Background Briefing
ABC
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 29, 2024 • 33min
The whistleblower who helped catch a paedophile politician
When an electoral officer helps police arrest a popular politician, her life begins to unravel. Her boss would spend more than a decade in prison, but she loses her job, and is even eventually admitted to a mental health institution. Now she’s asking: could he have been stopped earlier? Reporter Tynan King investigates.
Apr 26, 2024 • 59sec
The Whistleblowers
What happens when a person blows the whistle on wrongdoing?
Apr 18, 2024 • 31min
A mother's message and the hospital that didn't want to hear it
A woman has lost the ability to speak and is forced to communicate by blinking. From her hospital bed she tries to blink out a request, but hospital staff refuse to help.Background Briefing can reveal that similar situations are playing out in many public health facilities across Australia, as patients pursue their legal right to die, and healthcare workers say "no".
Apr 11, 2024 • 39min
Tears, tea and bloodshed — can violent men ever change?
This week reporter and Dharawal woman Brooke Fryer goes inside a program that's helping violent men turn their lives around.
Apr 5, 2024 • 35min
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.
Mar 28, 2024 • 34min
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.
Mar 21, 2024 • 26min
04 Stop and Search | The Botched Backyard Operation
There are only two witnesses to Brad Balzan's final moments: the two officers who chased him into his backyard. But their accounts of what happened don't match up.
Mar 13, 2024 • 35min
03 Stop and Search | The Numbers Game
As the investigation into Bradley Balzan's death continues, serious questions are raised about how the country’s largest police force uses its search powers.
Mar 6, 2024 • 27min
02 Stop and Search | Last Moments Before Gunshots
Brad Balzan is shot dead in his own backyard after a police encounter goes wrong. In episode two of Stop and Search, a new mini-series by Background Briefing, reporter Paul Farrell asks why was he running away, and why did the officers chase him down?
Feb 29, 2024 • 39min
01 Stop and Search | Where's Brad?
A 20-year-old is chased by police into his own backyard, shot twice, and dies. Explore the heartbreaking story of Brad's tragic encounter with law enforcement, his life, friendships, and the mystery surrounding his behavior. Uncover the truth behind the fatal incident and the impact on his family and community.
