The panellists consider the role of contemporary media against the backdrop of the rise of new media and the supposed decline of print, the growth of citizen journalism and claims that journalistic standards are slipping amidst so called 'fake news'.

This event focuses on the changing nature of journalism and asks if the ‘fourth estate’ still holds a critical role in providing checks and balances on political power in functioning democracies. The panel discuss Donald Trump’s recent rhetoric towards mainstream media and his use of social media throughout the campaign to communicate directly with the electorate. Was this happenstance or a deliberate strategy? And is such action by the world’s most powerful politician an ominous sign for the significance of the press in reporting on and influencing modern political discourse? Are these issues exclusively American or can echoes of them be seen in recent election and referenda campaigns across Europe?

The panellists consider the role of contemporary media against the backdrop of the rise of new media and the supposed decline of print, the growth of citizen journalism and claims that journalistic standards are slipping amidst so called 'fake news'.