Michael Jermey is Chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a Gwilym Gibbon Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford and an Honorary Visiting Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University. He was previously Director of News and Current Affairs at UK Public Service Broadcaster, ITV and in 2025 received the Royal Television Society’s Outstanding Contribution award.  

As ITV’s Director of News and Current Affairs Michael led the organisation for 16 years, overseeing coverage of five UK General Elections, seven Prime Ministers, three US presidencies, the Covid pandemic, Brexit, the death of Queen Elizabeth and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

He commissioned the historically important first leaders’ debate at the 2010 UK general election for ITV and oversaw TV debates at every subsequent election, helping to ensure that they became a permanent feature in UK politics.

Dawn Alford is the Chief Executive of the Society of Editors, a campaigning organisation representing editorial leaders across the UK news industry. A recognised authority on journalism and media freedom, she regularly provides expert commentary in newspapers, on television and radio.

With an extensive career as a national newspaper journalist, columnist and executive, Dawn has held senior roles across the media and has edited numerous magazines and digital content platforms. She is a leading voice on issues including press freedom, open justice, journalist safety and the future of news, and works closely with industry, regulators and policymakers to champion high standards of journalism and protect the public’s right to know.

Tanya Gold is an award-winning freelance journalist. She writes for the Spectator, the New Statesman, Unherd and Harper’s Magazine.

Tanya won the FPA Media Awards Arts & Culture Story of the Year in 2015