Peter Taylor OBE to Deliver Steve Hewlett Lecture

The Royal Television Society (RTS) has confirmed that BBC journalist Peter Taylor OBE is set to give the fifth Steve Hewlett lecture.

Taylor’s lecture, Integrity in Television. 50 Years through the Lens, will be held on December 15 at the University of Westminster. It is co-sponsored by the RTS and the Media Society.

With 50 years in the journalism business, Taylor’s reporting on political violence in Ireland and the Middle East has seen him recognized with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the RTS and BAFTA.

Proceeds of Taylor’s lecture will go to the Steve Hewlett Scholarship Fund, which is chaired by Sir Clive Jones OBE and is managed by Jones, Hewlett’s widow Rachel Crellin and John Mair. The next Hewlett Scholar will be selected on November 2.

Taylor said: “Integrity means fairness, impartiality and trust—the bedrock of the BBC and public-service broadcasting, both of which are under threat as never before. Their survival is central to our freedoms and the health of our democracy.”

Jones added: “We are delighted Peter will deliver this year’s Hewlett at a time when the future of public-service broadcasting is both under debate and under threat. The annual lecture we created in Steve’s memory has become one of the significant events in the industry’s calendar, and Peter’s lecture promises to maintain the thought-provoking, insightful tradition set by our distinguished array of previous speakers.”

Theresa Wise, CEO of the Royal Television Society, said: “The RTS is delighted that Peter has agreed to give this year’s lecture. Peter has been much honored for his great work—not least by the Royal Television Society! He has much to teach current and future journalistic talent, and I am fascinated to hear from him on a range of critical subjects.”