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Background Briefing is the ABC's flagship investigative journalism podcast. Its award-winning investigations and documentaries expose cover-ups, corruption, real-life mysteries, whistleblowing, crime, fraud and miscarriages of justice — often before these stories receive mainstream attention.
The Background Briefing podcast brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear, told by trusted reporters across Australia.
This Australian podcast makes investigative journalism bingeable. From scams and fraud to schooling and health scandals, tech and social media digs, police exposes and various unsolved cases, each episode of the Background Briefing podcast is a must-listen.
Recent series include:
Hometown Boys exposed how a terrible crime fractured a local community around a local football club.
The Invisible Killer: a forensic investigation into unexplained deaths in aged care after a doctor makes an unusual discovery.
The Favourite: how a schoolyard secret stayed hidden for years.
Stop and Search, which uncovered the mechanics of power and police accountability.
Before and After investigated medical hype, telehealth, body image, cosmetic procedures and consumer risk.
Beef: how small feuds escalate into serious disputes.
The Background Briefing podcast brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear, told by trusted reporters across Australia.
This Australian podcast makes investigative journalism bingeable. From scams and fraud to schooling and health scandals, tech and social media digs, police exposes and various unsolved cases, each episode of the Background Briefing podcast is a must-listen.
Recent series include:
Hometown Boys exposed how a terrible crime fractured a local community around a local football club.
The Invisible Killer: a forensic investigation into unexplained deaths in aged care after a doctor makes an unusual discovery.
The Favourite: how a schoolyard secret stayed hidden for years.
Stop and Search, which uncovered the mechanics of power and police accountability.
Before and After investigated medical hype, telehealth, body image, cosmetic procedures and consumer risk.
Beef: how small feuds escalate into serious disputes.
383 Episodes
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Insiders from the Harrow-Balmoral football club decide to break the code of silence. For Elise, it’s time to rebuild her life. But her story inspires other women to emerge with their own troubling accounts of the town’s club culture. When the convicted men were freed, Balmoral threw them a hero’s welcome; after everything, what was actually learned?
1A key witness submits a startling new statement that topples the guilty verdict and forces a retrial. This time, the men accused will not give evidence. But Lisa Hutchins, the trusted bush nurse will take the stand again — now for the defence.
As the criminal trial unfolds, witnesses from Balmoral waver on the stand, and the judge is "taken aback". The courtroom is heaving with supporters of the accused but the verdict is not what they're expecting.
A respected bush nurse with close ties to the accused becomes a key police witness. As the investigation quietly gathers pace, locals start to choose sides and the family of the victim feels ostracised.
A 21st birthday party becomes a crime scene, but some locals carry on like nothing’s happened.
In this one-street town of 280 residents, there’s an unspoken code: don’t rock the boat, or risk being cast out. Balmoral is a small Victorian town built on tradition, loyalty and knowing your place. For newcomers, the fastest way in is the football club. It’s where friendships are forged and status is earned.
When a young woman accuses a talented local footballer and his friend of rape, the town reveals where its true loyalties lie. The beating heart of Balmoral, a tiny Victorian town in Australia, is the football club. It’s where children grow up, where families belong and where people learn the cost of rocking the boat. Background Briefing investigates what happens when town pride, sports club culture, and the reputation of a promising young player get in the way of a young woman seeking justice over a terrible crime.
This week, Prianka Srinivasan arms herself with a burner phone and a fake name, and sets out to learn how Instagram’s algorithm really works.
When the founder of a skincare company discovers his zinc sunscreen product potentially isn't achieving the protection it's supposed to, it doesn't take long before he realises the problem is far bigger than he first thought.
The injectable industry is booming, but behind the glossy ads and plump looks, some patients are discovering filler that doesn’t dissolve. This week reporter Gina McKeon reveals the hidden risks of chasing an Instagrammable face.
For young men struggling with body image, social media offers a radical solution: get taller by breaking your legs. As the cosmetic limb-lengthening industry booms worldwide, Emilia Terzon explores the secretive online communities obsessed with undergoing the procedure, and meets the doctors left to deal with what happens when it goes wrong.
Hair loss ads are everywhere. Telehealth clinics with thousands of five-star reviews promise fast consults and discreet delivery to your doorstep. But what happens when the treatment messes with your brain chemistry?
Before and After is a new series by Background Briefing that exposes how medical hype spreads online, who profits, and who pays.
Kim saw a teacher’s aide laughing at a video of a vulnerable student and reported it to the principal. She had no idea it would come to define the next seven years of her life.
After years of manipulation, Alliyah is determined to see justice done. When Kellie appears in the dock, what will she say? And how will the judge respond?
Alliyah steps into a police station on the outskirts of Brisbane, and says: “I want to report a crime.” After keeping the so-called relationship with Kellie secret for almost a decade, Alliyah is finally ready to tell their story.
A new job and a surprise encounter show Alliyah that another way is possible. Will they manage to slip out of Kellie's control?
When the principal discovers Alliyah and their teacher Kellie are exchanging secret messages outside class, Kellie is warned — but not fired. Then, on the last day of Alliyah’s graduation, another message arrives: “Secret squirrel… you can’t tell anyone.” As suspicion mounts at home, Alliyah's connection with Kellie grows stronger and more dangerous by the day.
12-year-old Alliyah’s clowning around in science class, testing the waters to see how the new teacher will respond. An unusual bond grows between them — and what starts with a death stare and a smirk, soon slips into a world of secrets.
She's every student’s favourite teacher — warm, funny, the kind who bends the rules. But for one 12-year-old, Alliyah, her attention goes far beyond the classroom. The Favourite is a five-part series by Background Briefing about how a secret remained hidden in plain sight for nearly a decade.
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what an absolute pest 😒
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May turn out to be a trial by media.... he sounds very inauthentic to say the least. His poor parents and sister.
#Bravery.
#courage 🙏
Get your life together Andy, hopefully listening to this will help you stop
excruciating pain is all I can say 😭
This was terrible. Incredibly poor journalism. 32 minutes in and the first mention of climate change. And that was a few seconds in passing without drawing a direct parallel between fossil fuels and climate change. Eraring workers going waaah about the loss of their jobs IN 3 AND A HALF YEARS. Imagine being given 3 1/2 years to transition to a new gig. They are also saying govts not planning for just transition, but gutlessly not calling out LNP govts as the culprits. Also made out like Kean didn't know it was coming, when it is on the record that he did. I am all for just transition. Very strongly so. And it shouldn't just be for coal. But call out the actual govts who failed these people.
What an amazing brave woman. Thank you for another fantastic podcast ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There is absolutely nothing 'real' about reality tv. It's a formulaic creation that manipulates and edits the "contestants" into specific character types to manufacture conflict, suspense and drama. The networks love these shows because they are relatively cheap and easy to make. No need to pay actual script writers or professional actors let alone all the other people that are needed to create quality shows. It's all about ratings and advertising dollars and the sooner people stop watching and supporting this garbage tv the sooner we can hopefully stop being bombarded by it.
at
This is such good journalism!! absolutely incredible. Keep it up! these people are so so dangerous and need to be exposed.
what a nightmare for emergency personnel dealing with idiots who choose to do drugs. he would have overdosed anyway or killed an innocent person so better him than anyone else.
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One of the best podcasts available, keep up the excellent work. just terrible this is occurring in Australia.
Thank you so much for this enlightening and heart-breaking story. Much love and care to all communities 💕
Absolutely frightening, thank you once again you have done an outstanding job. Please pass my gratitude onto the staff at the hospital I can't express how much I appreciate the fact they keep going to work.
these idiots that think it's funny to do drugs put such a burden on our emergency services. 😒
An interesting counterpoint to the podcast Wrong Skin
Why is it when people hear voices that aren't Jesus it God they are treated as having a psychiatric illness but it seems to be OK if it's Jesus and God? Another great podcast.