Alex Crawford set to give special address on NCTJ’s values at Artificial Intelligence in Journalism event

Sky News’ special correspondent Alex Crawford will give an address about the NCTJ’s values of quality, trust and diversity to close our Artificial Intelligence in Journalism event next week.

Alex was appointed the NCTJ’s first patron in 2018 after she received the most nominations as part of the NCTJ’s Journalists at Work survey that year.

For the research, respondents were asked who most embodies the values of journalism they respect.

Alex said: “I can’t wait to join the NCTJ next week and kickstart a debate about how vital journalism and journalists are right now – where our fellow journalists are literally dying whilst telling the truth, where reporters are being hunted down and killed for doing their job and when entire families are being wiped out simply because they’re related to a journalist.

“Are you willing to die for your work? Because that’s what it seems being a journalist means right now.

“Perhaps we should also think – what’s going to be left after all the journalists are gone? Isn’t it time we all started defending journalists and valuing, rather than undermining, journalism?”

During her career, Alex has won multiple awards for her coverage of major stories around the world, including Emmys, BAFTAs and from the Royal Television Society.

Alex was the first correspondent to independently access Myanmar’s Rakhine State, get first-hand evidence of what the UN called ‘ethnic cleansing’ of the Rohingya, and the first reporter to broadcast live from Tripoli’s Green Square as rebel forces took over the Libyan capital.

Her NCTJ talk will follow an afternoon of sessions focussed on artificial intelligence, featuring industry leaders and experts discussing the opportunities it represents to journalists in the newsroom.

There will be a keynote from Vincent Ryan, EMEA partnerships manager at Google News Labs, as well as an interview with Jane Barrett, global editor of media news strategy at Thomson Reuters, and an AI masterclass delivered by Jody Doherty-Cove, head of editorial AI at Newsquest.

A panel to discuss the impact of AI on journalism and journalism training will feature Nadine Forshaw, assistant head of audience at The Sun; Gavin Allen, digital journalism lecturer at Cardiff University; Manjiri Carey, news editor at BBC News Labs; and Mark Thompson, audience director at National World.

Joanne Forbes, NCTJ chief executive, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Alex to our December event as our patron.

“She is an inspirational journalist who knows first-hand what it takes to uphold our values in the industry.

“We can’t wait to hear her insights on quality and trust, why journalists are more important than ever, and what we can do to promote and protect them in their local, national and international communities.”

The Artificial Intelligence in Journalism event will be held at Thomson Reuters in London, from 2pm to 5.30pm on Tuesday, 12 December. This will be followed by Christmas drinks hosted by the NCTJ until 6.30pm.

Find out more about the event here. To register your interest for attending this event, please click here.