The Journal of Controversial Ideas promises anonymity to academics with unpopular opinions
Update of 7 July 2025 from our Dark Emu Exposed Editor, Roger Karge
Unfortunately, our best contributors for Dark Emu Exposed are still anonymous because they work in the academy, business or the public service. If they were unmasked, their careers or professional progress would be `toast’ due to their precieved association with this “problematic” website.
We are genuinely apologetic to a recent subscriber, John Hunter, who contacted us regarding this sorry state of affairs. But John, welcome to the proto-totalitarian state Australia has sadly become.
Name: John Hunter
Email Address: (supplied)
Subject: Critiques and critical and reflective thinking
Message: Hello,
I write to ask why people don't have the courage to step up and communicate their thoughts on your perspectives. I don't necessarily agree with all of Pascoe's work but I don't agree with his critics either. I'm happy to step up and say why and identify myself. Unless your authors are not standing up to the same rigor then what's the issue with not wanting to be identified for honest debate? Let it roll and maybe people will learn that they may disagree but agree with free speech.
Not unless people are sprouting ignorance!
John Hunter
Editor: Unfortunately John, there is only free speech for many of these challenging and debatable ideas today on platforms like our Dark Emu Exposed , Quadrant Magazine online, Spectator Australia, and SkyNew’s Bolt Report . In general, the ‘mainstream’ media will not platform the controversial ideas we discuss here.
Thus, if an academic for example, wants to have any hope of receiving funding or a grant they cannot be associated with our Dark Emu Exposed website. If you think this is a bit melodramatic listen to the slur the major academic and funding influencer, Professor Marcia Langton AO, has to say about our website [watch here from ca 02:30]
Superceded : Update of June 15th 2021
We frequently get emails critical of our Dark Emu Exposed website because we generally allow our authors to use pseudonyms to protect their identity.
See below a typical example of an email that we get on a weekly basis. We are sensitive to these criticisms, and actually think they are somewhat fair, but these are not normal times in which we live. We would argue that by providing anonymity we have been able to get contributors to post high quality, valid ideas that they would not otherwise do if they had to expose their true identity. The repercussions in their workplaces would be too great for them to take the risk.
And the proof is in the pudding - look at the the scramble now by other academics and the Left-leaning media to finally come out with ‘official’ critiques of Bruce Pascoe and his Dark Emu. We would argue that without the initial critiques by Dark Emu Exposed and Quadrant Magazine and the investigative journalism and media exposure by Andrew Bolt, these academics would still be sleeping at the wheel and the Dark Emu ‘hoax’ would be well on its way to indoctrinating our school children and university students.
Think we are being paranoid?
Well, who could forget poor Zoe-Lee Buhler who made the mistake of using her real name in a simple facebook post. And the grandpas and grandmas at Dark Emu Exposed , who don’t want to get attacked like Andrew Bolt did in Melbourne at a ‘controversial’ book launch!
And it is not just us - even someone as tough as Professor Peter Singer has come to realise the value of a website and journal where controversial ideas can be expressed and debated anonymously.
Really, in a battle of ideas, who cares who the author is? The intellectual debate is over the facts and the evidence, and the theories and their consequences. The best way to prevent adversaries ‘playing the man’ is to remove the man, leaving just the ideas to stand or fall on their own merits.
Watch Professor Singer outline his thoughts here. If the use of anonymity is OK by Professor Singer, it is OK by us too!
Name: H.F (Name supplied)
Subject: Anonymity
Message: It is hypocritical for you to hide behind anonymity when people who misunderstand your aims hound Bruce Pascoe. Without being a historian, I had misgivings about *Dark Emu* where assertions were made on very slim evidence and other exaggerations. First Nations did not practice agriculture as Europeans understand it, but they did husband the landscape to increase its food-producing capacity, viz. cool burning to remove unwanted vegetation and to encourage desirable plants.
So I'm afraid I won't be following this website or mailing list until you have the courage of your convictions and reveal your identities.
Original post dated March 20 , 2019
We answer a reader’s Sensible Query & Criticism of Dark Emu Exposed
From : Joshua
Re : Pseudonyms
Message: Hi team. I'd like to be willing to entertain your (very focused, perhaps to the point of obsessive) rebuttals. Of course I read what you write and investigate each claim on it's own merits. But if people refuse to present their credentials, their own agendas, even their names it's difficult to consider the arguments persuasive. To paraphrase a claim made against Mr Pascoe, if people lie about their names, what else are they lying about?
Our Answer :
Hello Joshua, Thankyou for your interest in our website .
Yes your point is valid and we all grew up (I'm 62) in a world of free speech where, as long as one was civil, we could all debate ideas openly, in our own names, without fear. I am not sure how young/old you are, but with all due respect, you need to get with the program and realise a new totalitarianism is upon us. Our humble website has shot from nothing to widespread, popular controversy because we have adopted the new thinking and techniques of the Intellectual Dark Web - See Jonathan Haidt, Quillette, Dave Rubin, Joe Rogan, etc.
For example, see here for the usefulness of anonymity, as practiced at The Journal of Controversial Ideas, which promises anonymity to academics with unpopular opinions.
So please engage with our site - we are inundated at present so our replies may be slow - and accept our assurances that we are honest, interested Australians who will remain mostly anonymous for sensible reasons and are happy to let our arguments stand or fall on their own merits, regardless of who wrote them. You may even want to write for us?
And read this post on Dark Emu Exposed, which hints at why other story-tellers and yarn-spinners, such as Mr Pascoe perhaps, might adopt a completely opposite stance to ours - a very public, high profile, "Elder" persona.
Regards, Editor
