On May 2nd Jane McKeown talked to us about ‘The Changing Face of Newspapers‘.

Jane, a former journalist, spoke eloquently about her profession and the changing environment in which they worked. Printing started in 1475 in the UK – before that manuscripts were delivered only to restricted areas. Pamphlets became more widely distributed, and during the 1642-49 Civil War broadsheets were distributed to the population telling them what was going on. The first news-sheet, the London Gazette, was produced in 1665, and it is still published bi-weekly in London and Oxford. Later, other news-sheets included The Leeds Mercury (1718) – becoming The Yorkshire Post in 1886. Others became The Daily Telegraph (1772) and The Times (1785).

Jane commented on the rapid changes up to the present day with paper media offering photographs, telephone and radio providing ever more rapid news, and digital media providing speed and accessibility – but not always accuracy or neutrality. Jane spoke passionately about the importance of free speech, the need for ethical and moral standards in responsible journalism, and the importance of the press being independent of government control.