Penn Raine: Follow the money: our institutions for sale

Winston Peter’s media bribe jibe may have hit a nerve as last week one of our prominent dailies printed a piece by the Jewish Council’s, Juliet Moses, Unasked questions over Gaza ceasefire calls in Hamas/Israel war. 

We note this  novelty with interest because until now MSM has been notably coy in presenting the conflict in any terms other than promoting the pro-Palestinian narrative and, who knows, it may yet foreshadow the placing of slightly more centrist reporting in order to prove Peters a fibber.

Dr John O’Leary: A deadly uniformity

Toward the end of last year, I went to an academic conference. I’ve attended quite a few in the past – they’re one way of keeping up with the latest thinking in one’s subject, especially valuable for independent writer/researchers like me who work largely alone, only occasionally dipping into the academic milieu. Generally, I’ve enjoyed these conferences, though they are perhaps more fun in retrospect, or at least after one has given one’s paper, when one can relax. But this one left me depressed.

Don’t get me wrong. It was a nice enough conference. The organisers had gone to some trouble to make attendees feel welcome. There were thoughtfully arranged extra-conference activities, and an elegant dinner, complete with a piper and a man in a kilt telling jokes between the main course and dessert.