Media Confidential ‘Despair is a luxury’: A year of hope with Zizek, Mehdi Hasan, Robert Macfarlane and others
Dec 29, 2025
Alan Rusbridger, the outgoing editor of Prospect magazine and a seasoned journalist, shares insights from his extensive career and his optimistic views on AI's role in journalism. He discusses the potential benefits of technology in enhancing translation, transcription, and research. The conversation also explores themes of hope amidst adversity, as various guests reflect on the importance of resisting despair and striving for a just world through activism, creativity, and community engagement.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Methodical Pessimism As Motivation
- Slavoj Žižek calls for "methodical pessimism" as a motivating stance rather than passive despair.
- Mehdi Hasan distinguishes optimism from hope, urging struggle even when outcomes may be bleak.
Hope Is A Struggle Not A Forecast
- Mehdi Hasan rejects optimism but embraces hope as active struggle for change.
- He defines hope as acknowledging light amid darkness without guaranteeing victory.
History’s Long Arc Offers Reassurance
- Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Philippe Sands take a long historical view to find hope amid democratic erosion.
- They trust popular movements and future reckonings to restore norms after crises.