Suzanne Franks's blog

Linda Melvern was a journalist on the Sunday Times Insight team. She has also written a book about the Wapping Revolution,  entitled 'The End of the Street'. But for the past 15 years she has been investigating the Rwanda genocide of 1994. She has published many articles and two books, and has met and interviewed many of those involved in the story. and unearthed key parts of this shameful episode involving the conduct of the  UN and the wider international community.  Linda will speak to students on 2nd March at 1pm in the Newsroom about 'Reporting Rwanda'.

The veteran Labour politician Tony Benn is appearing at the Gulbenkian theatre on the Canterbury campus tomorrow evening. Some of you will have read his diaries and know that he is always a controversial and entertaining character.

As you heard yesterday there will be no local government class this Thursday for first year politics students, because of the rescheduled news day. So Paul Francis will give his first class next week on Thursday 27 Jan. However to make up for this missed class Paul will also give a second class next week on Friday 28th Jan from 12-1.  

Here are a couple of upcoming events which are very relevant to the Humanitarian Communication module. The first is a discussion next tuesday 25th Jan at the Frontline Club on Media and Aid, which has an interesting cast of characters from NGOs and elsewhere.

I know it has been hyped everywhere but I really do recommend that everyone should go and see the King's Speech. Colin Firth gives a wonderful and sensitive portrayal of a reluctant monarch and the film demonstrates just how the role of the King  functioned within the constitution. We spoke about the monarchy at length in the MA politics class last term and discussed the abdication crisis. There are one or two small inaccuracies but this is a great way of finding out about the context and wider impact  of that turbulent period.

The lecture on the coaltion and the constitution at Canterbury has been postponed due to the weather.

I wanted to alert/remind you of some upcoming events that might be of interest.

Firstly  on Monday there is a discussion at the LSE on the future of public service broadcasting - which might be of particular use for certain second year essays!! - details are below.

The talk tomorrow on the Press Complaints Commission will be of use to anyone who has yet to take (and pass) the NCTJ Public Affairs exam (ie First Years and MA students). It will also be illuminating for second years who are this term considering questions of regulation and the debates about press excesses and limits on press freedom.