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The Stationers' Company
The City of London Livery Company for the Communications and Content Industries

Is AI the saviour or assassin for journalism and democracy?

Monday, 24 February 2025

Open event (non-members may book to attend)

The annual London Press Club/Stationers Company debate will be on a subject that has everyone talking.  A panel of senior figures from politics, journalism and digital communications will debate: Is AI the saviour or assassin for journalism and democracy?

It will take place at Stationers’ Hall on Monday 24 February from 6.30 pm. The debate and a Q&A session with the audience will be followed by networking over a glass of wine and sandwiches.

Chairing the debate will be Samantha Simmonds, a senior BBC news journalist who presents BBC Politics London and BBC news and business programmes. As a journalist and broadcaster she has been at the forefront of the news for more than 20 years at the BBC and at Sky News. Samantha covers all of the breaking international and national news of the day interviewing senior political and business leaders from all over the world.

The panel will include:

Nusrat Ghani was In July 2024 elected as Chairman of Ways and Means, Principle Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. As Madam Deputy Speaker she supports Mr Speaker and is in the Chair of the House overseeing debates daily in the House of Commons.  

Chris Blackhurst is an award-winning journalist and media advisor. He is a columnist for The Independent and The National and writes regularly for The Standard. He is a former editor of The Independent and for ten years was City editor of the Evening Standard. Before that he worked for The Sunday Times, on its business pages and Insight investigations team. He covered Westminster for several years for The Independent. His writing has appeared in many of the world’s major publications. He is an experienced TV and radio broadcaster, and author of two books, Too Big To Jail and The World’s Biggest Cash Machine.

Anne-Marie Tomchak is a digital executive with almost 20 years experience working at the top of news, technology and fashion media. Currently the Digital Editorial Director for the Daily Mirror. Anne-Marie has led high performing teams at British Vogue and Mashable and has a track record of editorial innovation and growth.

Rupert Knowles brings over 30 years of technology transformation experience, with deep expertise in helping media organisations navigate digital disruption. For the past 15 years, he has advised leading publishers and media companies across the UK and Europe through seismic shifts in the industry - from digital publishing to the impact of social media. As CEO of NXT Media Consulting, he works with media enterprises to develop strategies for an AI-enabled future. Rupert is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, and is a member of the Stationers Court.

Emma Loffhagen was feature and culture writer at the Evening Standard for four years, and has been appointed commissioning editor on the culture and lifestyle desks at the Guardian Saturday magazine. She edits the popular Experience column, lifestyle's You Be the Judge, contributes to commissioning across the magazine and edits the newsletter fortnightly. At the Evening Standard, Emma began as an apprentice, where she covered a range of topics including social issues,lifestyle, pop culture, travel and politics. She also had a fortnightly column at the paper, and reported for the paper from across the world, including refugee camps in Iraqi Kurdistan and Lesvos.

The annual debate held by the London Press Club in association with the Industry Committee of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers focuses on the biggest current media issue. 

This year’s debate will cover the most talked about subject for decades: the positive and the risks to democracy and journalism from AI and social media.You can’t afford to miss it.

Ticket Price:
£20

Is AI the saviour or assassin for journalism and democracy?