Background Briefing
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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
Apr 10, 2021 • 45min
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.
Apr 3, 2021 • 45min
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.
Mar 27, 2021 • 42min
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.
Mar 13, 2021 • 38min
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.
Mar 6, 2021 • 43min
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.
Feb 27, 2021 • 44min
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.
Feb 20, 2021 • 41min
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.
Feb 13, 2021 • 40min
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.
Feb 6, 2021 • 45min
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.
Jan 2, 2021 • 40min
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.
