WIREDGOV

The first in a series of events, held in collaboration between the Institute for Government and Fishburn Hedges, takes place on Wednesday 3rd November and asks ‘Who Really Matters? Newspapers v Broadcast v Social Media'.

Speakers include Jon Snow, the face of Channel 4 News since 1989; Iain Dale, LBC radio presenter and influential political blogger; and Peter Riddell, the former Times and Financial times journalist and now Senior Fellow of the Institute for Government. They will explore which part of the media really holds sway over public opinion and policy-making.

The event is shaping up to be a fascinating insight to the latest trends and freshest thinking on the complex relationship between media and government.

Andrew Adonis, director of the Institute said: "the News International phone hacking scandal has thrown up some interesting questions about the conduct of the media in modern society. And the relationship between the media and government has never before experienced such close scrutiny.

"A recent Institute for Government report on the challenge of being a minister revealed that both ministers and civil servants see media pressure as a potential block to good policy-making. This series of events provides a unique opportunity to explore this idea further."

Dermot Finch, director at Fishburn Hedges, said: "our Media and Government series will explore critical questions about power, influence and ethics in the constantly shifting worlds of media and politics. Other events in the series will focus on whether there is a case for tighter government regulation of the media and whether new media activism is actually changing the way government makes policy."

This series will be held at the Institute for Government between November 2011 and February 2012. Look out for blogs, video and podcasts, as we explore these themes over the course of the series.

Visit the Media & Government microsite

Read Peter Riddell's blog: Media & Government - a bickering marriage of convenience