One of the challenges for all of us right now is knowing where to look. Every minute a new set of tumultuous world events takes place. If you stop to focus on one you get trampled by 25 others. It is tempting to just pull up the doona – but then you would be letting them win.

Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, the deeply unpleasant Steve Bannon, is entirely transparent about what he calls the ‘chaos-first’ approach to public discourse. He may no longer be close to Trump, but his modus operandi is everywhere. His strategy is to “flood the zone” with media content (any content, facts be damned) to “disorientate”, not “persuade”.

So, our duty at Pearls and Irritations is even clearer. We aim to cut through at least some of the noise, and present a range of ideas and analysis from trusted sources. We do not pretend to be disinterested observers; we are progressive in viewpoint, but seek always to use evidence and cogent argument. We don’t always get it 100% right, but we keep working.

For me, the first four weeks as editor have been exciting, eye-opening and busy. We have featured 241 articles, publishing each and every one of the 28 days. We have observed and dissected the beginning of a full-blown global trade war and the continuation of seismic shifts in the geopolitical order. At home, we are riding the waves of an election campaign, in which the Opposition has dumped two sets of key policies and domestic concerns are routinely interrupted by global tumult.

Late last week, we saw a significant shift of public opinion on AUKUS, with an editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald calling for a review. This is an issue we have been pursuing since 2021, with leading national figures questioning the value and wisdom of the costly deal. We think this is a turning point and that the prime minister and Opposition should take note.

We have launched a new website – which is still a work in progress, and we thank you for your patience as we continue to improve it.

You would have noted that one of the features is a news feed from Al Jazeera. Scroll right down the bottom of our homepage and you will find it. This is designed to give readers direct access to important news from a reputable news organisation that gets short shrift in Australia.

Easter reflections will be a feature this week, with respected theologians and thinkers, as well as continued coverage of the ripple effects of the USAID cancellation, declining birth rates globally, international student caps, and co-operation between Japan and South Korea. Our “If I were the minister…’ series continues, as does coverage of the election, global trade, and the list goes on.

News from Gaza continues to horrify and reminds us of our duty to seek out the truth and act on it.

Until next week.

Catriona Jackson, editor