First of all my thanks to those who’ve already made a donation to our end of year fundraiser. As many of you know we are absolutely independent and fund operations purely through the generosity of the Pearls and Irritations community. (more…)
Catriona Jackson
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Nurturing the next generation of voices
One of the things that sets P&I apart is the seniority and deep experience of many of our authors. And that will not change, facts and historical understanding of issues are essential if we are to tackle the huge issues confronting us all. But the other essential element is fresh thinking and the kind of sparkling hope and action that young Australians bring to the table. (more…)
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The integrity of our media matters – please support Pearls and Irritations
We continue to see powerful interests shape the headlines and spread misinformation faster than facts in current times. That’s why your support of what we do matters. (more…)
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Message from the editor
It has been a real pleasure to watch so many Americans enjoy what might just be a pivotal moment in American politics, with the victory of Zohran Mamdani, the first Muslim and South Asian to win the office of mayor of New York. (more…)
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Message from the editor
When I began as editor in early 2025 I was struck by how much great reading P&I offered. Now we are branching out to bring you great listening as well, with a big new project, Pearlcast. (more…)
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Message from the editor
As I look out of my window this morning, I can see a very small proportion of the 34 million people who live in Delhi, 6.5 million more than inhabit the whole of Australia. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Readers are well aware of our special interest in calm and rational coverage of China. Often we focus on geopolitics, and the change in China’s position in a world of continual, swirling change is fascinating. (more…)
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Episode 3 – The 50th anniversary of the Whitlam government
Presenter and Pearls and Irritations Editor Catriona Jackson is joined for the third and final episode of the Dismissal editon of Pearlcast. (more…)
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Episode 1 – The 50th anniversary of the Whitlam government
We kick off with a topic close to our hearts, the 50th anniversary of the Dismissal of the Whitlam Government. (more…)
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Message from the editor
This month we are working hard on a new initiative, a P&I podcast series called Pearlcast. Pearlcast will kick off with a topic close to our hearts, the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of the Whitlam Government. (more…)
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Episode 2 – The 50th anniversary of the Whitlam government
In this second episode of Pearlcast from John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations, we return to the dramatic events of 11 November 1975 – the day the Governor-General dismissed the Whitlam Labor government. (more…)
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Message from the editor
If you do a Google search for the US federal health department (Health and Human Services) site, as I did this week, a big red banner pops up (over a homepage filled with happy snaps of Trump and Kennedy, and the Make America Healthy Again slogan). (more…)
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Message from the editor
I am writing from the back of a minibus in Chongqing this week, the mountainous mega city in southwestern China. (more…)
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Message from the editor
I am in China for P&I this week, with a group of Australian journalists on a visit sponsored by the Chinese Government and will be very keen to share my impressions when I return. (more…)
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Message from the editor
It seemed almost too much to look back to the events of 9/11 in New York, when there is so much killing and grief swirling the globe now. (more…)
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Message from the editor
If you had any doubt that global power dynamics are shifting, one image from the past week put paid to that. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Off the back of last week’s huge protests for Palestine in Australia, the global movement to end the genocide continues to grow. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Many of you would have heard P&I publisher, founder and editor-in-chief John Menadue in conversation with David Marr on ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live last Wednesday evening. If not you can catch it any time. We will publish a transcript. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Last Monday night I was part of a panel discussion on the future of Palestine with a fascinating group. (more…)
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Message from the editor
It has been difficult to focus on much other than the terrible events in Palestine in recent weeks. It is beyond comprehension that the Israeli Government could have made the war even worse, but with the announcement that it will attempt full occupation of Gaza it has done just that. (more…)
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Message from the editor
I spent some time in Parliament House last week and it was a delight to see the increased diversity of elected members. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
This week the news from Gaza has been so gut-wrenchingly awful that it is tempting to turn away. To stop reading. To stop looking. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Welcome to the week, the first sitting week of the 48th Australian Parliament, where we will see, for the first time, 94 ALP MPs, 43 Coalition members, 10 Independent MPs and three from minor parties on the floor of the House of Representatives. (more…)
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Message from the editor
Anthony Albanese left for China two days ago. If you relied solely on some parts of the Australian media, you’d think he was handing over the silverware and snuggling up with the People’s Liberation Army. (more…)
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Message from the editor
My sincere thanks to all who made a contribution to our June fundraising appeal with the terrific team at the Australian Cultural Fund. (more…)
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Message from the editor
As I prepare the lists of articles for publication each day, I am very aware that many of our stories talk of death, destruction and cruelty. (more…)
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Message from the editor
One of the things that sets Pearls and Irritations apart is the calibre of our contributors. (more…)
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Message from the editor
It has been a big couple of weeks at Pearls and Irritations, featuring some of the biggest issues we have pursued strongly in the past few years: the AUKUS defence deal and the genocide in Palestine, both reaching turning points. (more…)
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Message from the editor
One of the things I love most about this job is the reading and listening (to radio). (more…)