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
Feb 9, 2023 • 37min
The psychiatrist and his star patient
Kate thought she'd finally found a psychiatrist who cared about her.
Feb 3, 2023 • 38min
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.
Jan 26, 2023 • 37min
Under the Eye of Iran | 01
Protesters say they're being ordered to read false confessions and their activities are under surveillance.
Jan 19, 2023 • 38min
The tiny device that can cause huge pain
It's one of the most effective forms of contraception available.
Jan 12, 2023 • 39min
Summer Season | Meet the teens at the frontline of organised crime
There's a violent territorial dispute between rival gangs in Sydney’s west.
Jan 5, 2023 • 40min
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?
Dec 29, 2022 • 35min
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.
Dec 22, 2022 • 41min
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.
Dec 15, 2022 • 41min
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.
Dec 8, 2022 • 44min
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.
