Humorist Dan Ilic – who says he “tends to take the saddest stories and bring them to life with comedy” – is behind a promising live debate in Sydney next month.

With the Judith Neilson Institute, his ‘A Rational Fear’ is presenting an evening to question whether “the joke is mightier than the pen” at JNI’s Chippendale headquarters on February 3.

Taking part with Ilic are satirists Alice Fraser (The Bugle), Lewis Hobba (Triple J), Mark Humphries (7.30), Alex Lee (The Feed) and cartoonist Cathy Wilcox.

Can satire change the world; can it be more powerful than journalism; can it be journalism? JNI promises answers on the night as “some of Australia’s most available smart arses… wrangle with their career choices and take a deep dive into satire’s ability to replace journalists at half the price”.

Details and tickets here