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 8, 2024 • 33min
'They use us': The Balinese villagers taking on Russian-backed developers
‘Cities’ are popping up across Bali’s spiritual heartland. Can villagers from Ubud hold back a tsunami of foreign money and preserve the island's culture?
4 snips
Dec 14, 2023 • 42min
Summer Season: Prisoner of the State
In a nursing home lives an elderly man who is being held against his will. We can’t tell you his name. We can’t tell you his age. We can’t even use his real voice, or the voice of anyone involved in his case. Reporter Anne Connolly investigates what happens when the state rules you're incapable of looking after yourself.
Dec 14, 2023 • 37min
Summer Season: Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer
As a teenager, Remy learnt to survive by hustling on the streets of Parramatta. Then she hit the bigtime. Reporter Mahmood Fazal investigates what life is like on the other side of the war on drugs.
Dec 14, 2023 • 36min
Summer Season: 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.
Dec 14, 2023 • 39min
Summer Season: Darcey and Chloe Part 01 - How the system failed to save two baby girls
Queensland authorities failed to heed multiple serious warnings that a young pair of sisters were in danger, before it was too late. Their grieving family is now desperate to understand why. Reporter Alexandra Blucher investigates.
Dec 14, 2023 • 32min
Summer Season: Darcey and Chloe Part 02 - How the system failed to save two baby girls
When two infants die after being left inside a hot car, their family seek answers to how this could have happened. Reporter Alexandra Blucher tracks down a child safety officer involved in their case, and hears why she believes the girls' deaths could have been prevented.
Dec 14, 2023 • 32min
Summer Season: The Whistleblower who helped catch a paedophile politican
After an electoral officer helped police arrest a popular state minister, her life began to unravel.
Dec 14, 2023 • 35min
Summer Season: The whistleblower who exposed Australia’s secretive offshore detention system
"Simone" arrived on a remote island to help asylum seekers. But she witnessed something there that convinced her to leak over 2000 documents. Reporters Paul Farrell and Maddison Conaughton investigate what happened.
Dec 14, 2023 • 31min
Summer Season: An aspiring doctor from the 'burbs takes on medical schools for elitism
From humble beginnings, Fahad faced hurdles entering medical school. Now, he fights for equal access to medical education. Marty Smiley reports.
Dec 7, 2023 • 31min
A one-man consulate and a mysterious list: How to get out of Gaza
Father-of-three Ayman Dhlan started a WhatsApp group to help Australians and their families get out of war-torn Gaza. Now he can barely put his phone down.
