Is democracy dying a slow and painful death? What are the threats to its health, external and internal?
New York Times reporters are exploring these questions all over the world, from China and Hungary to the United States. Here in Australia, too, we’re looking closely at the forces that contribute to widening distrust in democratic government.
And as part of that, I’ll be in Adelaide this weekend to discuss the topic at two events for Writers’ Week, part of the Adelaide Festival.
• On Sunday at 1:15 p.m., I’ll discuss free speech in a Chinese world with Clive Hamilton, the author “Secret Invasion,” which just hit shelves after a publisher postponed its release out of a fear of lawsuits, as we wrote in November.
• On Monday at 9:30 a.m., I’ll chat with George Megalogenis and A.C. Grayling, the British philosopher, about democracy and populism. (This one will be live-streamed.)
Both discussions should be interesting, with overlapping themes, and I’d love to see and say hello to any and all Australia Letter readers who are able to come.
I’m also still preparing questions for each of the sessions and would love to hear from you.
What do you think I should be asking Clive about China, and Australia’s vulnerabilities to Chinese interference?
What should I get George and A.C. to discuss about democracy and the rise of populism around the world?
Send your thoughts and questions to nytaustralia@nytimes.com with “Democracy” in the subject line and I’ll try to a work a few of them into our discussions.
Also, as long as we’re highlighting events, Francesca Donner, the editorial director of The Times’s new Gender Initiative, is in Australia this week.
She’ll be at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday for a panel discussion titled Grabbing Back: Women in the Age of Trump and she’ll be in Melbourne on March 7 at the Wheeler Centre for a discussion about Reporting the Gender Reckoning (sold out).
You can also hear her discussing gender and The Times this evening with Richard Glover on ABC’s “Drive” program.
Finally, Francesca is looking for a handful of female, under-45 subscribers to join her for a dinner on March 7 in Melbourne to discuss media, gender — and to get some feedback on The Times.
Please email nytaustralia@nytimes.com with “Melbourne dinner” in the subject line if you’re interested.
Now here are our stories of the week, which I organized in a slightly different way this time around.
I broke it all down into three sections: China (big news week there); Australia; and Fun (stories that make us smile, because hey, we all need a break sometimes). In each group, I pointed out a few top picks in case that’s all you have time for.
Feedback is welcome, as always. So is sharing this newsletter with friends.
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