John Donvan

@JohnDonvan

Moderator-in-Chief for @OpenToDebateOrg Author In a Different Key: The Story of Autism, Pulitzer Prize Finalist. 3+ decades @ABC News Correspondent.

Washington DC facebook.com/InADifferentKe… Joined February 2009

887 Following 877K Followers 68 Posts

Latest posts 5

John Donvan @JohnDonvan Sep 7

From @akmunroe, co-founder of @OpentoDebate, such a deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking elegy to the whole of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Their careers intertwined, a creator and a curator, mutually propelled. Hence the insights in this piece. nytimes.com/2026/09/06/opi…

www.nytimes.com Opinion | What We Misunderstand About Kusama She has become the world’s most unknown famous artist.

John Donvan @JohnDonvan Aug 4

If you haven't yet subscribed to the @OpentoDebateOrg #YouTube channel, you're missing out on the smartest debates on the internet, something we've figured out how to do by producing more 350 debates and counting! Go for it: youtube.com/@OpentoDebate

John Donvan @JohnDonvan May 29

@nickgillespie nice job my friend on @thefp Friday thingy. As expected, witty, informed, erudite, and only slightly libertarianish.

John Donvan @JohnDonvan May 21

Recently, I had the great pleasure of speaking with @BrianLehrer of @WNYC, a broadcaster I’ve long respected. We talked about my years moderating for @OpentoDebateOrg, along with Brian’s own history with the organization.
More here: opentodebate.substack.com/p/our-debate-m…

opentodebate.substack.com Our Debate Maestro Meets Legendary WNYC Broadcaster Brian Lehrer On Nuance, Curiosity, and the Art of Moderation

John Donvan @JohnDonvan Dec 2, 2025

This I believe ...

Open to Debate Verified account @OpentoDebateOrg Dec 2, 2025

Real debate is disappearing. For 20 years, we’ve watched the space for genuine disagreement shrink— replaced by discourse that rewards emotional intensity over intellectual rigor.

At Open to Debate, we are fighting back. We bring people with opposing views together to listen with intention, engage with evidence, and model what civil discourse should look like. Our work has never been more essential.

This Giving Tuesday, stand with us and help defend real debate.

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