Photojournalist Andrew Quilty spent years reporting in Afghanistan and published a book about his experiences, August in Kabul. I reviewed it for the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age in August 2022. My interview with Quilty, conduced at the Newcastle Writer’s Festival late March 2023, covers the war itself, the return of the Taliban and…
Showing all posts tagged Journalism
TRT World interview on Assange and prospects of freedom
Talking on global broadcaster TRT World’s The Newsmakers program on the case of Wikileaks Julian Assange, the prospects of his freedom and the vital role of Declassified Australia’s contributor writer, Kellie Tranter, and her FOI work around the case.
TNT Radio interview on Wikileaks, press bravery and conflict
David McBride is an Australian hero, a former military lawyer turned whistle-blower who exposed war crimes in Afghanistan. He appears weekly on TNT Radio and interviewed me last weekend about journalism, war, ethics, Wikileaks and accountability:
The rise of Declassified Australia
Declassified Australia was launched nearly one year ago by journalist Peter Cronau and me. We’ve published more than 20 stories since on a range of issues including spying, social media manipulation, Afghan refugees and Australia’s foreign policy. We have big plans for ramping up the reach and scale of the outlet so stay tuned. This…
Art, war and another Afghanistan
I recently spoke at Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre about Afghanistan. Here’s the event blurb and video below: Writers, musicians, sportspeople, artists, refugees and activists celebrate the resilience, art and creativity of Afghanistan. Haunting images from Kabul Airport filled Western television screens following the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, drawing into sharp relief the devastation caused by…
What the media should be doing
This letter was just published in the Williamsport Sun-Gazette newspaper in Pennsylvania: Oscar Wilde said, “In the old days men had the rack. Today they have the Press.” We are bombarded with what the media says is news, but, in most cases, does not identify a real source, or attribute the facts to a specific…
When is the time to boycott?
When the political and media class routinely support tyranny in the name of ‘democracy’, community-led boycotts become essential. My latest essay in the Sydney Review of Books, a 3k+ word piece, on Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, BDS and reporter John Lyons’ fine new book, Dateline Jerusalem: Journalism’s Toughest Assignment.
Bad News interview on Afghanistan, independent journalism and unembedded voices
Bad News is a great new podcast that interviews journalists, academics and activists who question the current political realities. I’m interviewed about Afghanistan, independent journalism and Declassified Australia.
Melbourne’s Triple R radio interview on Declassified Australia
Late last year, I co-founded the new media outlet, Declassified Australia. We aim to critically report on Australia’s real relationship with the world. It’s often not pretty. Today I was interviewed on Melbourne’s Triple R about it all.
The Afghan war as a grifter’s paradise
What was the post 9/11 Afghan war really about? This great New York-based, award-winning podcast, News Beat, has produced a one-hour examination of this very question, melding journalism with hip-hip. I’m one of the guests talking about disaster capitalism in the war-torn nation.