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 23, 2024 • 35min
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.
Aug 16, 2024 • 36min
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.
Aug 9, 2024 • 40min
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
Aug 2, 2024 • 40min
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.
Jul 26, 2024 • 40min
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.
Jul 19, 2024 • 0sec
Notorious 07 | My friend, the cop killer Pt 1
One morning reporter Josh Robertson woke up, read the headlines, and made a terrible realisation.
Jul 12, 2024 • 37min
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.
Jul 5, 2024 • 36min
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?
Jun 28, 2024 • 44min
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.
Jun 21, 2024 • 40min
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.
