Our mission at The Conversation is simple, so simple it can be easy to miss the scale of our ambition.
We exist to unlock the knowledge of academic experts and make that knowledge freely available to anyone who wants to access it. That’s what we do every day when we contact academics and ask them to write articles on issues in the news. That’s what our editors do when they take a technically sophisticated journal article and rewrite it into plain English.
Those are the simple tasks of our daily work, but the ambition behind them is huge. It is nothing less than to save the world from the disastrous fracturing of trust that comes with misinformation and disinformation disseminated on an industrial scale.
In the age of AI, this could not be more important. As The New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger pointed out in a recent speech, AI companies are consolidating their control of our data and our attention. “At the same time they are failing to embrace a core responsibility that comes with this power – to ensure that the public has access to trustworthy news and information.”
The key word here is trust. Without trusted sources, news becomes a choose-your-own-adventure. Without trust, all the wisdom and knowledge that we have accumulated over centuries of science and civilisation comes to naught, drowned out by yesterday’s misleading meme or tweet or bleat.
That’s why we value hearing how our articles are trusted by you and many in our community. Our authors tell us how their published articles have led to conversations with schools, informed local governments and NGO’s. We see their work amplified through media interviews and republished in industry publications.
These may seem like small contributions, but at a time when trust is increasingly fragile, every informed conversation, every evidence-based decision is a step towards a more cohesive society and a healthier democracy. And that’s a grand ambition worth pursuing.
P.S Over the next few months editors of The Conversation will be attending events all over the country. If you can join us at one of these events, please come and say hello!
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Upcoming Events
ADELAIDE | TALKING | Democracy Innovation Week | Tuesday 18 August 2026 | 5-6pm
Walking the Talk on Democracy - Panel 1 How should we talk about Democracy
Misha Ketchell, Editor, The Conversation with Josh Lerner and Nsyra Khanna
- Where: Adelaide University
- Cost: Free
- Bookings: Register online via Humanitix
BYRON BAY | TALKING | Bryon Writers Festival
Political Animals | Saturday 15 August 2026 | 9-10am
Misha Ketchell, Editor, The Conversation with Bob Carr, Amy Remeikis, Debbie Whitmont
Cultural Touchstones | Saturday 15 August 2026 | 3-4pm
Suzy Freeman-Greene, Books & Ideas Editor, The Conversation with Rafaeil Frumkin, Kári Gíslason, Julie Janson
- Where: Byron Bay NSW, Australia
- Cost: Varies.
- Bookings: Online via Humanitix
BRISBANE | TALKING | Brisbane Writers Festival | Thursday 8 October 2026 | 4.30-5.30pm
Dr Norman Swan: The Brain Cliff
Liz Minchin, Executive Editor & Business Editor, The Conversation in conversation with Dr Norman Swan
- Where: Parkside Marquee, Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, QLD
- Cost: Adult $29.90, Concession $25.00, Carers Free
- Bookings: online via Brisbane Writers Festival
AUST | TRANSITIONING | From Reader to Supporter
"After I first read and enjoyed The Conversation I realised the value of such informed and trustworthy communication. And, it was for free! I felt that if I donated a small amount it would not only help in some small way but signal the value of The Conversation to me and perhaps encourage you in the endeavour. " – Monthly donor, Martyn H
SHARING | Stories of Impact
The Conversation's mission is to amplify the work of academics so it can inform better decisions that affect our everyday lives. So it's encouraging to hear that more than 60% of our expert authors are contacted after publication - for interviews, policy advice, collaboration or public engagement.
Please take a look at our latest Impact Report to discover some of the ways these conversations lead to real-world impact.
ANNOUNCING | Some exciting news from us
The Mumbrella Publish Awards celebrate the best work in consumer, B2B and custom publishing across print and digital and we're delighted to be shortlisted in four categories!
Misha Ketchell has been shortlisted for Editor-in-chief and CEO Lisa Watts for Publish Leader of the Year. And we're nominated twice for the Award for Innovation (Editorial): for our unique model that pairs professional journalists with academics to produce evidence-based articles that help inform decision-making, and the other for our interactive story ‘How boys get sucked into the manosphere’.
Support from our donors gives us the capacity to invest in ambitious storytelling like this. Thank you for helping make this work possible.
Thank you to Friends of The Conversation.
With warm wishes,
Misha Ketchell, Editor
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