

Background Briefing
ABC listen
Background Briefing tells true stories not everyone will want you to hear. We infuse investigative reporting with captivating drama, following the thread of an individual story only to find that it leads us to something bigger. It's the only podcast in Australia that does this week in, week out.
Hosted by Thomas Oriti.
We want to hear from you too. If you have a tip-off, please contact us at backgroundbriefing[at]abc.net.au
Hosted by Thomas Oriti.
We want to hear from you too. If you have a tip-off, please contact us at backgroundbriefing[at]abc.net.au
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 10, 2023 • 33min
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.

Aug 3, 2023 • 34min
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.

Jul 27, 2023 • 31min
02 | The outland or the cage
"Locked down for hours and hours": Jaxon explains what life is like inside a juvenile detention centre.

Jul 21, 2023 • 33min
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.

Jul 13, 2023 • 40min
'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)’.

Jul 6, 2023 • 39min
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?

Jun 29, 2023 • 38min
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.

Jun 22, 2023 • 30min
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.

Jun 16, 2023 • 37min
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.

Jun 8, 2023 • 37min
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.