Public lecture: The Art of Class War

The Art of Class War: The 1984-85 miners’ strike as seen by news cartoonists

An illustrated public lecture by Cardiff University Honorary Professor and former BBC Labour, Industrial, and Politics Correspondent Nicholas Jones.

• 21 November 2023, 18:00 to 19:00, Room 0.06, Two Central Square
• Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Culture

The 1984-85 miner’s strike was one of the most bitter, hard-fought, divisive, and important industrial disputes in UK history and the news media played a leading and controversial role in it.

On the eve of its 40th anniversary Nicholas Jones, who reported on the strike for the BBC, will draw on his own experience, as well as his vast personal archive of news coverage, to look back on the strike through the eyes of newspaper and magazine cartoonists.

Learn about the strike from Jones’ unique perspective as he discusses cartoonists’ visions of heroes and villains, police brutality, working class solidarity, and the growing despair of communities as they were starved back to work in this epic showdown between hard-line conservatism and ordinary workers. The talk will offer insights into news coverage of the strike itself, but also the brutally hard-hitting, often hilarious, and sometimes cruel journalistic cartoons of the day.

This is an unticketed event: Please just turn up on the day. This lecture will be delivered in-person only and will not be live-cast or recorded.

For more information contact the host Dr Andy Williams on willliamsa28@cardiff.ac.uk