FIRST TUESDAY News Review on 03 April 2012 

The First Tuesday discussions on current affairs aim to provide attendees with a way of developing and testing their understanding of a range of current affairs topics; improving their journalistic capabilities so that they can write opinion or comment style articles for the regional or national media or blogs, respond with a thoughtful angle on radio chat shows, TV talk shows or maybe just have an interesting angle to respond at work with.

The topics selected for discussion are:

Topic No 1 - introducuced by A volunteer

Topic No 2 - introduced by Another volunteer

Venue

The Shakespeare Pub, 16 Fountain Street, Manchester, M2 2AA at 6:15pm for a 6:30pm start. A charge of £2.50 per person to cover costs incurred and can be paid in advance by using the PayPal Donate button on the left hand side of Manchester Salon website (feel free to donate on top of the £2.50 ticket), but can also be paid for on the night if booked in advance by Emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Leveson Inquiry

by Denis Joe

Two of the basic principles that underpin a democratic society are free speech and a free press: both are inseparable as the exchange of ideas, through informed debate, is what maintains a democracy. Historically the undermining of free speech and a free press was associated with totalitarian regimes, whose rule was based on force rather than the free will of the people.  

Up until the end of the 17th Century nothing could be published without the accompaniment of a government-granted license. Publication was controlled under the Licensing Act of 1662, but the Act's lapsed from 1679–1685 and by the early 19th century there were 52 London papers and over 100 other titles.  Taxes on newspapers were lifted by 1855 and there was a massive growth in overall circulation. The Times is the oldest surviving title but from the 1830s there were over 100 titles reflecting the political views of the time.

Pay Restraint and Low Ambitions

by Simon Belt

Is society losing its historic drive to create more wealth? From Radio 4 and her Majesty's loyal opposition, to the front benches of the Conservative-Liberal government, there seems be widespread support for restraining bonus payments to top executives. It may sound radical and fair on behalf of working people, but coming alongside campaigns to increase the prices of low cost food items - the high point being demands by Ed Milliband to see W H Smith increase the prices of chocolate oranges. Giving up chocolate for lent may have been a personal test of faith once, but to impose it on ordinary people for their own good is another thing altogether. Are we all becoming too meek and mild as we approach Easter?

FIRST TUESDAY News Reviews from 2012

The First Tuesday discussions on current affairs aim to provide attendees with a way of developing and testing their understanding of a range of current affairs topics; improving their journalistic capabilities so that they can write opinion or comment style articles for the regional or national media or blogs, respond with a thoughtful angle on radio chat shows, TV talk shows or maybe just have an interesting angle to respond at work with.

The topics discussed in January 2012 were:

• Schools: What are they good for? - introduced by Jane Turner
  

• New Year, New Optimism? - introducuced by Ian Betts