It has been a week where a number of world ‘leaders’ have exceeded even the lowest of expectations. Clearly the lion in this fight is Donald Trump as Jesus, but there are some other really notable, local contenders. (more…)
Catriona Jackson
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Pope 1, Trump 0 – Message from the Editor
You think things can’t get any worse and then they do! (more…)
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Resistance and the ‘Regime’ – Message from the Editor
Something is happening in the United States. It’s not just the rise of a tyrannical, anti-democratic, narcissist President. It’s a people’s movement in response. It is the rise of a nationwide resistance, led by skilled truth-tellers who defy the tsunami of post-truth bilge and document the death toll and other obscenities. (more…)
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Keeping your chin up – Message from the Editor
Around our dinner table we volunteer our ‘best bits’ for the day. My eldest daughter started it with her boys, and it has now become an evening ritual for us all. It forces you to articulate the good bits of the day, and to listen to what have been the good bits for others. So I thought I would start doing that with readers as well. Each week, as I filter through the hundreds of articles, podcasts, and Instagram posts that inform our coverage, I will pick a best bit. If you are reading this on social media I would love to hear your best bits. (more…)
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Grandstanding government right off-side – Message from the Editor
I have never been cynical about politics. At my 1980s high school, I confused many by having then Prime Minister Bob Hawke plastered across my A4 binder instead of Bruce Springsteen or Boy George. After starting life in journalism, where there were plenty of cynics, I horrified my editor by leaving to work for the Federal ALP. He dubbed the move the worst decision I had ever made. But I was unmoved. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
When I stared in newspapers it was often said that today’s paper is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapper. It is a relief to know that some are not so casual about the press. John Menadue and Paul Keating both have long memories, and mark a special anniversary today. It is exactly three years to the day since The Age and SMH ran a series called ‘Red Alert – warning war with China would come within three years, making that deadline today.
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Message from the Editor
I tried very hard to comply with former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich’s call to boycott The US President’s State of the Union address this past week – but when the Al Jazeera prompt flashed up on my computer screen I caved. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
I gasped in disbelief when I heard our Prime Minster invoke his beloved mother, when blocking the return of family members of ISIS fighters to Australia this week. He said: “My mother would have said, ‘If you make your bed, you lie in it’.” And he doubled down the next day, saying of the 11 women and 23 children: “I have nothing but contempt for these people.”
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When peaceful protest is allowed to work, democracy works
Melbourne’s mass protest against the visit of Israel President Isaac Herzog showed how large, diverse crowds can assemble peacefully when police exercise restraint and common sense. Sydney’s response points to a deeper failure of judgment about protest, power and democracy. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
The debate over the visit of the Israeli President has occupied much space in P&I this week, and for good reason.
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Message from the Editor
Hello all – I hope you got some much-needed respite during what turned out to be a January full of grief and turmoil for so many. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
I hope you have had time to read our offerings on the terrible shootings at Bondi this week. Amidst a thicket of coverage, here and overseas, many readers were struggling to process the tragic events. (more…)
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Pearlcast: a year that overturned the old certainties
As 2025 draws to a close, the temptation is to look for neat summaries and settled conclusions. But in the latest episode of our podcast Pearlcast, that impulse is firmly resisted. (more…)
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Message from the Editor
As we hurtle towards the chaos of Christmas, we are taking a moment to reflect on the high and lows of 2025, and what it all means for 2026.
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Don’t take it from us – here’s what great Australians think of P&I
At the time of writing, Pearls & Irritations is still $23,405 short of its critically needed fundraising target, with just four days remaining. Leading Australian thinkers explain why independent, expert-led analysis matters more than ever.
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Message from the Editor
Sometimes we run a piece that is much longer than our usual 1000 word upper limit because it is worth it. (more…)
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P&I provides a moral compass, keeps hope alive and spurs on action
‘Let me also take this opportunity to say thank you for what you are doing for Australia. P&I provides a moral compass, keeps hope alive and spurs on action.” Dr Jane Anderson Adjunct Research Fellow – Population and Global Health The University of Western Australia (more…)
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Message from the Editor
I was lucky to speak with a room full of young people at the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering this week, at an ‘ask me anything’ session. So many of them were worried that the university system was not delivering, and that, for students, fear of debt was making them think twice about further education and distorting subject choices.
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Message from the Editor
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…)
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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…)
