Alf Young, former deputy editor of The Herald and highly respected journalist, is to deliver a high profile lecture on the newspaper industry at the University of Stirling next month.
Mr Young will deliver the annual Hetherington Lecture in the Logie Theatre of the University on Tuesday 10 May at 6pm. His particularly topical subject will be the state of the newspaper industry today in a lecture titled, Pressed out of Existence?.
In the lecture, Alf Young will discuss whether the era of devolution should have marked a renaissance for the newspaper industry in Scotland. Instead, the internet age is threatening its very future. Can print journalism find a sustainable way to appeal to the digital generation or might this decade prove to be its last?
Born and raised in Greenock, the son of a shipyard craftsman, Alf Young was a teacher and lecturer before entering journalism in his thirties. From 1986, he held a number of executive roles at The Herald and was a regular columnist on business, economic and political issues.
He was a member of the group which devised the financial arrangements for Scotland's new devolved government and holds degrees in natural philosophy and education.
The annual Hetherington Lecture is held in honour of the late Alastair Hetherington who was Emeritus Professor of Film, Media & Journalism at the University of Stirling and previously a distinguished editor of The Guardian and Controller of BBC Scotland
Places at the Hetherington Lecture are free, but as the lecture may be oversubscribed we recommend that you book a place in advance by contacting externalrelations@stir.ac.uk or 01786 467055.
Notes to Editors:
The Hetherington Lecture, organised by the Stirling Media Research Institute and supported by the Scott Trust, is an annual event.
Previous lectures have been given by Joan Bakewell, Jon Snow, Peter Preston, Alan Rusbridger, Sheena McDonald, Jonathan Freedland, Roy Greenslade, Elinor Goodman, Trevor Phillips and John Lloyd.