Journalism and the Courts Symposium 2025

Reporting on the criminal and civil courts is among the classic functions of journalism. But financial and technological pressures on both local media and the criminal justice system have cast doubt on the health of court reporting. The University of Salford is hosting a one-day symposium at our MediaCity campus to explore the past, present and future of court journalism and open justice amid this challenging context.

Schedule

9:15am: Arrivals / Tea and coffee

9:55am: Welcome

Richard Jones, University of Salford

10:00-10:25am: Keynote speech

Sian Harrison, co-editor McNae’s Law for Journalists and former Law Editor, PA

10:30-11:30am: Session 1 – Issues in court reporting

“Collateral damage”? Open court reporting and its impact on the children of defendants - Frances Yeoman / Tom McCooey / Lorna Brookes, Liverpool John Moores University

Lights, camera, action? A preliminary analysis of televising sentencing in Crown court - Sally Reardon / Marcus Keppel-Palmer / Thomas Smith / Bernhard Gross, University of the West of England

Why court reporting is a safety net for miscarriage of justice victims – Brian Thornton, University of Winchester

Transparency and reporting restrictions in the Court of Protection – Amanda Hill, Cardiff University

11:35am-12:35pm: Session 2 – Covering the courts

Behind the Bench: The role of change-led-solutions-based-journalism in exposing racism, bullying and misogyny in the judiciary - Barnie Choudhury, University of East Anglia

Tweeting from court: An actor network account of the Philpott Trial - Kester Demmar. University of Leicester

Traditional court reporting in a modern media world: The Trial podcast - Caroline Cheetham, University of Salford

Pressures on contempt of court in the social media age - Rachel Howarth, University of Salford

12:35-1:15pm: Lunch

1:15-1:55pm: Session 3 – Regional newspapers and crime

PANEL: How regional papers are making crime pay - Paul Foster, University of Portsmouth / Sian Harrison / Newsquest

2:00-2:40pm: Session 4 – Roundtable discussion

Andrew Bardsley, Court reporter, Manchester Evening News

Nick Frame, Court reporter, Yorkshire Evening Post

Georgia Jerram, Director of Communications, HM Courts and Tribunals Service

2:40-2:55pm: Break / Tea and coffee

2:55-3:55pm: Session 5 – Teaching court reporting I

Murder, rape and child abuse: Preparing journalism students for the realities of criminal court reporting - Lisa Bradley / Polly Rippon, University of Sheffield

An active learning approach to teaching court reporting - Amanda Ball / Mike Greenwell, Nottingham Trent University

Open justice?: Gaining student access to the public gallery - Helen Johnston, University of Salford

The Magistrates in the Community project - Debbie Manley, University of Salford

4:00-4:40pm – Session 6 – Teaching court reporting II

PANEL: Teaching court reporting and media law: what works and doesn’t work - Richard Danbury / Gill Phillips / Thomas Broderick, City St George’s, University of London

4:45-5:00pm – Closing remarks and book launch for Reporting the Courts (Routledge)

Richard Jones, University of Salford

5:00-5:30pm – Networking

Afterwards, everyone is welcome for an informal post-conference drink in the nearby Dockyard pub.