Simon Kelner - SUNDAY (7th Nov), 8PM

8pm, Massey Room, Balliol College

Newspaper editor of the year, Simon Kelner has been editor of The Independent for ten years, not including two years as the paper's managing director. He has been at the Indy since its very first issue, in 1986, when he was the paper's deputy sport editor.

As editor, he has mastermined the paper's campaigning 'poster' front pages, its innovative 'viewspaper' and its relaunch under new owner Alexander Lebedev, who also owns London's Evening Standard. The Indy was the first UK 'broadsheet' to switch to a tabloid format - a move replicated around the world.

In a coup for the society, his visit is one of his first public talks since he launched i last Tuesday. i, the first quality national newspaper to launch in the UK since The Independent itself in 1986, is priced aggressively at 20p and aimed at the time-poor commuter who wants his or her news without virulently right-wing views and naked women.

Initial feedback on i has been extremely positive, with Kelner saying that sales have vastly outweighed even their most bullish predictions.

The talk will be a great opportunity to quiz Kelner about the new format and how it fits in with the Indy, as well as to hear from one of British journalism's longest-serving and most innovative editors.

RSVP here: http://on.fb.me/bvtzDi

Max Clifford - WEDNESDAY 8.30PM

Max Clifford will address the Oxford Media Society in Vaults & Garden, University Church at 8.30PM tomorrow (Wednesday 27th). All welcome: £2/event or £10/year. There will be free wine and nibbles, sponsored by WPP.

What do Marlon Brando, Jade Goody, Simon Cowell and The Beatles have in common? They've all been represented by the celebrity publicist Max Clifford. The "king of kiss-and-tell" and PR guru, Max claims to be responsible for 170 national newspaper front pages in the last 18 months and boasts that his company, Max Clifford Associates, has never had to pitch for business since its creation in 1970.

A media phenomenon, Clifford was born in 1943 into a poor family as the youngest of four siblings. Raised in London, he left his local secondary comprehensive at 15. His first job was at a department store in Wimbledon. As he admits, it was totally unsuitable for someone with his temperament and attitude to authority and he was soon sacked. Subsequently, he got a job through his brother's contacts as an editorial assistant at the Eagle comic but when the publication moved premises, Clifford took redundancy and started his journalist training with South London Press.

In 1962 Max left the world of journalism for the glitz of the pop world, joining EMI as a press and publicity man. As the youngest and the only trained journalist in a team of four, he was given the task to promote an unknown Liverpudlian group called The Beatles, including their first tour of the US.

At the age of 27, Max set up his own PR company, which redefined the industry. He fed numerous celebrity stories to journalists (most famously "Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster") and negotiated mountainous fees for "kiss-and-tell" revelations (Rebecca Loos and her affair with David Beckham). Although he is mostly famous for selling stories, he claims that the bulk of his work comes from damage containment.

Whether you love or loath this brand of media manipulation, there is no doubt that Clifford is its founder and chief practitioner. Come and hear him speak tomorrow and quiz him about his astonishing life in the media.

Peter Bazalgette

Peter Bazalgette will address Oxford Media Society at 8PM on 25th October in Rainolds Room, Corpus Christi College. All welcome, £2/event or £10 membership/year.

Peter Bazalgette polarises public opinion as does every episode of Big Brother. One of the "10 worst Britons", declared Daily Mail. "The man who has done more to debase television over the past decade than anyone else," raved The London Evening Standard. In contrast, The Independent praised him over the commercial fire power and his pioneering role in lifestyle TV programmes. It is worth recounting Bazalgette's biography to see how he gained this notoriety.

Peter attended the other place (Cambridge), where he was studying Law or rather, throwing himself in the world of extra-curricular activities with Law on the side. He wrote a gossip column in the university newspaper Varsity and became the President of the Cambridge Union. Disillusioned with law as a career, he joined the BBC as a news trainee, where he researched the show That's Life for Esther Ranzen. It is there that he learned the importance of entertainment and engaging the audience. Shortly after, he helped to create Food and Drink for BBC2, the longest running food show that aims to engage non-foodies. While working for Bazalgette throughout the programme, many have remarked on the clarity of Peter's vision: he always knew what he wanted, and as an employee always knew what to do.

In 1987, Peter founded his own entertainment company Bazal. He has had significant input in the creation of innovative lifestyle shows such as vastly popular Ready Steady Cook, Changing Rooms and Ground Force. Three years later, Bazal was acquired by Broadcast Communications, which itself was absorbed by the television production giant Endemol. It was during this time that Bazalgette popularised Big Brother in the UK. In 2005, Bazalgette became Chairman of Endemol UK and the Creative Director of Endemol Group worldwide. During his time on the global board Endemol grew strongly and in 2005 it was launched on the Dutch stock exchange. Over the next eighteen months it trebled in value and was sold in 2007 for €3.2 billion. Bazalgette pocketed £4.6m in salary.

Currently, Bazalgette writes a regular column in Prospect magazine, is a non-executive Chairman of two of Sony's television divisions in the UK,Chairman of MirriAd, non-executive director of MyVideoRights and Nutopia and also a member of BBH's Advisory Board. If that wasn't enough, he is also a Deputy Chairman of English National Opera (please read Bazalgette's recent article on arts and media here) and is a Trustee of Debate Mate charity.

Welcome to Michaelmas

Welcome

Oxford Media Society would like to welcome all freshers descending on Oxford this week, and welcome back everyone else.

If you're interested in media, are considering a career in journalism or marketing or simply like to listen to inspiring people, then Oxford Media Society will be right up your street. We organise speaker events that connect all students passionate about the industry.

If you would like to know more, visit our stall at Freshers' Fair (we will be based in South Schools), pick up our termcard or drop us an email (oxfordmediasoc@gmail.com). Our seven great speakers for the term ahead are listed on the tab to the right of this post.

Some additional information below:

Dinner with one of the speakers

We offer opportunities to dine with each one of our speakers. Before each event, we take the speaker for a dinner (either formal hall or restaurant) along with Media Society members. If you would like to attend, email oxfordmediasoc@gmail.com with the subject "[Name of speaker] Dinner" and name the speaker you would like to meet. We will inform you whether you have a spot a week before the event. (Please note that Oxford Media Society provides only the opportunity to have dinner with the speaker. We cannot pay for the dinner itself.)

Joining the Committee

If you would like to form part of the committee in Hilary & Trinity term 2011 (each position is held for two terms), please e-mail oxfordmediasoc@gmail.com with the subject "Committee" to register interest. You should also attend at least three of our events this term. We will be sending application information to all those who are interested at the beginning of 6th week.

Membership Fee

Our membership fee is only £10 for a year or £2 per event. Considering that this Michaelmas we have seven events, you will definitely get back more than your money's worth!

Sign up now

To become a member for the year for just £10, please pay by any of the following methods:

1. Cheque or cash

Pidge £10 in cash or cheque to Marta Szczerba, St John's College writing your name and college at the back. Alternatively, hand it in at Freshers' Fair this week (6-8th October).

2. Bank Transfer

Transfer £10 to

Oxford Media Society (HSBC Bank)

Sort code: 40-35-34

Account number: 22726351

Reference: [Your surname, your college]

And send us an e-mail to oxfordmediasoc@gmail.com saying that you've paid and what your reference was (eg. 'Rowley, Balliol')

3. Paypal

Use the button on the right hand side to pay with your debit card or paypal account. Please drop us an e-mail tooxfordmediasoc@gmail.com saying that you've paid.

Have a great term and we look forward to meeting you soon.

Marta and Tom xx