Over 150 media students deepened their understanding of ethical issues when they took part in a Media Ethics Workshop at the Lincoln University School of Journalism on 11 February 2008, organised by the International Communications Forum at the invitation of Richard Keeble, Professor of Journalism.

The Lincoln workshop is the first of a series on ethical issues to be conducted in schools of journalism by senior media professionals on behalf of the ICF. The Lincoln students heard honest accounts of the issues professionals have faced in their own careers. 

Four seasoned journalists were on the panel: Magnus Linklater, a former editor of The Scotsman, columnist for The Times and editor of its Scottish edition, who chairs the ICF’s United Kingdom Chapter; Geoffrey Goodman, former Industrial Editor of the Daily Herald and Daily Mirror and founder of the British Journalism Review; Rafael Marques, a distinguished Angolan journalist and human rights campaigner, and a vice-president of the ICF; and Natalya Skvortsova, Executive Secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists, who is also a vice-president of the ICF.

Second and final year students took part in the workshops and a final session was open to the whole school. The panellists were also interviewed on Siren, the only 24/7 community radio station based at a UK university.  

The Lincoln journalism programme has a particular focus on journalism and international human rights, investigative journalism, the regulation and conduct of journalists, press history, and the relationship between journalism and literature. 

Professor Keeble and students gave positive feedback to the ICF. Keeble emailed: ‘Our thanks are due to ICF for what turned out to be an extremely successful day…. The students … are extremely positive… in glowing terms. They valued the way in which all the panel members conveyed their own experiences so clearly and concisely….’

Robin Williamson