Crikey is about journalism and journalists. Alongside our ongoing coverage of the COVID crisis, our journalism has this week covered George Pell and the legacy of his trials, Peter Dutton and his grab for new surveillance powers, and the pending radio retirement of Alan Jones (a grateful nation says “thanks for nothing, Alan”.) We’ve also published some feisty work from the likes of Janine Perrett, Margot Saville and our agitator-in-chief Guy Rundle.

Journalists are generalists. That’s their superpower: unearthing, synthesising and communicating information. We add to the power of our journalism by publishing articles from non-journalists, tapping specialists in their respective fields. Our current stable includes a doctor, a lawyer, a business operator, a philosopher, an economist, a psephologist and a healthy smattering of academics, former bureaucrats and even the odd former politician.

Below is a short selection of their work — and, of course, some of the best journalism of the week from Crikey. We’d love to know what other specialisations you’d like us to cover — and perhaps a name or two of who might do it for us. We’d love to employ a female demographer, for instance.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Peter Dutton is proposing that former Coalition MPs and staffers — including ones with hardline anti-civil liberties views — sign off on requests from foreign spy agencies to wiretap Australians.

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

The government is planning to give itself the power to override restrictions on accessing journalists' data as part of a deal with the United States to spy on each others' citizens.

CHRISTOPHER WARREN 3 minute read

BuzzFeed Australia demanded attention for Australian challenges too often ignored by traditional media.

MICHAEL BRADLEY 4 minute read

The prime minister and two premiers gave very different responses to recent anti-lockdown protests. Their answers spoke volumes.

JANINE PERRETT 4 minute read

We've had a break from politics as usual, but now they're back at it, reminding us of what we didn't miss.

BERNARD KEANE 3 minute read

New forecasts from the construction sector suggest one of Australia's biggest employers will be struggling well into the mid-2020s.

GUY RUNDLE 6 minute read

Union leader Jack Mundey's monument is the city he saved, and the democratic and radical impulse written down in stone and streets.

MARGOT SAVILLE 4 minute read

As the saying goes, 'never waste a good crisis'. So who's out here rent-seeking from the right?

MARGOT SAVILLE 5 minute read

While the right is making sure not to waste a good crisis, some on the left are doing their fare share rent-seeking themselves.

GUY RUNDLE 9 minute read

Meet the 'occult right' — traditionalist conservatives attempting to rapidly destroy the organisations they have been put in charge of.

NICK CARR 3 minute read

Our mental health services have long been underfunded and sub-standard. We need to do more than slap a few bandaids on once COVID-19 is over.

BERNARD KEANE 2 minute read

A former Labor MP has joined a company ranked as one of the most evil in the tech world, which has been growing its presence in Australia.