Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Journalists play a vital role in a democracy, holding power to account. The traditional model of journalism sees journalists as disinterested seekers of the truth, striving for 'objectivity' and suppressing their own opinions. But as newsrooms and editorial pages previously staffed only by white male journalists have evolved, and as the internet has driven the rise of opinion journalism, we are faced with two important questions: Does it matter who journalists are? And does it matter what they think? At a time when media business models are in crisis, how should we think about bias, representation, truth and opinion? What happens when journalists themselves become 'the story'? And if we can't talk about these thorny questions in the media itself, can the media do its job at all? Antoinette Lattouf is a broadcaster, columnist, author, speaker, human rights advocate, mental health ambassador who dabbles in satire and is terrible at reverse parking. She is the creator and co-host of The Antoinettes podcast, a weekly commentary and comedy podcast. She is also the co-host of news and analysis podcast The Briefing. The multi-award-winning journalist is the co-founder of Media Diversity Australia – a not-for-profit organisation working towards increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in the media. Andy Mills is an American reporter and podcast producer who co-created The Daily at The New York Times, Reflector and several documentary series including Rabbit Hole and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Josh Szeps is one of Australia's most influential and innovative interviewers. In New York, he was a founding host-producer of the revolutionary US streaming news network, HuffPost Live. He won a Webby Award while the organisation won a Pulitzer. Josh also appeared regularly with Al Roker as a contributor on the NBC TODAY Show. On his return to Australia, he co-anchored the national morning television show, Weekend Breakfast, and became a fixture of ABC Radio Sydney. Afternoons with Josh Szeps launched in 2021, a three-hour daily talkback radio show. In 2024, Josh left the legacy media to wrestle freely with ideas in a spicier way. Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps took off as a podcast, Substack publication, live touring enterprise and YouTube channel. Chaired by Louise Adler, Director of Adelaide Writers' Week, who has spent over 30 years in the culture business and continues to be committed to the dissemination of dangerous ideas.

The late philosopher and scientist, Daniel Dennett talked about 'counterfeit people' as one of the great dangers of AI – but are we now willing to court the same dangers through our adoption of multiple identities across the metaverse. Moving from the confinement of physical reality to the landscape of the metaverse, where looks, preferences, and genders are limitless, we can each acquire many digital selves. Is a 'virtual you' a truer reflection of your deepest self – revealing desires and aspects that otherwise remain hidden? What is the human cost of leaving the physical world behind? What are the ethical implications of living without boundaries in a digital space where the borders between morality and legality, in the 'real world', begin to dissolve? Lizzie O'Shea sues companies and governments that do the wrong thing. She has run major cases against major technology companies on behalf of thousands of people who have been harmed by them. She is also a founder and the chair of Digital Rights Watch, which advocates for human rights in online spaces. Patrick Stokes is associate professor of philosophy at Deakin University, and a writer, radio producer, and media commentator on philosophical matters. He is currently engaged in a three-year Australian Research Council-funded project, 'Digital Death and Immortality.' Emily van der Nagel is a Lecturer in Social Media at Monash University. She researches social media identities, platforms, and cultures, with a particular focus on digital intimacies. Her book, Sex and Social Media, co-authored with Katrin Tiidenberg, takes a feminist, sex-positive approach to how social media platforms shape and restrict sex. Emily is currently working on a research project about how Australians use social media to create and subscribe to content on OnlyFans. Chaired by Professor of Evolution at UNSW Sydney and a popular science author, Rob Brooks.

Throughout history we have found ways to regulate human behaviour through the threat of social exclusion. But while the idea of 'cancellation' is not new, the online sphere has radically shifted the way we hold people to account and punish perceived wrongdoing. Is redemption possible in the digital age? And can narratives of growth and forgiveness help us shift the power from condemnation to compassion? What does 'forgiveness' look like in the digital age? David Baddiel is an accomplished comedian, author, screenwriter and television presenter. His works include the Sunday Times Politics Book of The Year – his polemic Jews Don't Count, and The God Desire. Roxane Gay is an author whose works include Ayiti, An Untamed State, The New York Times' bestselling Bad Feminist, and The New York Times' bestselling Hunger: A Memoir of My Body and the nationally bestselling Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business. Andy Mills is an American reporter and podcast producer who co-created The Daily at The New York Times, Reflector and several documentary series including Rabbit Hole and The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Megan Phelps-Roper is an author and podcast producer who left a life of religious extremism in 2012. She has spent the past decade using her experiences to work with schools on anti-bullying campaigns, with law enforcement organisations investigating deradicalisation, and with tech companies on the intersection of safety, free speech, and the value of dialogue across ideological divides. She hosted and produced The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Chaired by philosopher, Tim Dean.

The process of global collapse has begun – driven by the damage we have caused to the Earth's natural systems. And governments and corporations aren't going to save us. So are we going to cling to our old individual ways of fighting each other for the final scraps? Or should we adapt and support each other through this transition? Sociologist Jem Bendell says while it might be too late for the breakdown of society, it's not too late to figure out how we want to survive this crisis, together. Jem Bendell is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, with twenty years of experience in sustainable business and finance, as a researcher, educator, facilitator, advisor, & entrepreneur, having lived & worked in six countries. Clients for his strategy development included international corporations, UN agencies and international NGOs. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recognised Professor Bendell as a Young Global Leader for his work on sustainable business alliances.

Masculinity has become a battle ground. From the gender pay gap, to domestic violence and rape, the idea of what it means to be a man has been heavily scrutinised in recent times. Meanwhile the gender wars – fuelled by mainstream conservatives, technology and social media – has shifted society's ideas in a dangerous direction. Has the recent focus on women had a negative effect on masculinity? Are men and boy's feelings of shame and exclusion contributing to a crisis? And is masculinity necessarily toxic? Tarang Chawla is an award-winning keynote speaker, writer, advocate and recovering lawyer. He serves as Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission where he works to bring the voices and lived experiences of culturally diverse people to policymakers. He is also the co-founder of Not One More Niki, a grassroots non-profit working to end men's violence against women. Professor Michael Flood is an internationally recognised researcher on men, masculinities, and gender, violence against women, and violence prevention. Anna Krien is an author and regular contributor to The Monthly magazine and The Saturday Paper. Chaired by anthropologist and the founder of Habitus, Monty Badami.

The culture wars are seeping out of the real world and infiltrating our pages and stages. Art has always traversed unfamiliar and even dangerous territory. But with recent calls to boycott cultural institutions, donors pulling funding, and the cancellation of works and talent, are some discussions too fraught to engage with? Louise Adler is the Director of Adelaide Writers' Week. She has spent over 30 years in the culture business and continues to be committed to the dissemination of dangerous ideas. Brook Garru Andrew is an artist, curator and writer who is driven by the collisions of intertwined narratives emerging from the mess of the "Colonial Wuba (hole)". His practice is grounded in his perspective as a Wiradjuri and Celtic person from Australia. Violette Ayad was born on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja to Palestinian and Lebanese parents. She is now based on Gadigal land where she works as an actor, writer, director, and voice artist. Gil Beckwith has a significant career in the Arts and Not For Profit industry in senior finance and administration management roles. Her working career spans over 40 years and includes working for Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Festival, the Victorian AIDS Council, and most recently CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Emile Sherman is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning film and television producer who co-founded See-Saw Films in 2008. Based in Sydney and London, See-Saw Films has worked with many of the world's leading filmmakers and actors. Chaired by philosopher and Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, Simon Longstaff.

What is the purpose of democracy when it's become more challenging than ever to tell the left and right apart? Journalist and filmmaker, Tariq Ali says Western democracy has failed and we are now seeing the emergence of an extreme centre, which ensures no challenges to this form of neoliberal politics is permitted. Tariq Ali is a British-Pakistani political commentator and a prolific writer, journalist and filmmaker. He has been a leading figure of the international left since the 1960s. His books include The Duel: Pakistan on the Flightpath of American Power, The Obama Sydrome and The Extreme Centre: A Warning.