Thomson Foundation: a vision spanning more than half a century

Canadian-born media magnate Lord Thomson set up the foundation to help journalists and news media in the developing world establish the skills that would help them inject strong governance into their societies. In a landmark speech in early 1963 he declared that "communication is surely the spine of civilisation." As he travelled the world to build up his media empire, he became convinced that all journalists should have access to good training in how to report fairly, incisively and freely.