In the aftermath of an affair that has shaken Britain’s press to the core, Thurlbeck seems to think it is salvageable at the price of revolutionary reform. The former chief reporter at the News of The World was arrested in April 2011 for his role in the scandal and remains on bail for suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and the unlawful interception of voicemail messages.

He began with an ironic attempt to evoke sympathy by claiming that everyone was “out to get” him apart from his mum, and seemed to relish his own industry’s current cartoon-like portrayal of him as a “sleazy hack.”

Half-hearted joking aside, the topic that has transpired as the black cloud hanging over his extensive career as a tabloid journalist begged to be tackled: the phone hacking scandal.

He said that many recent criticisms made against his former employer have been “painfully accurate,” and that the tabloid press at large had “stepped over the edge,” presumably over the fine line between frivolity and criminality. However, he was wont to hammer home that dubious practices are firmly in the past; claiming that “dark agendas” have no place in modern newspapers.

He believes it was the drastic loss of public trust in the wake of the Millie Dowler allegations – the scandal’s “tipping point” – that ultimately led to the News of the World’s demise.

However, he was critical of the recent culture select committee report that deemed Rupert Murdoch “unfit” to run his global media empire. The committee’s division along party lines, he implied, reduced its credibility and ultimately it is up to readers and shareholders to decide whether Murdoch is a “fit and proper” person to run News Corporation.

Thurlbeck believes the tabloids are now at a “cross-roads” and must reform if they are to survive. The Leveson Inquiry, the bud that has sprouted from the dirt of the scandal, is essential in revolutionising the industry that is now “an anachronism in a modern media landscape.”

On the future of the British press, Thurlbeck’s predictions were particularly interesting and even provocative. He believes newspapers may only survive another ten or fifteen years before they become “obsolete” and are eclipsed by online media.

The news agenda over the last few years has been dominated by the press talking about itself, and the sparsely filled Union chamber could be a tentative hint that the public’s interest is waning.

However Ian Cooper, the Union’s Head of Press, said turn out was entirely proportionate: "Mr Thurlbeck attracted a large audience at a time when students are under a lot of exam pressure and the reaction to the talk was extremely positive.”

Angus Dickson, a second year linguist, said:"It wasn't exactly revelatory but that's not necessarily what people would have expected. He was interesting on the future of the tabloid press from an economic perspective and responded to questions astutely, but never tackled the ethics and responsibility of the tabloid press in serious depth.”

The News of the World has already met its end, and as Thurlbeck kept reminding his audience, the tabloid genre is at risk unless it implements the far-reaching reforms that look set to be recommended by the landmark Leveson Inquiry.