Why journalist Peter Hartcher won’t surrender to despair

Peter Hartcher joins Life & Faith to discuss his life in journalism and the precarious state of the world.

Peter Hartcher is a leading Australian political and foreign affairs journalist. He has had a long career in the media, beginning with a cadetship at the Sydney Morning Herald fresh out of school in 1982. He is now the Political and International editor for the Herald and for The Age.

He had a couple of stints in Tokyo and Washington and at the Australian Financial Review. He is the author of several books, the latest being, Red Zone: China’s Challenge and Australia’s Future.

He’s won a number of awards for journalism including a Gold Walkley.

Hartcher is known for his incisive commentary, his lively and engaging writing and his careful, sober but hard-hitting style. He hasn’t always been loved by politicians, which is no doubt part of the job description.

In this conversation he talks about his career, the future of journalism, the perilous state of the world and why he won’t give in to despair. 

Explore: Books by Peter Hartcher

To The Bitter End: The Dramatic Story of the Fall of John Howard and the Rise of Kevin Rudd (Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin), 2009.

The Sweet Spot: How Australia Made Its Own Luck – And Could Now Throw It All Away (Black Inc.), 2011.

Red Zone: China’s Challenge and Australia’s Future (Black Inc.), 2021