Come to a unique one-day conference that brings together young people from riot areas and media practitioners in a long-overdue and much needed dialogue.

The event will be informative, educative and practical with general sessions and youth-focused breakout workshops. Afterwards, the plan is to produce a report, perhaps in multi-media format, that will have a positive impact on future media coverage of our communities.

Stafford Scott, a long-standing Tottenham community activist, commented: “Martin Luther King once said that riots gave a voice to the voiceless; but the voices of those who felt moved to take to the streets in August are still very much unheard. The lessons from the ‘80s should tell us that ignoring them will come at a cost."

Top academic and community activist Professor Gus John, said: "At times like these, one gets a very real sense of two things: one is how encapsulated these journalists (especially broadcast) are within their own narrow, little and incestuous bubbles without any grasp of social realities in the polity. And two, how banal, hysterical and downright reactionary the editorial slant they give to their news packages is."

Professor John, who is also a government advisor, will be one of the keynote speakers.

Editor of The-Latest.Com Marc Wadsworth said: "Calls by leading right-wing politicians in August for social media, like Facebook and BlackBerry messaging, to be shut down during times of public disorder like the riots were a blatant attack on free speech. This conference is about people marginalised and ignored by big media getting heard."

Social media expert Dr Mariann Hardey, who will lead a workshop, stated: "This conference is the first constructive dialogue to understand the social in social media."

Supporters of the event include media luminaries at the BBC’s College of Journalism, London College of Communication, South Bank University, Goldsmith’s, Brunel, Durham University, City University, University of Lincoln, University of Leicester, University of Kingston, University of Roehampton, The Guardian, The Big Issue, Voice and Gleaner newspapers, GV Media, visionOntv, Chronicle.Org, Engage Enterprise, The Afia Trust, Voices That Shake, The Platform, Tottenham Defence Campaign, Birmingham Racial Attacks Monitoring Unit, Unite London and East's 524 branch, citizen journalists, scholars and bloggers, young people and community activists.

Tickets will be available for collection from 9.30am on the day. Please bring some ID, concession status (if applicable), plus your paypal email will be required for confirmation of payment.