The Cockroft Rutherford Lecture: Dorothy Byrne – Trust Me, I’m Not a Politician

The chair of the Ethical Journalism Network, Dorothy Byrne, delivered the University of Manchester Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture on Thursday 30 May 2019.

Dorothy is a former Manchester undergraduate who is now the Head of News & Current Affairs at Channel 4 Television.

You can watch the video on youtube here.

In Britain and across much of the western world, many voters are saying that politicians have failed them. How can faith and trust in democracy be restored? And could it be that journalists, condemned by some politicians as purveyors of fake news, are key players in finding the solutions?

Alumna Dorothy Byrne (BA Philosophy 1973), Head of News & Current Affairs at Channel 4, delivers this year’s Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture.

According to the university’s press release:

The Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture is the flagship annual event for alumni and friends of The University of Manchester. We have the largest global alumni community of any-campus based university in the UK – we have graduates in over 190 countries.

Previous Cockcroft Rutherford lecturers include astrophysicist and TV presenter Professor Brian Cox OBE, Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Dame Sally Davies, and leading war surgeon David Nott OBE.

In this year’s lecture, Dorothy will explore how in the UK and across much of the Western world, many voters are saying that politicians have failed them. She will ask how faith and trust in democracy can be restored, and whether journalists – condemned by some politicians as purveyors of fake news – are key players in finding the solutions.

Read the full press release here: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/channel-4-news-chief-to-deliver-annual-university-lecture/