Background Briefing
Background Briefing brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear.
Thu, April 17, 2025
01 Agents of Influence | The PM's secret strategists
We're now living in an age where millennial content makers can influence election outcomes from their home studios. After witnessing the power of podcasts in the US election, our political leaders are lining up to get a piece of the action.
Wed, April 16, 2025
Introducing... Agents of Influence
They're not household names. But they wield serious power under the radar.
Fri, April 11, 2025
Long Reads | How deepfakes, nudes and teen misogyny have changed growing up
This week, Bri Lee investigates tech-assisted gendered abuse by schoolboys against their peers and teachers.
Fri, April 04, 2025
Long Read | The church’s disappearing women
Three decades after the first ordinations of women to the Anglican priesthood, women are still struggling to reach leadership — and now the congregation is changing too.
Thu, March 13, 2025
05 The Invisible Killer | Did police miss a murder?
A court found that Garry Davis injected three victims with lethal doses of insulin during a 48 hour period. But what if there was another victim? Is it possible police failed to collect crucial evidence to prove someone else had also been killed?
Tue, March 04, 2025
04 The Invisible Killer | Under the bed
When reporter Anne Connolly discovers that Garry Davis had a collection of strange items under his bed, it changes the course of her investigation, and raises new fears about the true scale of his crimes.
Fri, February 21, 2025
03 The Invisible Killer | Reasonable Doubt
Garry Davis has now been convicted of murdering two residents at SummitCare and attempting to murder a third. But all the evidence against him is circumstantial. Is it possible someone else could have been responsible for the insulin injections?
Fri, February 14, 2025
02 The Invisible Killer | 'Who did this?'
Someone injected three residents with lethal doses of insulin at an aged care facility in Newcastle. Now, the race is on to catch the killer. Will the police find the clues they need to catch the culprit before any more deaths occur?
Fri, February 14, 2025
01 The Invisible Killer | Doctor’s discovery
When residents start falling ill at a nursing home in Newcastle, the workers don't think much of it. After all, people die in aged care all the time. But then, one eagle-eyed doctor finds something that makes him suspect a killer is on the loose.
Sun, December 29, 2024
More to the story... Kathy Jackson’s missing millions
It looked like the Health Services Union might finally be returned millions of dollars owed by the whistleblower turned convicted fraudster, Kathy Jackson. Then, the money went missing again.
Sun, December 29, 2024
More to the story... Who controls the Murdoch empire?
Lachlan Murdoch is caught in an ongoing court battle with his siblings to maintain control of the family empire when Rupert Murdoch dies. Now there’s been a judgement.
Sun, December 29, 2024
More to the story... Meeting your mum as an adult
After Background Briefing's investigation, Anna was flooded with messages from Korean adoptees all over the world. The overwhelming response prompted her to embark on an emotional journey to South Korea, where she arranged to meet her birth mother for the first time. However, more surprises lay ahead.
Mon, December 16, 2024
More to the story... Sex, lies and 'big coconut balls'
When Background Briefing last investigated testosterone salesman Michael Farrelly, he was nowhere to be found. Then, a few weeks ago, came a surprising phone call.
Mon, December 16, 2024
More to the Story... My friend, the cop killer
Police and politicians labelled the Wieambilla killers evil terrorists. But what really went on inside their heads?
Mon, December 16, 2024
More to the story... Inside a scam factory
Scam baiter Jim Browning recently helped bring down a multinational scam syndicate in Dubai. His next target is a scam with potential links to the Russian mafia.
Fri, December 06, 2024
03 Births, Deaths, and Marriages | ‘Horror stories’ from inside the funeral industry
Ani Valatava went to see her sister’s body at a funeral home in suburban Sydney. She could never have prepared for what she saw next. Reporter Gina McKeon investigates what goes on behind the scenes of Australia’s funeral industry, revealing ‘horror stories’ and the families left to pick up the pieces.
Fri, November 29, 2024
02 Births, Deaths and Marriages | Facebook's sperm marketplace
When a couple are quoted $13,000 to access a sperm donor through a clinic, they decide to take matters into their own hands. On Facebook, they find a thriving sperm exchange, where they hope they'll have more control over the process. But as reporter Annika Blau discovers, there are pitfalls they didn’t foresee.
Fri, November 22, 2024
01 Births, Deaths and Marriages | The Wedding Celebrant
When Becc and Nathan decided to get married, they wanted something intimate — a small ceremony at home with just their closest friends and family. There was just one problem — the celebrant wasn't who he appeared to be.
Fri, November 15, 2024
The inconvenient patients
Michelle went to hospital on three occasions, complaining of searing chest pains. She was told to go home and seek therapy for her "anxiety issues". It would not be until months later that she was diagnosed with pericarditis — doctors believe it was caused by the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. She's now one of nearly two thousand people fighting a class action against senior government figures, claiming they were victims of negligence during Australia’s pandemic response.
Fri, November 08, 2024
The cop accused of sharing a suspect's explicit video
After a police squad stages a tense siege against a dangerous fugitive, a phone is recovered from the crime scene, carrying vital information. But the detective in charge soon finds himself accused of a serious crime and loses his career over it. For years, he's tried to clear his name. In an exclusive interview with BB, he finally speaks out. His story raises serious concerns about what can go wrong when police investigate police in NSW.
Fri, October 25, 2024
03 | Murdoch's Endgame
Will Lachlan Murdoch succeed in brushing his rival siblings aside to command control over the future of his family’s media empire? Or could we be looking at the end of the century-old family dynasty that runs the world's most powerful conservative news organisation?
Fri, October 18, 2024
02 | Murdoch's Endgame
For much of his youth, Lachlan Murdoch seemed ambivalent about being next in line to control the family’s global media empire. So why is his father Rupert now fighting a high stakes battle against three of his other children to ensure Lachlan becomes his successor?
Fri, October 11, 2024
01 | Murdoch's Endgame
Are we looking at the end of the Murdoch family's global media empire? That's the question journalists Paddy Manning and Alex Mann investigate in this special three-part series. This week, they take you inside the family's inner sanctum and examine why Lachlan, Rupert's chosen successor, may not have always been an obvious choice.
Wed, October 09, 2024
Introducing... Murdoch's Endgame
The Murdoch family is locked in a secret court battle.
Fri, October 04, 2024
Has dot art spread too far?
Dots are so strongly associated with traditional Aboriginal visual language that Shane gets asked why he doesn’t paint them.
Fri, September 27, 2024
'This must be a joke': the homes for sale without owners' knowledge
In a caravan park in central NSW, a group of grey nomads were sold a Utopia - a “home base” to hang up the keys and enjoy “real estate security”. They sunk their life savings into houses in the park, with the ads promising it “couldn’t be sold out from underneath” them. But then, it was.
Fri, September 20, 2024
Stop and Search | 04 The Botched Backyard Operation
There are only two witnesses to Brad Balzan's final moments: the two officers who chased him into his backyard. But their accounts of what happened don't match up.
Fri, September 13, 2024
Stop and Search | 03 The Numbers Game
As the investigation into Bradley Balzan's death continues, serious questions are raised about how the country’s largest police force uses its search powers.
Fri, September 06, 2024
Stop and Search | 02 Last Moments Before Gunshots
Brad Balzan is shot dead in his own backyard after a police encounter goes wrong. In episode two of Stop and Search, a new mini-series by Background Briefing, reporter Paul Farrell asks why was he running away, and why did the officers chase him down?
Fri, August 30, 2024
Stop and Search | 01 Where's Brad?
A 20-year-old is chased by four plain-clothes police officers into his western Sydney backyard. But he hasn't committed a crime. He hasn't even done anything wrong. He's shot twice, and then dies. In a special miniseries by Background Briefing, the final moments that led to this tragic incident are pieced together. The reporter is Paul Farrell.
Fri, August 23, 2024
Dancing with Bulls
Ruby's barely a teenager, and already she's become a champion bull rider. She's also had eight concussions and multiple brain bleeds. Reporter Tynan King investigates how this extreme sport became her obsession — even as it threatens her life.
Fri, August 16, 2024
Finding Jean Nassif
He left a trail of defect-riddled apartment buildings across Sydney and debts exceeding $600m to his creditors. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest. The NSW Premier has even offered to pay for his flight back to Australia. This week, Background Briefing tracks down the notorious and elusive Jean Nassif, who gives his first exclusive sit-down interview since he left Australia more than a year ago.
Fri, August 09, 2024
Sex, lies & 'big coconut balls' — the clinic that sold a fix to getting old
Testosterone is often marketed as a silver bullet that can help you build muscle mass, improve your energy levels and fix your sex life. But as reporters Tynan King and Maddison Connaughton discover, the reality doesn’t always live up to the hype, and the people running testosterone replacement therapy clinics don’t always have their clients' best interests at heart
Fri, August 02, 2024
The agency accused of paying bribes for babies
Anna grew up believing she was an orphan. But she later discovered she’d been lied to. And that she's one of many Australian adoptees who has been misled.
Fri, July 26, 2024
Notorious 08 | My friend, the cop killer pt 2
Nathaniel Train was renowned as a distinguished principal who could deliver impressive results for disadvantaged schools. His childhood friend, reporter Josh Robertson, investigates what fateful events led to Nathaniel's transformation into a cold-blooded killer.
Fri, July 19, 2024
Notorious 07 | My friend, the cop killer Pt 1
One morning reporter Josh Robertson woke up, read the headlines, and made a terrible realisation.
Fri, July 12, 2024
Notorious 06 | From Sydney to a Syrian prison
He is shut off from the outside world. Locked inside a makeshift jail in north Syria for the past five years, Hamza doesn’t even know who the Prime Minister is. This Australian citizen is one of thousands of suspected ISIS members imprisoned with no charges.
Fri, July 05, 2024
Notorious 05 | Killers in the suburbs
Sometimes they’re armed with a chainsaw, sometimes a bottle of poison, and often they’re operating in broad daylight. So why is it so hard to catch Sydney’s tree killers?
Fri, June 28, 2024
Notorious 04 | From top gun to wanted man
Daniel Duggan’s career was spent pushing warplanes to their limits. Now the United States wants him extradited from Australia and prosecuted for conspiracy. The Australian pilot says he innocent, and believes he’s a pawn in the geopolitical contest between the US and China.
Fri, June 21, 2024
Notorious 03 - Crafting a Villain
Olivia went on Australia’s biggest show to find love. She came out as Australia's "most hated" reality TV star and lost almost everything. Reporter Annika Blau investigates the making of a TV villain.
Fri, June 14, 2024
Notorious 02 | The Prankster
It was the infamous Royal prank call that shattered lives. One woman took her own life; another is haunted to this day. Reporter Rachael Cusick investigates - how did a joke go so wrong?
Thu, June 06, 2024
Notorious 01 | Inside the scam factory
On the outskirts of Dubai there is a secret scam factory, where hundreds of employees smoke, eat, and pretend to be glamorous women — but one has a secret plan to shut it all down.
Tue, June 04, 2024
Introducing... Notorious
There's a saying that every good story needs a bad guy.
Fri, May 31, 2024
The whistleblowers who stared down threats from Australia's biggest bank
How the Commonwealth Bank tried to stop a royal commission by using dirt files, intimidation, threats and surveillance against whistleblowers and journalists. Reporter Adele Ferguson investigates.
Fri, May 24, 2024
The whistleblower who believed his employer was covering up an oil spill
Three dead dolphins turn up in an oil spill.
Thu, May 16, 2024
The whistleblower who exposed Australia’s secretive offshore detention system
"Simone" arrived on a remote island to help asylum seekers. But she witnessed something there that convinced her to leak over 2000 documents. Reporters Paul Farrell and Maddison Conaughton investigate what happened.
Fri, May 10, 2024
The Whistleblower who brought down Australia's Dr Death
When patients start unexpectedly dying at a regional hospital, nurse Toni Hoffman takes a big risk to blow the whistle on a negligent surgeon. But years later, it's still unclear why she was ignored for so long.
Thu, May 02, 2024
The whistleblower who captured the nation — and the man who unmasked her as a fraud
Kathy Jackson was once heralded as a revolutionary who shone a bright spotlight on union corruption but she too was later found to be a fraudster who had misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in union members' money. So who was the man responsible for blowing the whistle on her? Reporter Annika Blau investigates.
Mon, April 29, 2024
The whistleblower who helped catch a paedophile politician
When an electoral officer helps police arrest a popular politician, her life begins to unravel. Her boss would spend more than a decade in prison, but she loses her job, and is even eventually admitted to a mental health institution. Now she’s asking: could he have been stopped earlier? Reporter Tynan King investigates.
Fri, April 26, 2024
The Whistleblowers
What happens when a person blows the whistle on wrongdoing?
Thu, April 18, 2024
A mother's message and the hospital that didn't want to hear it
A woman has lost the ability to speak and is forced to communicate by blinking. From her hospital bed she tries to blink out a request, but hospital staff refuse to help. Background Briefing can reveal that similar situations are playing out in many public health facilities across Australia, as patients pursue their legal right to die, and healthcare workers say "no".
Thu, April 11, 2024
Tears, tea and bloodshed — can violent men ever change?
This week reporter and Dharawal woman Brooke Fryer goes inside a program that's helping violent men turn their lives around.
Fri, April 05, 2024
Finding Jean Nassif
He left a trail of defect-riddled apartment buildings across Sydney and debts exceeding $600m to his creditors. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest. The NSW Premier has even offered to pay for his flight back to Australia. This week, Background Briefing tracks down the notorious and elusive Jean Nassif, who gives his first exclusive sit-down interview since he left Australia more than a year ago.
Thu, March 28, 2024
Dancing with Bulls
Ruby's barely a teenager, and already she's become a champion bull rider. She's also had eight concussions and multiple brain bleeds. Reporter Tynan King investigates how this extreme sport became her obsession — even as it threatens her life.
Thu, March 21, 2024
04 Stop and Search | The Botched Backyard Operation
There are only two witnesses to Brad Balzan's final moments: the two officers who chased him into his backyard. But their accounts of what happened don't match up.
Wed, March 13, 2024
03 Stop and Search | The Numbers Game
As the investigation into Bradley Balzan's death continues, serious questions are raised about how the country’s largest police force uses its search powers.
Wed, March 06, 2024
02 Stop and Search | Last Moments Before Gunshots
Brad Balzan is shot dead in his own backyard after a police encounter goes wrong. In episode two of Stop and Search, a new mini-series by Background Briefing, reporter Paul Farrell asks why was he running away, and why did the officers chase him down?
Thu, February 29, 2024
01 Stop and Search | Where's Brad?
A 20-year-old is chased by four plain-clothes police officers into his western Sydney backyard. But he hasn't committed a crime. He hasn't even done anything wrong. He's shot twice, and then dies. In a special miniseries by Background Briefing, the final moments that led to this tragic incident are pieced together. The reporter is Paul Farrell.
Thu, February 22, 2024
What's the price of a freebirth?
There are women choosing to “freebirth” completely outside the medical system.
Thu, February 15, 2024
Meet the AI insiders who say it’s time to ‘accelerate or die’
They have anonymous leaders, manifestos, and even a flag with a snake on it.
Thu, February 08, 2024
'They use us': The Balinese villagers taking on Russian-backed developers
‘Cities’ are popping up across Bali’s spiritual heartland. Can villagers from Ubud hold back a tsunami of foreign money and preserve the island's culture?
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: Prisoner of the State
In a nursing home lives an elderly man who is being held against his will. We can’t tell you his name. We can’t tell you his age. We can’t even use his real voice, or the voice of anyone involved in his case. Reporter Anne Connolly investigates what happens when the state rules you're incapable of looking after yourself.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer
As a teenager, Remy learnt to survive by hustling on the streets of Parramatta. Then she hit the bigtime. Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates what life is like on the other side of the war on drugs.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: False Witness
Reporter Heidi Davoren provides an extraordinary insight into a parenting dispute, where a mother and father come together after a Family Court psychologist harmed their family.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: Darcey and Chloe Part 01 - How the system failed to save two baby girls
Queensland authorities failed to heed multiple serious warnings that a young pair of sisters were in danger, before it was too late. Their grieving family is now desperate to understand why. Reporter Alexandra Blucher investigates.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: Darcey and Chloe Part 02 - How the system failed to save two baby girls
When two infants die after being left inside a hot car, their family seek answers to how this could have happened. Reporter Alexandra Blucher tracks down a child safety officer involved in their case, and hears why she believes the girls' deaths could have been prevented.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: The Whistleblower who helped catch a paedophile politican
After an electoral officer helped police arrest a popular state minister, her life began to unravel.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: The whistleblower who exposed Australia’s secretive offshore detention system
"Simone" arrived on a remote island to help asylum seekers. But she witnessed something there that convinced her to leak over 2000 documents. Reporters Paul Farrell and Maddison Conaughton investigate what happened.
Thu, December 14, 2023
Summer Season: An aspiring doctor from the 'burbs takes on medical schools for elitism
From humble beginnings, Fahad faced hurdles entering medical school. Now, he fights for equal access to medical education. Marty Smiley reports.
Thu, December 07, 2023
A one-man consulate and a mysterious list: How to get out of Gaza
Father-of-three Ayman Dhlan started a WhatsApp group to help Australians and their families get out of war-torn Gaza. Now he can barely put his phone down.
Thu, November 30, 2023
Hitler, Stalin and Shirley Temple lived in the Australian outback
It might surprise you to learn that the names of pop stars and fascist dictators have been passed down to generations of Indigenous Australians. Reporter Erin Parke heads to the remote Kimberley to meet a man named Bing Crosby, and find out how it happened.
Thu, November 23, 2023
An aspiring doctor from the 'burbs takes on medical schools for elitism
From humble beginnings, Fahad faced hurdles entering medical school. Now, he fights for equal access to medical education.
Thu, November 16, 2023
How an ADHD diagnosis was the start of Natalia’s life unravelling
Natalia had a job at a prestigious university, $120,000 in the bank, a loving partner, and shared custody of her two sons. Then one day, a little over a year later, she woke up in a psychiatric hospital, where doctors told her she was experiencing what’s known as stimulant-induced psychosis.
Thu, November 09, 2023
The whistleblowers who stared down threats from Australia's biggest bank
How the Commonwealth Bank tried to stop a royal commission by using dirt files, intimidation, threats and surveillance against whistleblowers and journalists.
Thu, November 02, 2023
The whistleblower who believed his employer was covering up an oil spill
Three dead dolphins turn up in an oil spill.
Thu, October 26, 2023
The whistleblower who exposed Australia’s secretive offshore detention system
"Simone" arrived on a remote island to help asylum seekers. But she witnessed something there that convinced her to leak over 2000 documents. Reporters Paul Farrell and Maddison Conaughton investigate what happened.
Thu, October 19, 2023
The Whistleblower who brought down Australia's Dr Death
When patients start unexpectedly dying at a regional hospital, nurse Toni Hoffman takes a big risk to blow the whistle on a negligent surgeon.
Thu, October 12, 2023
The Whistleblower who captured the nation — and the man who unmasked her as a fraud
Kathy Jackson was once heralded as a revolutionary who shone a bright spotlight on union corruption but she too was later found to be a fraudster who had misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars in union members' money. So who was the man responsible for blowing the whistle on her? Reporter Annika Blau investigates.
Thu, October 05, 2023
The Whistleblower who helped catch a paedophile politican
After an electoral officer helped police arrest a popular state minister, her life began to unravel.
Tue, October 03, 2023
INTRODUCING — 'The Whistleblowers', a new series from Background Briefing
In this 6-part series presented by Adele Ferguson, the Background Briefing team brings you the untold stories of ordinary Australians who helped bring some of Australia’s biggest and dirtiest scandals to light.
Thu, August 10, 2023
Can a rape trial be a positive experience?
Two years ago, Meagan complained to the ABC that our coverage of sexual assault cases was too negative, and it didn't reflect her personal experience.
Thu, August 03, 2023
03 | The outland or the cage
Just after midnight, Marty woke to find three young intruders in his bedroom. Then they started talking to him. He'd now become one of the hundreds of victims of crime in Mount Isa each year. This is the final episode looking at the youth justice system in Queensland — the state with the highest number of children behind bars.
Thu, July 27, 2023
02 | The outland or the cage
"Locked down for hours and hours": Jaxon explains what life is like inside a juvenile detention centre.
Fri, July 21, 2023
01 | The outland or the cage
Jaxon stole a car at age 10. Six years later, the Mount Isa teen has a decision to make.
Thu, July 13, 2023
'What's your p(doom)?' Why AI experts are calculating our doomsday odds
A growing number of AI industry insiders are guessing at the probability that Artificial Intelligence will lead to a catastrophic scenario for humanity, and calculating their ‘p(doom)’.
Thu, July 06, 2023
The little-known religious code ruling many major public hospitals
Did you know that some of Australia’s largest public hospitals are run according to a religious code of ethics?
Thu, June 29, 2023
Fashion victims
Kym Ellery, the founder of collapsed Australian fashion label Ellery Land, tells reporter Rachael Brown that business collapses are sometimes the price of working in the fashion industry.
Thu, June 22, 2023
Inside the battle to keep cocaine out of Australia
Reporters Ty King and Mayeta Clark are granted a behind-the-scenes look at the dangerous game of cat and mouse played by cops and cartels.
Fri, June 16, 2023
False Witness
Reporter Heidi Davoren provides an extraordinary insight into a parenting dispute, where a mother and father come together after a Family Court psychologist harmed their family.
Thu, June 08, 2023
Grim Prospects | 02
In part two of the investigation into the deaths of Ray and Jennie Kehlet, reporters Rebecca Trigger and Ash Davis examine the story of the last man to see the couple alive.And they speak to a police insider who raised concerns about the direction of the investigation back in 2015.
Thu, June 01, 2023
Grim Prospects | 01
Two campers go missing while prospecting for gold in the Western Australian outback.
Thu, May 25, 2023
The woman who offers one last chance for an Australian visa
Australia's migrant workers can wait for years to find out whether they can stay here, and while they do they can become targets for opportunistic operators offering a short cut.
Sat, May 20, 2023
Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer
As a teenager, Remy learnt to survive by hustling on the streets of Parramatta.
Thu, May 11, 2023
The Fine Print
The consumer genetic testing industry has become big business.
Thu, March 23, 2023
Prisoner of the State
In a nursing home lives an elderly man who is being held against his will.
Fri, March 17, 2023
The Psychedelic Rush
Reporters Geoff Thompson and Annika Blau investigate how Australia became the first country to give scripts for trips.
Thu, March 09, 2023
Dead Man's Secrets | 02
In the second and final episode of Dead Man's Secrets, reporter Josh Robertson investigates the grisly murder of the powerful Papuan executive who negotiated one of Australia’s biggest foreign assistance packages.
Thu, March 02, 2023
Dead Man's Secrets | 01
A shocking murder takes place in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea.
Thu, February 23, 2023
How the system failed to save Darcey and Chloe | 02
When two infants die after being left inside a hot car, their family seek answers to how this could have happened.
Wed, February 15, 2023
How the system failed to save Darcey and Chloe | 01
Queensland authorities failed to heed multiple serious warnings that a young pair of sisters were in danger, before it was too late.
Thu, February 09, 2023
The psychiatrist and his star patient
Kate thought she'd finally found a psychiatrist who cared about her.
Fri, February 03, 2023
Under the Eye of Iran | 02
Massoud was heading to a protest outside Tehran's embassy in Canberra when a phone call confirmed his worst fears had come true.
Thu, January 26, 2023
Under the Eye of Iran | 01
Protesters say they're being ordered to read false confessions and their activities are under surveillance.
Thu, January 19, 2023
The tiny device that can cause huge pain
It's one of the most effective forms of contraception available.
Thu, January 12, 2023
Summer Season | Meet the teens at the frontline of organised crime
There's a violent territorial dispute between rival gangs in Sydney’s west.
Thu, January 05, 2023
Summer Season | Catching a Fugitive | 02
Charles Batham has been in hiding for years, and after two narrow escapes the trail goes cold. Then, reporter Erin Parke gets a tip-off that that brings the global investigation back from the brink – but will the truth ever come out about Batham’s dark past?
Thu, December 29, 2022
Catching a fugitive | part 1
A tall, eccentric Englishman with a secret double life flees Australia. For nine years he remains on the run. What he doesn't know is that two Australian women are tracking his movements from afar. Reporter Erin Parke was one of them.
Thu, December 22, 2022
Summer Season | Is getting quality care at medicinal cannabis clinics just pot luck?
When Jordan wanted to treat his insomnia, he turned to an experimental therapy: medicinal cannabis.
Thu, December 15, 2022
Summer Season | Kidnapping the Gods | 02
Precious artefacts looted from Cambodia and Thailand made their way into prominent collections here in Australia, and around the world. In the second and final episode of his investigation, Mario Christodoulou investigates why it’s taking so long for these precious works to be returned to their rightful home.
Thu, December 08, 2022
Summer Season | Kidnapping the Gods | 01
Many ancient Cambodian artifacts arrived in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s, when the south east Asian country was in turmoil. Mario Christodoulou investigates how some had come from looted historic sites or passed through the hands of suspected smugglers, and now feature in major galleries around the world.
Thu, December 01, 2022
The little-known religious code ruling many major public hospitals
Did you know that some of Australia’s largest public hospitals are run according to a religious code of ethics?
Thu, November 24, 2022
Has the age of AI already begun?
There’s new mind-bending technology that creates immersive media from scratch.
Sat, November 19, 2022
Pain in Paradise 02 | Byron's Thin Blue Line
Five years ago, a confronting video of a violent police encounter shocked the Byron Bay community.
Fri, November 11, 2022
Pain in Paradise 01 | What happened in Lateen Lane?
In one dark Byron Bay back alley, a series of baton strikes changes a teenager's life.
Fri, November 04, 2022
Under the Eye of Iran
Protesters say they're being ordered to read false confessions and their activities are under surveillance.
Thu, October 27, 2022
The tiny device that can cause huge pain
It's one of the most effective forms of contraception available.
Thu, October 20, 2022
Is the AFLW ready for Tiwi magic?
AFL superstars like Cyril Rioli and Michael Long forged their talents there.
Thu, October 13, 2022
A far-right troll's journey from an Ipswich bedroom to global infamy
Note: this episode was originally broadcast in July 2021 and it contains explicit language and confronting themes.
Sat, October 08, 2022
Is getting quality care at medicinal cannabis clinics just pot luck?
When Jordan wanted to treat his insomnia, he turned to an experimental therapy: medicinal cannabis.
Thu, September 29, 2022
Faulty Towers 02 | 'The scummiest landlord in the state'
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following program contains references to a deceased Indigenous Australian.
Thu, September 29, 2022
Faulty Towers 01 | The birdman of Surry Hills
From piles of rubbish to leaking sewers, rats, and gas leaks.
Thu, September 15, 2022
Meet the teens at the frontline of organised crime
There's a violent territorial dispute between rival gangs in Sydney’s west.
Thu, August 11, 2022
Inside the climate activists’ plan to shut down Australia
When protesters disrupted one of Australia’s largest container facilities, the NSW Government responded with new broad-sweeping laws that carried 2 year jail terms.
Fri, August 05, 2022
What happened to the Saudi sisters?
The mysterious discovery of the Alsehli sisters, who were found dead in a Sydney flat after more than a month, has shocked Australians. But who are they? What were they doing here? And most chillingly - why are they dead? Reporters Rachael Brown and Mahmood Fazal investigate. Please note this story contains disturbing themes including discussions of suicide. Listen for free on your mobile device on the ABC listen app , Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , or your favourite podcast app.
Mon, August 01, 2022
What happened to the Saudi sisters?
A special investigation by Rachael Brown and Mahmood Fazal into the shocking deaths of two women in Sydney's inner west.
Thu, July 28, 2022
The billion dollar industry helping students cheat
When the pandemic pushed university assessments out of the exam room and into the bedroom, many Australian students turned to powerful new allies to help them get good grades. Reporter Mario Christodoulou investigates.
Thu, July 21, 2022
Who's developing the wilderness?
There's a big nature tourism project about to take off in New South Wales, but many locals aren't all that happy about it. Reporter Mayeta Clark investigates why.
Sat, July 16, 2022
The artisan farmers taking on Victoria's meat regulator
Victoria is marketed as an exciting culinary destination. But organic farmers say they're facing draconian rules that prevent consumers from accessing the ethical food they want. Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates.
Sat, July 09, 2022
The fight for control over Black births
Worried about racial inequities in the health system, First Nations women are fighting for culturally safe birth options. But as Quandamooka woman Carly Williams finds out, not everyone in the mainstream healthcare service is on board.
Sat, July 02, 2022
Will any koalas be left in Australia's east by 2050?
Being one of Australia’s cutest animals hasn’t prevented its slide towards extinction. Reporter Rachael Brown investigates what is being done to try to curb the koala's declining population.
Sat, June 25, 2022
What goes on inside Australia's first long COVID clinic?
Thousands of Australians are finding they still feel ill several months after contracting coronavirus. They're experiencing a new and little understood condition called long COVID. As Geoff Thompson discovered, the demand for medical treatment is now overwhelming.
Sat, June 18, 2022
Kidnapping the Gods | Part 2
Precious artefacts looted from Cambodia and Thailand made their way into prominent collections here in Australia, and around the world. In the second and final episode of his investigation, Mario Christodoulou investigates why it’s taking so long for these precious works to be returned to their rightful home.
Sat, June 11, 2022
Kidnapping the Gods
Many ancient Cambodian artefacts arrived in Australia during the 1960s and 1970s, when the south east Asian country was in turmoil. Mario Christodoulou investigates how some had come from looted historic sites or passed through the hands of suspected smugglers, and now feature in major galleries around the world.
Sat, June 04, 2022
The teachers are not alright
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged schools across the country like never before, but it's also shone a light on existing issues within the profession such as a chronic shortage of specialised teachers and growing workload stress. Reporter Mayeta Clark follows teachers in public schools in NSW as they struggle to cover classes and keep their students engaged.
Sat, May 28, 2022
Why Queensland's sex workers say the law puts their lives at risk
Many states have repealed tough laws that put sex workers at risk of prosecution. But so far, Queensland hasn't followed suit. Now, the state government is looking at introducing new safeguards to protect those in the industry. Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates.
Sat, April 23, 2022
The 'holy grail' of IVF that went wrong
IVF has grown into a huge industry, with companies competing to provide fertility services. But in the quest to innovate and gain an edge, one Australian company may have taken things too far. Now hundreds of those who used a controversial new genetic test are taking legal action Reporter Rachael Brown investigates.
Sat, April 16, 2022
When the floodwater goes, what's next?
Reporter Geoff Thompson followed several residents of Lismore as they tried to recover from February's monster flood in Northern NSW. But before they'd finished the clean-up, the waters started to rise again.
Sat, April 09, 2022
The mums accused of poisoning their kids
An almost unimaginable crime: two women accused of poisoning their own children at the same Sydney hospital. Both were charged and spent years separated from their families, but both say they were falsely accused. Reporter Hannah Ryan investigates whether the system has failed these families.
Sat, April 02, 2022
The end of Australia's biggest coal fired power plant
Jim works in the control room at Eraring Power Station, where one quarter of NSW's power is produced. But Jim and his 450 colleagues have recently found out that his workplace will be closing down, 7 years ahead of schedule. Reporter Mayeta Clark investigates what plans are in place to transition communities away from coal jobs.
Sat, March 26, 2022
The quiet drug crisis you haven't heard about
Prison authorities know that drugs are constantly finding their way into our prisons. But the most commonly detected drug is one you might never have heard of. And health experts are warning there’s a disaster looming for addicted inmates when they get out. Mahmood Fazal reports. This episode contains explicit language.
Sat, March 19, 2022
The scientists questioning a serial murder case
She was convicted of killing her four children nearly two decades ago. But new scientific evidence has come to light, leading some of Australia’s most respected scientists to argue that Kathleen Folbigg was actually the victim of a terrible miscarriage of justice. Some of those scientists now say Australia needs to establish a whole new body to review potentially wrongful convictions. Rachael Brown reports. Special thanks to Flinders University Adjunct Associate Professor Robert Moles for his research assistance.
Sat, March 12, 2022
Inside aged care's Omicron chaos
This wave of coronavirus caused more Australians to die in aged care homes than any variant before it. This time we had vaccines and we had time to prepare. Reporter Geoff Thompson investigates how it went so wrong during Omicron.
Sat, March 05, 2022
Catching a Fugitive | Part 2
Charles Batham has been in hiding for years, and after two narrow escapes the trail goes cold. Then, reporter Erin Parke gets a tip-off that that brings the global investigation back from the brink – but will the truth ever come out about Batham’s dark past?
Sat, February 26, 2022
Catching a fugitive | part 1
A tall, eccentric Englishman with a secret double life flees Australia. For nine years he remains on the run. What he doesn't know is that two Australian women are tracking his movements from afar. Reporter Erin Parke was one of them.
Sat, February 19, 2022
The boss you can't escape from
Why a part of our workforce is afraid to speak up, even if their lodgings have bedbugs, it's hard to get a shower, or their pay is getting docked by random amounts. Reporter Mario Christodoulou investigates.
Sat, February 12, 2022
How COVID chokes a hospital
For months the NSW government assured the public that its hospitals were coping through the pandemic. But frontline staff are now speaking out about the barely controlled chaos behind the scenes. Reporter Mayeta Clark investigates what really happened during Omicron's peak.
Sat, February 05, 2022
The kids who broke out of detention
What children experienced inside Tasmania's youth detention centre for a long time remained out of sight, out of mind. But as Mahmood Fazal discovered, the centre's secrets are coming out now, as more former detainees come forward to tell their stories for the first time.
Sat, January 29, 2022
Summer Season: Her name was Mhelody Bruno
She died in tragic circumstances, but it seems that the public, her family, even the court may not have been given the full story. Elise Kinsella investigates why. This is a repeat of a program that aired in July 2021.
Sat, January 15, 2022
Summer Season: A far-right troll's journey from an Ipswich bedroom to global infamy
A young Australian far-right troll was known to his online fans as 'Catboy Kami'. Thousands followed his 'edgy' videos where he targeted children online with a mix of racial stereotypes and hardcore shock tactics. With that fame and notoriety, he's become a useful recruitment tool in the expansion of one of the globe's most extreme social movements. Alex Mann reveals Catboy Kami's true identity and how this young live streamer from south east Queensland ended up in the United States mixing with the top ranks of the white power movement. This is a repeat of a program that aired in July 2021.
Sat, January 08, 2022
Summer Season: The hidden park of last resort
It’s one of the last affordable caravan parks near Sydney's CBD where people can actually make a home. Many of the residents were driven here in one of life's desperate moments, but as Mridula Amin discovers, not everyone wants to leave. This is a repeat of a program that aired in April 2021.
Sat, January 01, 2022
Summer Season: 'The ghosts are not silent'
An awkward Christmas lunch conversation sends reporter Sam Carmody on a search for answers about his family history. The stories he finds out about are so disturbing, they have implications not just for his family but for the entire region, where his ancestors have a statue in their honour, a highway and even a town named after them. This is a repeat of a program that aired in September 2021.
Sat, December 25, 2021
Summer Season: The death Uber Eats disowned
Relatives of a dead food delivery rider say he was at work when a truck hit him. Uber Eats says he wasn’t. Patrick Begley investigates. This is a repeat of a program that aired in June 2021.
Sat, December 18, 2021
Summer Season: The place where people mysteriously disappear
Warren Meyer was a keen bushwalker who always came prepared for a hike. When he vanished in the wild terrain of the Yarra Ranges, police were baffled. Ashlynne McGhee investigates whether his disappearance could be linked to the other unsolved mysteries of Victoria's high country. This is a repeat of a program that aired in March 2021.
Sat, December 11, 2021
The giant wind farms clearing Queensland bush
There’s growing community backlash over the locations chosen for a number of massive new windfarm projects in Northern Queensland. And as Mayeta Clark discovered, its coming from unlikely quarters.
Sat, December 04, 2021
The infiltrator who helped hatch a terror plot
A young Melbourne man got ten years' jail after attempting to buy a gun in preparation for a possible terrorist attack. Now his family is speaking publicly for the first time, raising questions about who escalated the plot. Mahmood Fazal investigates.
Sat, November 27, 2021
The biggest financial scandal you've never heard of
It's been celebrated as Australia's "millionaires' factory". But Macquarie Bank is now caught up in the mother of all tax investigations. Reporter Mario Christodoulou has seen internal company files that show which executives knew what and when. This is a joint investigation made together with German investigative journalism outlet Correctiv.
Sat, November 20, 2021
Boom time in carbon farming country
Graziers are discovering there's millions to be made from their flat red earth. Taxpayers are funding billions to reduce the nation's carbon footprint. Reporter Geoff Thompson investigates whether carbon farming will really undo the damage we're doing from burning fossil fuels.
Sat, November 13, 2021
The hidden terror that's splitting people's identities
Reporter Tracey Shelton spent years as a correspondent giving a voice to people in war zones who'd experienced trauma. When she returned to Australia, she was surprised to find people here suffering similar symptoms, so she set out to investigate the cause.
Sat, November 06, 2021
Vulnerable, unvaxxed, and running out of time
These people were supposed to be near the front of the queue for Covid vaccines. But in Yarrabah, an Aboriginal community near Cairns, local doctors are still scrambling to get the vaccination rate above 50% With only six weeks until the Queensland borders open, reporter Mayeta Clark went to find out why.
Sat, October 30, 2021
How a conspiracy and a question led to 18 years jail
He was sentenced for a crime that shocked Australia: the terrorist plot to attack Sydney's Holsworthy barracks. But Nayef el Sayed's family are still confused about why he's doing so much jail time, and they're not the only ones with questions about the law used to convict him. Mahmood Fazal investigates.
Tue, October 05, 2021
Untouchable Assets | Part 3
As government investigators close in, Asiaciti realises it hasn't been keeping a close watch on some of its risky clients. In this series finale, Mario Christodoulou traverses from Swiss mountaintop chateaux to a Nigerian coup d'etat, to find out exactly what money was secretly flowing through Asiaciti's products. Then, he takes everything he's found to the man who built up the Asiaciti empire from nothing: Graeme Briggs. The ABC reached out to every person named in this story, we received no response from Du Shuanghua.
Mon, October 04, 2021
Untouchable Assets | Part 2
A rock concert ticket scalper and a controversial entrepreneur turn to Asiaciti for assistance. Using products from Graeme Briggs' company, they lock away their riches on a small Pacific island nation, out of the reach of authorities. But soon, Asiaciti learns it's got its own crisis to deal with: a global media scandal that threatens the company's very existence. Mario Christodoulou reports.
Sun, October 03, 2021
Untouchable Assets | Part 1
Graeme Briggs enjoys rugby, collecting Japanese fountain pens, and looking after other people's money. The problem for Graeme and his company Asiaciti is that among the many legitimate clients, some of them turn out to be corrupt politicians, fraudsters, and criminals. If that isn't bad enough, nearly two million files from his company's server have been leaked to journalists. So what's Graeme Briggs going to do now? Mario Christodoulou investigates.
Sat, October 02, 2021
The scientists and shamans of psychedelic retreats
There's a landmark project underway in Melbourne to find out whether psilocybin - the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms - can be used to improve end-of-life experiences. But many Australians have already turned to the underground because they're convinced psychedelics improve their mental health. Geoff Thompson investigates whether it's worth all the risks. This is a repeat of a program that aired in February 2021.
Sat, September 25, 2021
The Sydney security expert helping Afghan journalists escape
Geoff Thompson follows the dangerous journeys of three Afghan journalists as they attempt to flee the Taliban. Two of them succeed with the help of an Australian man who engineers an escape route for them from his house in Sydney.
Sat, September 18, 2021
'The ghosts are not silent'
An awkward Christmas lunch conversation sends reporter Sam Carmody on a search for answers about his family history. The stories he finds out about are so disturbing, they have implications not just for his family but for the entire region, where his ancestors have a statue in their honour, a highway and even a town named after them.
Sat, August 14, 2021
What it's like to face terrorism charges
Since the September 11 attacks, Australia has enacted a staggering number of laws to counter the threat of terrorism. Over one hundred people have been charged with terror-related offences here, but very few have spoken to the media. One Australian man who was charged with offences that can carry up to 25 years in jail, shares his story with Mahmood Fazal for the first time.
Sat, August 07, 2021
Inside the epicentre of Australia's Delta outbreak
As COVID-19 cases surged in Sydney's south-west City of Fairfield, the government enforced tougher restrictions on residents there. But as Geoff Thompson discovers, these constraints have had some devastating repercussions on one of Sydney's poorest areas and where more than half its workers are in industries which can't work from home.
Sat, July 31, 2021
Reality TV's reckoning
Reality shows are a central pillar of the television industry, but for the people who appear on them, the productions can be a gateway to years of mental anguish. As Naomi Selvaratnam found out, for some reality TV stars their moment in the spotlight nearly cost them their life.
Sat, July 24, 2021
A far-right troll's journey from an Ipswich bedroom to global infamy
A young Australian far-right troll was known to his online fans as 'Catboy Kami'. Thousands followed his 'edgy' videos where he targeted children online with a mix of racial stereotypes and hardcore shock tactics. With that fame and notoriety, he's become a useful recruitment tool in the expansion of one of the globe's most extreme social movements. Alex Mann reveals Catboy Kami's true identity and how this young live streamer from south east Queensland ended up in the United States mixing with the top ranks of the white power movement.
Sat, July 17, 2021
Myanmar: The Spring Revolution
In Myanmar, after a military coup in February this year, mass protests were met with brutal force. Borders were shut, the internet was blocked and it is estimated that around 900 people have been killed by the military. But some brave, young activists have filmed their acts of resistance. As their options close, what hope do they have to win back democracy? Due to copyright restrictions there will be no Background Briefing podcast or transcript for this program. You can listen to the full episode here: BBC Radio 4 - Crossing Continents, Myanmar: The Spring Revolution
Sat, July 10, 2021
Unmasking Monsters
Bob Montgomery was one of Australia's most famous psychologists.But he was hiding a dark secret.Josh Robertson has the story of how he got away with it for so long.
Sat, July 03, 2021
Her name was Mhelody Bruno
She died in tragic circumstances, but it seems that the public, her family, even the court may not have been given the full story. Elise Kinsella investigates why.
Sat, June 26, 2021
The death Uber Eats disowned
Relatives of a dead food delivery rider say he was at work when a truck hit him. Uber Eats says he wasn’t. Patrick Begley investigates
Sat, June 26, 2021
The death Uber Eats disowned
Relatives of a dead food delivery rider say he was at work when a truck hit him. Uber Eats says he wasn’t. Patrick Begley investigates
Sat, June 19, 2021
The killer we've invited into the lounge room
When winter arrives there's nothing like curling up in front of a fire heater with a glass of wine. But there's something disturbing in this cosy picture. As Alison Branley discovers, there's a huge risk to our health that we seem determined to ignore, even though it's estimated to kill hundreds of Australians every year
Sat, June 12, 2021
How Australians are escaping India's Covid catastrophe
Thousands of Australians went to India back when it seemed like coronavirus was under control. Some went to care for elderly parents. But, as Alex Mann discovers, their noble intentions counted for nothing when they were locked out of Australia and found themselves in a fight to survive and find a way home.
Sat, June 05, 2021
The rural stoush fuelled by our chicken meat obsession
As Australians eat more and more chicken, we need to find places to raise the animals. But as broiler sheds pop up across rural Victoria, the neighbours are learning that there are more downsides than the smell. A chicken shed next door can stop you building on your own land. Rachael Brown heads to Gippsland to investigate why Rosedale locals are worried that their area will soon be nicknamed 'Chickendale'.
Sat, April 24, 2021
The memo that erased a scandal
Ballarat orphanage superintendent Hylton Sedgman was due to face nine child abuse charges. Buried in a 1964 file is the reason he never stood trial. Charlotte King investigates why.
Sat, April 17, 2021
The Archbishop, the luxury pad, and the COVID-ravaged aged care home
It was the site of Australia's deadliest coronavirus outbreak. This week, Ashlynne McGhee investigates how Melbourne's St Basil's Homes for the Aged has been funnelling tens of millions of taxpayer dollars into the Greek Orthodox Church.
Sat, April 10, 2021
The hidden park of last resort
It’s one of the last affordable caravan parks near Sydney's CBD where people can actually make a home. Many of the residents were driven here in one of life's desperate moments, but as Mridula Amin discovers, not everyone wants to leave.
Sat, April 03, 2021
The Base Tapes | Part 2
In the second and final episode of his investigation, Alex Mann tracks down the two youngest candidates who applied to join the neo-Nazi group and tries to find out how they were radicalised.
Sat, March 27, 2021
The Base Tapes | Part 1
Secret recordings reveal how a global white supremacist terror group dedicated to inciting a race war recruited young Australian men. Alex Mann investigates.
Sat, March 13, 2021
The small town torn apart by big bets
Peter and Kath were investors in a secret punters' club that turned out to be a multi-million dollar scam. When the kingpin pleaded guilty, there were nearly two thousand victims left desperate to find out where their money went. Rachael Brown investigates whether the middlemen know.
Sat, March 06, 2021
The place where people mysteriously disappear
Warren Meyer was a keen bushwalker who always came prepared for a hike. When he vanished in the wild terrain of the Yarra Ranges, police were baffled. Ashlynne McGhee investigates whether his disappearance could be linked to the other unsolved mysteries of Victoria's high country.
Sat, February 27, 2021
The chilling secrets of a Melbourne guru
For decades people have flocked to a bucolic ashram in one of Melbourne’s most exclusive suburbs to hear Russell Kruckman spin his folksy brand of meditation, yoga and spirituality. But as Dan Oakes reveals, there's something rotten in this Shangri La: a horrific list of sexual abuse allegations.
Sat, February 20, 2021
A nearby nurse and the firefighter left to wait in agony
Volunteer firefighter Rodney O'Keeffe survived a fire tornado, but it left him with broken ribs and severe burns. A mere 800 metres away, there was a remote area nurse desperately trying to reach him. Jess Davis investigates why she couldn't.
Sat, February 13, 2021
The fight to stop a tiny battery from killing kids
Andrea and Allison formed an unlikely friendship after their daughters died in remarkably similar circumstances. Annie Gaffney investigates how they turned their grief into action to prevent that kind of tragedy from happening again.
Sat, February 06, 2021
The scientists and shamans of psychedelic retreats
There's a landmark project underway in Melbourne to find out whether psilocybin - the hallucinogenic compound in magic mushrooms - can be used to improve end-of-life experiences. But many Australians have already turned to the underground because they're convinced psychedelics improve their mental health. Geoff Thompson investigates whether it's worth all the risks.
Sat, January 02, 2021
Summer Season: how one school failed its students
Kimberly's sunny, athletic and inquisitive about everything. But for years she harboured terrible secrets about what happened to her. This week, Janine Fitzpatrick investigates why her school failed to heed credible warnings that she was in danger.This is a repeat of a program that aired in October 2020.
Sat, December 26, 2020
Summer Season: This judge’s unfair decisions upended people’s lives. What can be done about it?
These Australians were denied a fair hearing by one controversial judge. Now, for the first time, they're speaking out about their experiences. Hagar Cohen investigates what happens when the behaviour of a judge inside a courtroom is called into question. This is a repeat of a program that aired in February 2020.
Sat, December 19, 2020
Summer Season: He wanted an ambulance. He got a police "dog box".
Tristan was a kind and gentle 23-year-old surfer from Byron Bay. One night he suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode. And ended up driven to hospital in a small steel cage. Police say it is probably the worst place he could be. Tristan later died in hospital. Mario Christodoulou investigates the series of tragic events that led to Tristan's death that raise questions about how emergency services treat young drug-affected people in New South Wales. This is a repeat of a program that aired in March 2020.
Sat, December 12, 2020
Summer season: Inside the brazen tax scam where the homeless are made company directors
It's a long-running ‘dummy director’ scam that’s siphoned tens of millions of dollars from workers, small businesses and the taxpayer.In Victoria, a small group of accountants spent 15 years signing on drug users and homeless Australians to help their clients cheat the system.Reporter Dan Oakes investigates how this was allowed to go on for so long.This is a repeat of a program that aired in February 2020.
Sat, December 05, 2020
Buyer Wanted - Mothballed Oil Rig
Did you know you're the lucky operator of a rusty oil rig floating in the Timor Sea? You, along with 25-odd-million others, that is. This week, reporter Alex Mann investigates why Australian taxpayers are forking out four million dollars a month for this facility, some 550km off the coast of Darwin.
Sat, November 28, 2020
The billion-dollar sports industry that can't keep up with the cheats
It's got audiences bigger than the Superbowl. Its star players earn more for a single tournament than the winner of the Australian Open. Mario Christodoulou investigates how esports became such a success with the match-fixers too.
Sat, November 21, 2020
450 days trapped on a cargo ship
Ronbert has sailed into bustling ports all over the world. But he can't get home or even set foot on dry land. Geoff Thompson investigates how the closure of borders has left 400,000 seafarers stuck on ships and what can be done to save them.
Sat, November 14, 2020
How contact tracers confront lies on the COVID frontline
They helped stamp out coronavirus by relying on human intelligence. But as Rachael Brown discovered, there was a weakness in the system. Sometimes people can't be trusted.
Sat, November 07, 2020
Introducing: Thin Black Line
On a spring afternoon in Brisbane's Musgrave Park, 18-year-old traditional dancer and amateur boxer Daniel Yock is drinking with his mates. But when a police van arrives, the mood suddenly changes, triggering a dramatic chain of events. Presented by Allan Clarke, Thin Black Line is a deep dive into what happened that day — according to the one eyewitness who saw it all unfold, speaking publicly for the first time in almost three decades.
Sat, October 31, 2020
The Ponzi scheme that preyed on faith
Bhavesh was in trouble. His wife had just suffered three heart attacks and he couldn't afford treatment. So he turned to trusted members of his spiritual community for help. But as reporter Meghna Bali discovers, Bhavesh soon started getting death threats instead, and he found himself at the wrong end of one of Australia's biggest cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes.
Sat, October 24, 2020
Welcome to Tent City, the underside of WA's coronavirus success story
The thin walls of Neville Riley’s makeshift tent do little to block the constant sound of passing cars and trains. And if he was living in a different city when COVID-19 hit Australia, chances are Neville would have been given emergency accommodation months ago. This week, Alex Mann investigates whether a historic opportunity to address homelessness in Western Australia has been lost.
Sat, October 17, 2020
A horrific playground incident: how one school failed its students
Kimberly's sunny, athletic and inquisitive about everything. But for years she harboured terrible secrets about what happened to her. This week, Janine Fitzpatrick investigates why her school failed to heed credible warnings that she was in danger.
Sat, October 10, 2020
Are these two scholars really a threat to Australia's security?
One's a former translator for Bob Hawke, the other loves Henry Lawson's poetry. So when Professor Chen Hong and Li Jianjun got caught up in a police investigation into foreign influence, many of their colleagues expressed surprise. This week, Hagar Cohen investigates why ASIO declared them to be a potential risk to Australia.
Sat, October 03, 2020
How banks help criminals get rich: Part 2
The FINCEN Files have revealed how Australian businesses are involved suspicious transactions worth billions of dollars.This week, Mario Christodoulou follows the money trail home to downtown Sydney and investigates why the system designed to stop it often fails.
Sat, September 26, 2020
How banks help criminals get rich
An unprecedented leak of secret US Government reports has revealed how two trillion dollars of suspected dirty money snakes around the globe. This week on Background Briefing, Mario Christodoulou shows how terrorists and mobsters smuggle staggering sums of money through some of the world's largest banks - and often get away with it. This never-before-told story is the culmination of a 16-month-long investigation by 400 journalists for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Sat, September 12, 2020
Assange's extradition: what's really at stake?
Human rights advocates describe the pursuit of the Wikileaks founder as "a threat to global media freedom". But when a magistrate decides whether he'll be extradited to the United States, how much will the public's right to know actually matter? This week on Background Briefing, Meghna Bali goes inside his quest for freedom and uncovers never-before-told stories.
Mon, August 24, 2020
Response from Falun Dafa Association of Australia
In this podcast extra, Hagar Cohen interviews John Deller from the Falun Dafa Association of Australia about the allegations raised in the series.
Sat, August 08, 2020
The Power of Falun Gong, Part 3
Fledgling media organisations affiliated with Falun Gong have formed strange alliances with far right movements overseas. But what about here in Australia? This week on Background Briefing, Hagar Cohen investigates what happens when a pursuit for religious freedom comes into conflict with the transparency and independence required of Australia's fourth estate.
Sat, August 01, 2020
The Power of Falun Gong, Part 2
Secluded in dense forest, two hours north of New York City, there's a hidden headquarters for a new religious order. This otherworldly place is called Dragon Springs and it's sacred to Falun Gong devotees the world over. In this week's Background Briefing, Hagar Cohen reveals what goes on inside this gated compound, and how it's led to a strange alliance forged with the Trump Administration.
Sat, July 25, 2020
The Power of Falun Gong, Part 1
When you think of Falun Gong – you might think of quiet groups meditating or silently protesting in city parks. But a joint investigation by Background Briefing and Foreign Correspondent has uncovered accounts by former Falun Gong insiders, who reveal that in Australia and overseas, the movement has teachings that could be dangerous. Hagar Cohen reports.
Sat, July 18, 2020
No one told these country mums why their babies died
Claire doesn't know if her daughter's death could have been prevented - and she's not alone. Today, babies are more likely to be stillborn in Australia's regional centres than they were 20 years ago. This week on Background Briefing, Charlotte King investigates why the gap between these parts of the country and the big cities is only getting bigger.
Sat, July 11, 2020
Meet the debt monster
In little over two months' time, the support payments keeping millions of Australians afloat through the pandemic are due to end. Banks' deferrals on mortgage payments are meant to wind up soon after too. This week on Background Briefing, Geoff Thompson shows how the country is driving towards an economic cliff.
Sat, July 04, 2020
Why was this woman sent to a men's prison?
As she entered one of Australia's largest male prisons, Mara Ellis was strip-searched by four prison guards: two men and two women. She says it was the last time the justice system acknowledged she is a woman before Mara was locked away in solitary confinement. This week on Background Briefing, Meghna Bali investigates what happens to women in men's prisons.
Sat, June 27, 2020
The rallying cry heard the world over
Could Australia's Black Lives Matter movement bring about real world change? Jared Goyette, Bridget Brennan and Allan Clarke trace how the brutal death of George Floyd has resonated with so many, from the scorched streets of Minneapolis to downtown Melbourne.
Sat, June 20, 2020
Who seeks to profit from the trauma of abuse survivors?
Uncle Justin has waited a long time for an acknowledgement that he has survived institutional child sexual abuse. When the National Redress Scheme was established, he was offered help from a private legal firm. But what Uncle Justin and other survivors hadn't realised, Jeremy Story Carter discovered, was their trauma had become a honeypot.
Sat, June 13, 2020
Why Australia's spies think the far right could find a foothold during coronavirus
Since Australia's coronavirus shutdown began, there's been a spike in reports of racist attacks, where people are targeted because they just happen to look Asian. Intelligence agencies are now warning that far right groups are exploiting the pandemic to further their own radical agendas. For some, that involves fomenting unrest to bring about a "race war". Mario Christodoulou investigates.
Sat, June 06, 2020
The controversial push to rebrand raw milk
Advocates of raw milk say its safe for people to drink the stuff, so long as dairies take proper precautions. But Australian health authorities are wary about re-opening the trade, especially since the death of a toddler was linked to drinking unpasteurised milk. Kathryn Gregory investigates that link and asks whether there could be a valid case to re-open the raw milk trade.
Sat, May 30, 2020
How were the kids in this town contaminated?
For children in Port Pirie there is no 10 second rule. When you grow up in a “lead town” eating off the floor is forbidden, and could be harmful to your health. But when a mum follows all the strict and unusual rules of the town to keep her son safe and his blood lead still continues to rise, she asks: what am I doing wrong? Can a town coexist with a lead smelter? Paul Culliver investigates
Thu, May 21, 2020
Having a baby alone: How the pandemic has changed how we give birth
Pregnancies and births around the world have been radically changed by the spread of COVID-19. Background Briefing reporter Katherine Gregory is 39 weeks pregnant, and has been watching this news closely. In this episode, as she goes through her own pregnancy journey, she uncovers how maternal health experts are trying to prevent any long-lasting impacts on new mothers and their babies. This is the final episode of our three-part series on how Australia is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tue, May 19, 2020
Drive-by dinners: Food relief in the time of Corona
Social distancing measures have robbed many charities of the human connection so crucial to their already vulnerable clients. But, as our reporter Geoff Thompson finds out, one charity has radically transformed its service, and still feeds almost eight thousand people a week. This is part two of a three part series into how Australia is coping with COVID-19 Pandemic.
Thu, May 14, 2020
Prison outbreak: Prisoners released to protect them from COVID-19
Australian prison operators say they're well equipped to deal with a possible COVID-19 outbreak inside their walls. But inmates claim unhygienic conditions are making them fear for their lives. Now, some are being released early to protect them from getting the virus. Reporter Meghna Bali speaks to one prisoner about her early release. This is part one of a three part series into how Australia is coping with COVID-19 Pandemic.
Sat, April 25, 2020
Hotel Corona: How the pandemic could fix homelessness
People experiencing homelessness are being moved from the street and shelters into four-star hotels. The radical plan is meant to protect them from the pandemic and it's temporary. But as Hagar Cohen discovers, there are questions about what happens once the virus crisis is over.
Sat, April 18, 2020
Who's profiting from the pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic is causing pain and suffering the world over, but then there are always those who never let a good crisis go to waste. Some are benefiting from COVID-19 for legitimate reasons: just think of companies that make video conferencing apps, ventilators, or canny investors. But there are also more nefarious players looking to bank a win off the back of coronavirus fear and confusion: scam artists, fraudsters, counterfeiters. This week, Geoff Thompson, Mario Christodoulou, Meghna Bali and Kat Gregory investigate who's winning in these turbulent times and how.
Sat, April 04, 2020
'People will die': Country hospital fears it won't cope with coronavirus
What does it take to prepare for a pandemic? Many hospitals around the world are already overwhelmed by patients infected with COVID-19. Australian doctors and nurses are bracing for something most of them have never faced before. In our country hospitals, resources are already stretched: beds are in short supply and there’s a greater proportion of older people. Preparation will, in many cases, be the difference between life and death. ABC National Regional Reporter Jess Davis takes us inside the Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham, Victoria, as the team tries to prepare for the unimaginable.
Sat, March 28, 2020
How we're getting through this
Coronavirus is changing the way the entire human race lives.Emergency workers are scrambling together contingency plans, fearing hospitals could soon be overwhelmed.Scientists are racing to invent a faster, cheaper Covid-19 test kit available for us all.Restaurants are reinventing themselves as delivery services, artists are turning to live-streaming to make a living.This week, the entire Background Briefing team investigates how each of us are finding new ways to get by.
Sat, March 21, 2020
He wanted an ambulance. He got a police "dog box".
Tristan was a kind and gentle 23-year-old surfer from Byron Bay. One night he suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode. And ended up driven to hospital in a small steel cage. Police say it is probably the worst place he could be. Tristan later died in hospital. Mario Christodoulou investigates the series of tragic events that led to Tristan's death that raise questions about how emergency services treat young drug-affected people in New South Wales.
Sat, March 14, 2020
Mutants or miracles? Australia's GM cows
Sat, March 07, 2020
'If I can't get my house fixed, I'm homeless'
Even after the black summer Australians have just endured, it's not bushfires that's keeping the nation's insurers awake at night. Climate change is bringing cyclones further south - towards highly populated areas like Brisbane, the Gold Coast and northern NSW. Insurers are warning that unless the Federal Government takes drastic action, parts of the country may even become uninsurable. And as Geoff Thompson discovers, it's not some threat on the horizon - the conditions are already here.
Sat, February 29, 2020
How fracking could threaten Australia's Paris target
The Morrison Government claims Australia will meet its emissions targets "in a canter". It points to Australia's status as the world's largest LNG exporter to show how the nation's carbon footprint is getting smaller. But Background Briefing has seen bombshell emails by government advisors that reveal a very different picture. Jane Bardon investigates the true extent of Australia's fracking emissions.
Sat, February 15, 2020
Inside the brazen tax scam where the homeless are made company directors
It's a long-running ‘dummy director’ scam that’s siphoned tens of millions of dollars from workers, small businesses and the taxpayer.In Victoria, a small group of accountants spent 15 years signing on drug users and homeless Australians to help their clients cheat the system.Reporter Dan Oakes investigates how this was allowed to go on for so long.
Sat, February 08, 2020
This predator targeted victims on Tinder for years. Why wasn’t he stopped sooner?
Glenn Hartland is a serial rapist who lured four Melbourne women on Tinder. His victims say he continued to use dating apps while on bail. How did the police, the court, and the company behind Tinder allow this to happen?
Sat, February 01, 2020
This judge’s unfair decisions upended people’s lives. What can be done about it?
These Australians were denied a fair hearing by one controversial judge. Now, for the first time, they're speaking out about their experiences. Hagar Cohen investigates what happens when the behaviour of a judge inside a courtroom is called into question.
Sat, January 25, 2020
Summer special: Murder on trial
In 2011, Boronika Hothnyang was accused of fatally stabbing her best friend, William Awu, directly in the heart. But when police arrived at the scene of the crime, Boronika's apartment in Dandenong south-east of Melbourne, she was fast asleep. Six men who had earlier been drinking at her place each gave detectives a very different version of events. In this episode, Sarah Dingle uncovers new evidence that raises serious questions about the strength of the case against Boronika.
Sat, January 18, 2020
Summer special: The Golden Nugget Affair
The annual Uluru Camel Cup attracts a prize pool of tens of thousands of dollars, but is largely unregulated under NT law. After a champion camel named “Golden Nugget” won the 2018 race in controversial circumstances, allegations surfaced that the result was rigged. Reporter Alex Mann delves deep into the Camel Cup operator’s colourful past to investigate what really happened that day. This is a repeat of a program that aired in July 2019.
Sat, January 11, 2020
Summer special: The Birdman of Surry Hills
From piles of rubbish to leaking sewers, rats, and gas leaks. Pierre the Birdman is on a one-man mission to save his public housing block -- but he doesn’t own a computer, only just got a mobile phone, has never had legal training, and he barely finished high school. Despite this... he’s been winning cases against the NSW Government. Mario Christodoulou reports.
Sat, January 04, 2020
Summer special: This meth we’re in
Jacki Whittaker thought one of the bedrooms in her Melbourne rental home smelt like "cat piss". But the real culprit was something far more sinister. The previous tenants had been cooking methamphetamine in the bathroom resulting in significant contamination. Jacki and her two adult children were told by a testing company they must leave immediately because it wasn’t safe to stay in the house. But no one really knows how many of us are actually at risk from meth residues because even scientists haven’t even worked it out. In this episode, Hagar Cohen investigates how some operators in an unregulated meth testing industry are scamming the public and profiting from our fear. This is a repeat of a program that aired in March 2019.
Sat, December 28, 2019
Summer special: Welfare to worse
Whistle-blowers from inside Australia's lucrative employment services industry are claiming profits are being prioritised over the needs of vulnerable welfare recipients. Reporter Andy Burns investigates alleged murky behaviour inside the government's 350-million-dollar "Parents Next" program. She follows allegations that some private providers are benefitting at the expense of single mothers, some of whom are homeless.This is a repeat of a program that aired in August 2019.
Sat, December 21, 2019
Summer special: Flight of Fancy
When he rediscovered the elusive night parrot in 2013, John Young became a hero in the bird world. But his reputation is now in tatters after the veracity of his latest fieldwork was criticised by a panel of experts. Did the charismatic naturalist fake evidence of the green and yellow feathered creature? Ann Jones investigates a scandal that threatens to undermine conservation efforts. This is a repeat of a program that aired in March 2019.
Sat, December 14, 2019
Licence to drill
Sydney hip-hop group OneFour are one of Australia’s most popular new musical acts. A month ago they were on the cusp of making it, with millions of streams, major label offers and a national tour. Today half the group is behind bars. Osman Faruqi investigates the rapid rise and fall of an Australian hip-hop phenomenon and why one of the country’s most high-profile police strike forces wants to shut them down.
Sat, December 07, 2019
The problem with winning
Australians lose more money gambling than any other country in the world. But what if you found out the odds were stacked against you? Steve Cannane lifts the lid on how one of the world’s most successful sports betting agencies, bet365 uses secret tactics to gain an advantage over its customers.
Sat, November 30, 2019
'Should have been a wedding, not a funeral'
People are dying in Queensland mines. Seven workers have been killed since July last year and the pressure to act is mounting. Soon, some mining bosses could serve jail time if their negligence results in a workplace death, but is it too little too late? Katherine Gregory investigates.
Sat, November 23, 2019
"No water, no us"
What happens when we run out of water? That might seem a long way off, but after years of drought, taps are running dry in towns all over central New South Wales. The region's dams have gone from overflowing to almost empty in just three years. So where did all the water go? Reporter Meredith Griffiths explores life after day zero.
Sat, November 16, 2019
Where to now?
Its been two years since a campaign of brutal violence and mass rape forced almost a million Rohingyas to flee Myanmar. The International Criminal Court has now agreed to investigate possible crimes against humanity committed against them. In the weeks leading up to this major development, Sarah Dingle travelled to the world's biggest refugee camp in neighbouring Bangladesh, where close to one million asylum seekers are being hosted. But as she discovered, compassion is turning into resentment as tensions simmer among locals.
Mon, November 11, 2019
State of emergency
Extraordinary measures have been ordered across New South Wales. There's 60 fires burning in that one state alone. Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong are facing catastrophic fire conditions ahead. That's why we've updated a story we produced a month ago, which asks the question: are our emergency services equipped for what's ahead? This episode was made in a collaboration between ABC Regional, Landline, and Background Briefing.
Sat, October 12, 2019
Are Australians aiding China's surveillance state?
In the shadow of the Hong Kong protests on university campuses, Australia's top universities are working with blacklisted Chinese entities involved in Beijing's surveillance state. This week Background Briefing and Four Corners investigate how Australia's hi-tech ambitions became a high stakes gamble. Experts warn these partnerships could be a risk to national security.
Sat, October 12, 2019
Are Australians aiding China's surveillance state?
In the shadow of the Hong Kong protests on university campuses, Australia’s top universities are working with blacklisted Chinese entities involved in Beijing’s surveillance state. This week Background Briefing and Four Corners investigate how Australia’s hi-tech ambitions became a high stakes gamble. Experts warn these partnerships could be a risk to national security.
Sun, October 06, 2019
Prepare to burn
It’s been the most devastating September for bushfires in this country on record. Experts are warning of more unprecedented weather events than ever before, and they’re calling for urgent national leadership. In this special collaboration with ABC Regional and Landline, Background Briefing asks if we’re prepared to fight the fires of the future.
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