In a year in which the media has been dominated by stories concerning the relationship between politicians and news broadcasters, it was particularly fitting to welcome on Thursday 26 January one of the most distinguished television journalists of the past 30 years, Adam Boulton, Political Editor of Sky News.

Drawing on his decades of experience at the heart of news-gathering and presenting, Adam Boulton mounted a robust defence of the journalistic profession as a vital means of holding authority to account. Defending his own record against critics from right and left, Boulton showed us how the television news journalist requires real strength of character. He concluded his talk by urging that his audience regard journalism as a vital profession, and one that protects liberties by holding the powerful up to scrutiny.