Former BBC Information chief James Harding will ship the annual Edinburgh TV Competition MacTaggart lecture because the fest turns 50.
Harding, who’s the founding father of Tortoise Media and is now editor-in-chief of The Observer, will “look at challenges to reality and belief within the media.”
“On this second of reckoning, Harding’s lecture will show a daring and provocative evaluation of a media trade at an inflection second and recommend dynamic options to the trade challenges that lie forward,” mentioned the competition.
Harding was director of stories and present affairs on the BBC from 2012 to 2018 and previous to that was editor of The Instances. He oversaw big tales throughout his BBC tenure together with the primary Trump presidency, Brexit and the Jimmy Savile scandal.
After leaving the BBC, he arrange sluggish journalism and podcast outfit Tortoise Media, which controversially acquired The Observer from The Guardian proprietor earlier this 12 months.
Harding mentioned: “Some years in the past, I lined the MacTaggart lectures as a reporter and know the way necessary it’s for tv, journalism and the broader inventive industries. I’m vastly honoured to be requested to offer the lecture in its fiftieth 12 months. I hope will probably be a second to name out the challenges to reality and belief – and recommend how we are able to renew the media to satisfy them.”
Jane Tranter, this 12 months’s Advisory Chair, added: “James’ demonstrable willpower to guard reality and belief in public service broadcasting and the media – coupled along with his perception that with the intention to defend we have to change – makes him the MacTaggart lecturer that we’d like on this seismic 12 months. In James’ palms, our lecture guarantees to be a provocative, kick-ass and insightful view from a visionary chief. We couldn’t ask for extra.”
Final 12 months’s MacTaggart – the annual lecture that has been delivered by distinguished figures together with Rupert Murdoch, Kevin Spacey and Michaela Coel for nearly so long as Edinburgh has been working – was made by Pricey England creator James Graham, who targeted on the leisure trade’s long-running challenge with class.
Harding joins an Edinburgh TV Competition lineup that features Shonda Rhimes and Lenny Henry. The fest runs August 19 to 22.
