The War of the Narratives
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The writing and rewriting of historical conflicts to influence the present is nothing new. In an age of creeping authoritarianism, anyone who questions the logic of competing narratives risks being silenced. From the Holocaust, to Israel and Gaza, Russia and Ukraine, journalist and writer Masha Gessen has examined the intersection of history, propaganda and censorship. As today’s players race to control their narratives, what happens when narrative becomes dogma – with the power to define identity and legitimacy?
Masha Gessen’s visit to Australia is made possible by the support of Bill Manos and the Manos Foundation.
There will be an Auslan interpreter for this session.
Masha Gessen [RUSSIA/USA]
Masha Gessen is an opinion columnist for The New York Times and a Distinguished Professor at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. They have written extensively on The Russian-Ukrainian war, Israel/Palestine, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump. They have won numerous awards, including the George Polk Award, the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thinking, and the National Book Award. Their books include Surviving Autocracy and The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia.
Hamish Macdonald
Hamish Macdonald is an award-winning journalist who has covered wars, disasters, and major world events. He hosts Mornings on ABC Sydney and co-hosts Global Roaming on Radio National – named Best News Podcast by Radio Today. His awards include a Walkley for current affairs journalism, the EU-Qantas Journalism Prize, and the Elizabeth O’Neill Journalism Award. He has reported from Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Egypt, Iraq and Japan, and has worked for Channel 4 News, Al Jazeera English and America’s ABC. In 2016 he became a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation - the custodians of the country on which we meet - and acknowledge their Elders, past and present.
The views and opinions expressed by the Festival participants are not necessarily the views of The Ethics Centre and our partners.