James Curran, professor of communications at Goldsmiths College and director of their media research programme, will argue that the role of the Democracy is being weakened by the global movement towards the American market-based, entertainment-centred model of television, encouraging American-style levels of political ignorance.

Professor Curran, co-author of "Power Without Responsibility", one of the main texts for journalism students in the UK, will say that the Internet could bring about greater democracy, but not in the near future. "The Internet offers a wonderful democratic tool," he says. "But a business model has not yet developed to sustain independent net-based journalism as an adequate corrective to media concentration and weakened editorial standards."

Other speakers taking part are:

- Agnes Callamard, executive director of press freedom lobby organisation Article 19, who will outline what she sees to be the major challenges for press freedom in the world today

- Gerry Gable, former editor of Searchlight magazine, who will talk about hate speech in the UK today

- Rhidian Wynn-Davies, consulting editor of The Telegraph, who will talk about the impact of the Internet on press freedom.

The debate will be chaired by John Naughton, Director of the Wolfson College, Cambridge Press Fellowship Programme.