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7 tweets,
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THREAD: Am increasingly concerned about the unwillingness of many on this platform to listen to any divergent views. Hate is poured on those whom they disagree with. Contempt on those who speak to, publish or broadcast commentators or experts with different conclusions. 1/2
My as a journalist jobs have included oped editor (SMH), Ideas Editor (Newsweek), columnist (NYT, SMH, Newsweek etc), and panel moderator/ presenter. In each job I have sought to air different views, various opinions, especially those that make my blood boil, or brain hurt...
I LOVE hearing different opinions. Crowd thought makes my professional skin itch. Bold thinkers are rare. We so rarely challenge our own thinking; silos abound and it makes for boring debate. The way to change ideas is to openly wrestle with stale, dangerous or incorrect ones.
And yet, and yet, every night after #thedrum, people yell on here: "how DARE you invite that drongo on?" Even if they are in agreement with say three or four panellists, a rage at the fifth prevails. What does this say? If we support diversity, who expects to agree with everyone?
Now it's one thing to say - we prefer experts over bloviators, the experienced over the snoutband, the versed over the ignorant. But democracy's wheels will grind if we don't allow, and deliberately invite, the airing of widely-diverging views, and respect difference.
We cannot abandon the great art of persuasion. Of the possibility of changing minds when presented with facts, powerful arguments, lived experience. I am so often wrong about so many things, & I can't be the only one. Doubt & uncertainty are crucial. THE END THANK YOU GOOD NIGHT.
Just one more thing before I return to the real world: I can't answer all your tweets but I accept you may not agree. I'm just explaining some of my approach as a journalist. I do so on Twitter because I love this platform & think it's important & value our audience. Night. 🌛
