The Public Interest and Media Law Workshop

The Bonavero Institute for Human Rights (Oxford) and the Digital Speech Lab (UCL) are delighted to host this workshop event probing the meaning of ‘public interest’ defences and ‘journalistic purpose’ exemptions available to the media, citizen journalists, and others, at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, Mansfield College, University of Oxford, on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.

9:45 Arrivals & Coffee

10:00-10:15 Welcome [Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt, Fellow, Digital Speech Lab, UCL]

10:15 AM-11:45 AM

1. Setting the Stage: The Public Interest in the UK, ECHR, and Europe [Chair: Gill Phillips, Visting Researcher at the Bonavero Institute for Human Rights & Media Law Lawyer]
   1. Dr Fiona Brimblecombe, Lecturer in Law, University of Manchester, ‘Interrogating the concept of the ‘public interest’ in English media law’
   2. Dr Andrew Scott, Associate Professor of Law, LSE, ‘Scot-free’? Revisiting the argument on a generic public interest defence for journalistic law-breaking’
   3. Jonathan Price, KC, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers, ‘The ECHR and the Public Interest’ 
   4. Deniz Wagner, Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, ‘OSCE’s Public Interest Framework for Media Freedom’

11:45 AM-12:45 PM

2. SLAPPs, Justice, and the Public Interest [Chair: Dr Eliza Bechtold, Bonavero Institute for Human Rights, University of Oxford]
   1. Dr Stevie Martin, Lecturer and Fellow, Fitzwilliam and King’s Colleges, University of Cambridge: ‘Defamation and sexual abuse allegations: should there be a presumption of public interest in publication?’
   2. Rebecca Moosavian, Associate Professor in Law, University of Leeds: ‘The Limits of “Public Interest” in Gendered SLAPP Cases’
   3. Tejal Jesrani, Acting Director, Human Rights Institute, Columbia University and Marian Da Silva, TrialWatch Legal Fellow, Human Rights Institute, Columbia University, ‘Defining Criminal SLAPPs: Identifying and Countering Abusive Prosecutions Against Public Participation’

12:45 PM-1:30 PM Sandwich Lunch

1:30 PM-2:30 PM

3. The Public Interest, Copyright & Influencers [Chair: Dr. Richard Danbury, City University]
   1. Dr Georgia Jenkins, Lecturer in Law, University of Liverpool, ‘AI Mediated News and Copyright Exceptions’
   2. Wilhelm Böttcher, Research Associate & PhD Candidate, Humbolt University Berlin, ‘Journalism in Copyright Law – From Institutional Privilege to Functional Reality’

   3. Dr Alexandros Antoniou, Senior Lecturer in Media Law, University of Essex, ‘When does influencer speech serve a public interest?

       

2:30 PM-4:00 PM

4. The Public Interest in the Digital Sphere [Chair: Professor David Erdos, University of Cambridge]
   1. Dr Gemma Horton, Impact Fellow, Centre for Freedom of the Media, ‘EMFA, Surveillance and the Public Interest’
   2. Diego De Guadalupe Romero Rivero: PhD Candidate in Law, University of Cambridge, ‘How populists can use informal political speech and social media to harm democracy and the rule of law (US and Mexico)’ 
   3. Dr Kyle van Oosterum, Fellow, King’s College London, ‘Public Interest, Contestability, and the “Pay-to-Play” Exemption’
   4. Thomas Broderick, Media Law Lecturer, City University & PhD Candidate in Law,  University of Edinburgh, ‘AI driven journalism and the public interest’

4:00 PM-4:30 PM Coffee Break

4:30 PM-6:00 PM

5. Defining Journalism & the Public Interest: [Chair: Professor Jacob Rowbottom, University of Oxford]
   1. Dr Damian Tambini, Distinguished Policy Fellow, LSE, ‘Defining Journalism: EMFA, OSA, DSA and the First Amendment’ 
   2. Laura Regueiro, PhD Candidate, LSE, ‘Is there still a place for the public interest in section 22 of the Online Safety Act?’
   3. Dr Paolo Cavaliere, Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh& Dr Juliana da Cunha Mota, Lecturer, Kent Law School, ‘Trustworthiness and Defining Journalism’
   4. Gill Phillips, ‘The different ways in which the “public interest” defence operates’

6:00 PM-6:10 PM Closing [Gill Phillips & Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt]

6:15 PM Drinks