Whether covering The Troubles, the opioid epidemic, or London’s underworld, Patrick Radden Keefe is renowned for illuminating human stories in his scrupulous interrogation of power systems. Barbara Demick is unparalleled in her meticulous reporting on authoritarian regimes (North Korea, Tibet, China) and capturing the lives of those within. Closer to home, next-generation talent Asher Emanuel’s The Valley is a landmark examination of New Zealand’s criminal justice system and two young men enmeshed in it.

Fascinating and vital systems to interrogate but all with human lives – often vulnerable ones – at their centre. How close is too close for a writer to get? And where is the line between capturing the right story and doing the right thing?

Adam Dudding meets them to discuss.