RTÉ News and Current Affairs Managing Director Jon Williams will give the 2020 ‘John Cunningham Journalism Lecture’ hosted by NUI Galway this month.
The virtual conference will take place on Monday, 23 November, at 5.00pm with Mr Williams discussing ‘Why the Truth Matters’ and issues such as the importance of public service journalism and the dangers of misinformation.
This is the second year that NUI Galway has hosted the lecture which honours the late Connacht Tribune Editor and long-time journalism lecturer John Cunningham.
The inaugural lecture was given by the British academic and media commentator Professor Roy Greenslade in 2019.
“John Cunningham was one of Ireland’s best local newspaper editors and he made an indelible impression on the lives of the hundreds of journalists he trained as a lecturer in journalism,” said Tom Felle, Head of Journalism and Communication at NUI Galway.
“We are delighted to be able to honour his memory with this public lecture that has become an important annual event.”
Jon Williams is Managing Director of News and Current Affairs at RTÉ since January 2017.
Previously he was Managing Editor, International News, at ABC News in New York, where he shaped the organisation’s international news coverage and strategy.
He led that station’s reporting of the war in Ukraine, the European refugee crisis, and the coverage of the ISIS terrorist attacks in Europe, as well as driving innovation, including the use of 360 and virtual reality video.
Previously he held positions as Deputy Editor of the Six O’Clock News; World News Editor; and UK News Editor with BBC News. Jon holds numerous accolades including the 2013 International Prize from the Royal Television Society.
