The War of the Narratives
// Watch this session on demand by purchasing a Livestream ticket //
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 is co-host of Global Roaming on ABC Radio National and The Project on Channel Ten. Hamish has won numerous awards including a Walkley for current affairs journalism and was named Young Journalist of the Year by Britain’s Royal Television Society. Hamish has covered conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Ukraine, the nuclear disaster in Japan, uprisings in Hong Kong and Egypt, the London bombings and the rise of ISIS. Outside of Australia he has worked for Channel 4 News in the UK, Al Jazeera English, and America’s ABC where he was International Affairs Correspondent. In 2016 he became a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
Don't miss these
We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation - the custodians of the country in which we meet - and acknowledge their Elders, past and present.
While we believe in freedom of speech, the views and opinions expressed by the speakers are not necessarily the views of The Ethics Centre and our partners.