Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Fleet Street

Today we began the day with a walking tour of Fleet Street, the original home to all London newspapers. Back in the day all of the big papers were all printing on the same street, but over the past several years they've been moved out to different areas of the city. We learned all about the history of the papers along Fleet Street and saw the inscription of the names still carved into the side of buildings that once housed them.

Following the walking tour we took a short break for lunch at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a local pub on Fleet Street. We had a discussion of the role of the media in politics with Howard Patten, a former professor of King's College and expert in Middle East and Mediterranean relations. He told us about the use of scare tactics in the media and the government. 

Patten joined us for a tour of St. Bride's Church, also known as the journalists' church. It is located on Fleet Street and is well-known for its pews lined with plaques in memory of journalists who were killed or taken hostage on the job. 


Today was a full day of history and lectures, but I enjoyed walking the area known for the publications that lined its street. It was so great to see the support for those who lost their lives while in pursuit of the truth. And as Mary Coleman said, we have to have faith that our work is worth it and that we are truly making a difference. 

No comments:

Post a Comment