will be chaired by journalist and broadcaster James Delingpole In his new book David Aaronovitch deconstructs conspiracy theories – from Pearl Harbour to the assassination of Kennedy, the death of Diana and 9/11 – providing not only to provide ammunition against bizarre claims about moon landings and twin towers but also revealing the […]
Insight with Hala Jaber: the human face of war
Hala Jaber has won plaudits for her courageous reporting from around the world, particularly in Iraq, where she was one of the last correspondents to leave Falluja when it came under heavy bombardment by US forces. Named foreign correspondent of the year for the second year running in 2006, British-Lebanese Hala Jaber has shown continued […]
Insight with Peter Beaumont: The Secret Life of War
Chaired by Wendell Steavenson The Observer’s foreign affairs editor Peter Beaumont will discuss his new book The Secret Life of War: Journeys Through Modern Conflict. Drawing on his extensive experience, Beaumont examines the changing nature of war, focussing the human cost to the combatants and civilians in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel. “I […]
Insight with Peter Hitchens: How British politics lost its way
Peter Hitchens talks about the need for a new political compass in a world where traditional boundaries between the Left and Right no longer exist.Left-wingers backed the invasion of Iraq and Tories campaign for civil liberties yet conventional wisdom insists on operating as if the age-old divisions between political parties still apply, argues journalist, author […]
Media Talk: What now after Guantanamo?
Karen Greenberg discusses her important new book In the Least Worst Place: Guantanamo’s First 100 Days and the future of counter terrorism with former UK chief Peter Clarke.
FULLY BOOKED: 2009 World Press Freedom Day Debate: Controlling the International Media in War- Are governments winning the Battle?
Our understanding of conflict is shaped by the images and information we receive, making far-reaching and penetrating journalism crucially important. Yet in every conflict, from the recent war in Gaza to the protracted conflict in Sri Lanka, all sides seek to use the media as a weapon. From overt intimidation and violence to censorship […]
Insight with Colin Challen MP- Climate Change: a Perfect Storm
According to the UK government chief scientist Prof John Beddington, by 2030 the growing world population will cause a “perfect storm” of food, energy and water shortages. As the population tops 8.3 billion, demand for food and energy will jump 50% by 2030 and for fresh water by 30%. Labour MP Colin Challen will be […]
Reactive: Madagascar- Roots of Turmoil with Stephen Ellis
Widespread refusal to recognise Andry Rajoelina as President of Madagascar and continued support for ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana means the island is likely to remain in turmoil for weeks to come. The army-backed takeover, which has been condemned as a coup by foreign powers including the United States and the African Union and the Southern […]
FULLY BOOKED-Insight with Paul Mason: Financial Meltdown and the end of the Age of Greed
Paul Mason talks about the ongoing financial crisis that has brough the global economy to the brink of depression. Gordon Brown hailed the result of deregulation as the ‘golden age’ of banking in the UK. Mason will give insights into how deregulation is at the heart of the collapse of the banking system in September […]
FULLY BOOKED Insight with David Gardner: Obama and the Middle East – Last Chance
While the world waits expectantly for the Obama administration’s Middle East policy, Financial Times Associate Editor and Chief Leader Writer – the hugely respected David Gardner speaks frankly with Channel 4 News’ Jon Snow about what needs to be done now. Gardner advocates nothing less than a reappraisal of what realpolitik means as we enter […]
FULLY BOOKED-Media Talk: Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army – The Last Chapter?
December 14 2008 saw a botched attempt to crush Uganda’s rebel Lords Resitance Army (LRA) by the militaries of Uganda, South Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo. The raid was designed to capture or kill the group’s elusive leader, Joseph Kony and destroy the LRA’s military capacity. Since then an estimated 900 people have been […]
On the Media – Is it too late for the local papers?
What is the importance of local newspapers and how bad is the crisis? Following in the footsteps of GMG and The Manchester Evening news the Daily Mail group cut 1000 jobs from their regional arm this week. Could regional news soon be a thing of the past or can the industry find ways to survive? […]
NEW – In the picture with John D McHugh – War in Multimedia
In 2007, John D McHugh won the Frontline Club Award for his work in Afghanistan. In 2008, The Guardian commissioned him to produce an online project called “Six months in Afghanistan.” The project was to include photography, short films, audio slideshows, and blogging. “I wanted to use the full range of multimedia options open to […]
Insight with Stephen Grey: Helmand – Investigative Journalism at the Sharp End
Stephen Grey is one of the UK’s most distinguished investigative journalists and in December 2007 set off to Helmand, southern Afghanistan to see firsthand a conflict that was turning increasingly brutal and resulting in heavier losses for British armed forces. The reports that he filed for the Sunday Times – as he witnessed the death […]
Insight with Charles Glass: Americans in Paris
Charles Glass provides an exciting, fast-paced and elegantly written saga of the moral contradictions faced by Americans in Paris during France’s most dangerous years. His discovery of letters, diaries, war documents and police files shows as no book before has how American expatriates were trapped in a web of intrigue, collaboration and courage. This is […]
NEW Media Talk: Press standards, self-regulation and public trust – is the press accountable enough?
According to a report published by the Media Standards Trust, the current system of press self-regulation is not successfully protecting either the press or the public. The current system is not, the report claims, effective enough, accountable enough, or transparent enough, and does not reflect the transformed media environment. So should Britain’s system of press […]
Insight with Colin Freeman and Mary Harper: Somalia – From Bad to Worse?
With a new government in the process of being formed in Somalia, are we going to see a new era of peace and stability after eighteen long years of violence and warlordism? Or does the new Prime Minister Sharmarke – himself a moderate Islamist – now have an impossible task ahead of him in trying […]
FULLY BOOKED Insight with Rory Stewart: in Between Conflicts
Rory Stewart’s career to date has taken him from the foreign office in London, to Indonesia and Montenegro, to being governor of two states in Southern Iraq, to Kabul and most recently to Harvard. In between he has walked across Iran, through Pakistan and India and on to Afghanistan – arriving just after the Taliban […]
CANCELLED: Insight with Jan Wong and Isabel Hilton on China
Almost 20 years since the Tiananmen Square uprising, Jan Wong publishes her memoir which tells us both about contemporary china as well as about the China of 30 years ago. In 1972 Jan became one of only two Westerners admitted to Beijing University at the height of the Cultural Revolution. One day, a student, Yin […]
Media Talk: Kenya one year on – have the wounds healed?
Download this episode View in iTunes Kenya’s abrupt descent into mayhem after President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election tarnished one of Africa’s most promising economies and badly damaged its tourism industry. And a year on since the UN brokered peace agreements were signed it seems apparent to all that Kenya’s underlying issues are still unresolved. There […]
FULLY BOOKED – In the Picture with REZA: War and Peace – 30 Years on the Front Lines
World famous for his intrepid explorer’s style of photographing the most exotic places, Reza (as he is known) has covered most of the globe for National Geographic and other major international publications. This evening he’ll present and talk about a selection of work from his new book War + Peace. In the course of his […]
Dinner Briefing: Engaging with the Enemy
In the second of our highly popular dinner briefing strand, this off-the-record background briefing will be followed by a 3-course dinner plus wine. Arriving at 7pm, guests will be given a glass of wine as they sit and listen to the discussion. Following this, they will be served dinner while having the chance to continue […]
FULLY BOOKED Reactive Media Talk: Sri Lanka – a hollow victory?
The Tamil Tigers are looking closer than ever to military defeat as government forces continue to overrun the last remaining rebel strongholds in the north of the country. With an end to the military stalemate and the 25 year civil war potentially in sight, what is the future for the LTTE and what are the […]
Media Talk: Gaza – Missiles and Messages
With the war in Gaza drawing to a close as Operation Cast Lead comes to an end and Israeli troops withdraw, we reflect on the role that the world media played as a legitimate weapon in both Hamas and Israel’s arsenal. While both sides have been intent on trying to win the media war, restricted […]
Media Talk: Peak Oil
View in iTunes With latest reports predicting that we’ll reach Peak Oil in the next 3-5 years and with oil prices more volatile than ever, will the oil crisis soon take over from the financial crisis as the world’s most pressing concern? And while the jury is still out on whether or not we really […]
Insight with Sean Langan: Tales of the Taliban and Other Stories
Sean Langan is a British journalist and documentary film-maker and has made a name for himself by making video-diary style films in dangerous and volatile situations, from Latin America to Zimbabwe. Most recently, he’s made a name for himself with his films Fighting the Taliban and Meeting the Taliban in Afghanistan. In 2008 he was […]
FULLY BOOKED – Media Talk: Obama on the Middle East – From Rhetoric to Reality
Download this episode View in iTunes As Obama prepares to take office as the 44th US president, he is set to face huge challenges in the Middle East. Will the renewed emphasis on diplomacy that he is proposing with the region pave the way for improved relations with Iran and prevent them from developing their […]