Has democracy, like Elvis, left the building?

This is an important discussion we must have 

Moderated by Bryn Davies, the session will feature three speakers who will discuss democracy and its global and national status, how the media is critical in preserving a democracy and what is happening at the local level.

Dr Denis Muller is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism at the University of Melbourne and author of several books, including Journalism and the Future of Democracy (2021) and Journalism Ethics for the Digital Age (2014). He is a former Assistant Editor (Investigations) of The Sydney Morning Herald and Associate Editor of The Age. He writes regularly for The Conversation on media issues. 

Chris Dickinson taught economics in Victorian secondary schools before working in various roles at the University of Ballarat. For the last seven years he has taught geopolitics and economics classes at Ballarat U3A. He spends a lot of time reading, reflecting on and discussing the state of the world.

Dr Janice Simpson taught politics and social economics at RMIT. She is an activist in Maryborough promoting the development of a rail trail between Maryborough and Castlemaine, as well as organising and hosting shared conversations at Words in Winter.

The discussion will involve active audience participation.

If you wish to stay on for dinner, the kitchen will take orders from 5.30pm onwards to be served after the session concludes.