Background Briefing is the ABC's flagship investigative journalism podcast. Its award-winning investigations and documentaries expose cover-ups, corruption, real-life mysteries, whistleblowing, crime, fraud and miscarriages of justice — often before these stories receive mainstream attention. The Background Briefing podcast brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear, told by trusted reporters across Australia. This Australian podcast makes investigative journalism bingeable. From scams and fraud to schooling and health scandals, tech and social media digs, police exposes and various unsolved cases, each episode of the Background Briefing podcast is a must-listen. Recent series include: Hometown Boys exposed how a terrible crime fractured a local community around a local football club. The Invisible Killer: a forensic investigation into unexplained deaths in aged care after a doctor makes an unusual discovery. The Favourite: how a schoolyard secret stayed hidden for years. Stop and Search, which uncovered the mechanics of power and police accountability. Before and After investigated medical hype, telehealth, body image, cosmetic procedures and consumer risk. Beef: how small feuds escalate into serious disputes.
What this show covers
investigationproton therapySydneytrue crimeinstitutional abusecharityCambodiapoweraccountabilityhealth infrastructureSydney developmentcancer treatmentmedical infrastructurehealthcare accessmystery
What listeners will find here
Power, fear, and influence around a celebrated Cambodian orphanage
This episode examines how a Sydney barrister became one of the most powerful backers of a famous Cambodian orphanage as it gained celebrity attention. It focuses on Mark Dennis SC’s influence inside the charity and the fear staff say surrounded him.
A Sydney cancer-treatment promise collides with hidden plans and insider doubts
This episode follows the fight to bring proton therapy into a half-a-billion-dollar Sydney development. As families keep traveling overseas for treatment, an insider’s account raises fresh doubts about whether Sue Bleasel’s plan can survive the developer’s shifting agenda.
Sydney’s proton therapy push faces mounting obstacles
A proposed proton cancer treatment centre in Sydney could transform care, but major challenges are piling up. This episode looks at why an unpaid volunteer and a private developer are stepping in to pursue a life-saving treatment families have wanted for years.
A powerful barrister, a child charity, and the alias “Dark Menace”
This episode centers on a prominent Sydney criminal barrister and former child charity chairman who was allegedly living a hidden double life under the alias “Dark Menace.” It sets up a story of status, secrecy, and a death that followed within weeks of the allegations becoming known.
A race against time to bring proton therapy to Australia
Sue Bleasel’s mission to deliver a life-saving proton therapy machine to Australia reaches a critical point as construction nears. The episode follows the urgency, ambition, and unresolved questions surrounding a project years in the making.
Episodes
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