MANCHESTER's intellectual curiosity needs to be celebrated and stimulated. Discuss.
The topic has been thrust to the fore in recent weeks following high-profile bullying cases and concerns over privacy breaches by major social networks.
A new debating forum in Manchester has been set up with the aim of celebrating and stimulating the city’s intellectual curiosity. And the next debate is turning to the spiky topic of social media, posing the question, Social Media is Evil. Discuss.
After two successful pilot debates, tickets are now on sale for the debate on 18 September. Speaking for the motion will be Amy Binns, a faculty member at the University of Central Lancashire who has done extensie research into trolling and cyber bullying. Backing her up will be Dave Edmundson-Bird from Manchester Metrpolitan University Business School, an energetic enhusiast for social media and modern marketing techniques.
Opposing the motion are Anna Wilson, head of digital at PR agency Tangerine and Amanda Coleman, head of communications for Greater Manchester Police. The media lawyer Steve Kuncewicz is chairing the debate.
The topic has been thrust to the fore in recent weeks following high-profile bullying cases and concerns over privacy breaches by major social networks.
Tickets are available via the website and Eventbrite.
The Discuss project is the brainchild of Martin Carr, managing director of True North, Mike Emmerich, the chief executive of new economy Manchester and Michael Taylor, chairman of Downtown Manchester.
Mike Emmerich, who is at the forefront of efforts by the city to ‘get serious’, said: “DISCUSS takes its inspiration from Manchester’s celebrated history in progressive thinking, invention and the free trade of ideas. It seeks to both capture and respond to the social and political zeitgeist, which so often foregrounds frustration, general apathy and distrust in government and public structures, but which has also seen unprecedented interest in literary festivals, popular science programmes and political broadcasting, the meteoric rise of Twitter and Facebook as outlets for self-expression, and the emergence of the online petition as a tool for civic engagement and political activism.”
Michael Taylor said: “This is a very exciting project with Manchester at its core. We have been supported by Marketing Manchester and other businesses in the city, we are now looking for sponsors to align themselves with a community of intellectuals and the city’s intellectually curious.
“We have already attracted high profile and relevant speakers from the worlds of politics, academia and creative innovation. This is an opportunity for sponsors to engage at a high level with leading thinkers from this city and beyond.”
The last Discuss, title on the screen, featured Confidential editor, Jonathan Schofield (speaking) plus from right to left, Tristram Hunt, MP and Historian, Katy Archer, Director of the People's History Museum, Michael Taylor, chair and Martin Vander Weyer, business editor of The Spectator
Discuss audience
