14/07/2010 - They're supposed to be opposite ends of the spectrum: journalists report the news, while public relations professionals try to influence them.

Not any more: blue chip PR firms are hiring journalists more than ever before to help their clients create their own text and video content - with online publishing, PRs don't always need mainstream media channels to tell their story.

So how different is PR from journalism these days? Is this trend a concern for people who value editorial and commercial independence, or is it just a sympton of a shrinking, fragmented mass media?

Joining us to discuss this are:

Martin Veitch, editor in chief of IT industry title CIO who is due to join Bite Communications;
Ian Burrell, media editor of The Independent
Darren Waters, former BBC Online technlogy editor and now MD of Monument PR
Drew Benvie, managing director and of digital PR agency 33 Digital.
Our chair for the evening is freelance journalist and former Times media editor Dan Sabbagh, who now runs the media-watching website Beehivecity.
This event is part of our monthly On The Media series of panel discussions, in association with the BBC College of Journalism.