PODCAST

Background Briefing

ABC listen

Background Briefing brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear.

news news commentary

All Episodes

38:49

The Power of Falun Gong, Part 3

Background Briefing ·

2020/08/08

Fledgling media organisations affiliated with Falun Gong have formed strange alliances with far right movements overseas.But what about here in Australia?This week on Background Briefing, Hagar Cohen investigates what happens when a pursuit for religious freedom comes into conflict with the transparency and independence required of Australia's fourth estate.

38:26

The Power of Falun Gong, Part 2

Background Briefing ·

2020/08/01

Secluded in dense forest, two hours north of New York City, there's a hidden headquarters for a new religious order.This otherworldly place is called Dragon Springs and it's sacred to Falun Gong devotees the world over.In this week's Background Briefing, Hagar Cohen reveals what goes on inside this gated compound, and how it's led to a strange alliance forged with the Trump Administration.

43:29

The Power of Falun Gong, Part 1

Background Briefing ·

2020/07/25

When you think of Falun Gong – you might think of quiet groups meditating or silently protesting in city parks. But a joint investigation by Background Briefing and Foreign Correspondent has uncovered accounts by former Falun Gong insiders, who reveal that in Australia and overseas, the movement has teachings that could be dangerous. Hagar Cohen reports.

36:39

No one told these country mums why their babies died

Background Briefing ·

2020/07/18

Claire doesn't know if her daughter's death could have been prevented - and she's not alone. Today, babies are more likely to be stillborn in Australia's regional centres than they were 20 years ago. This week on Background Briefing, Charlotte King investigates why the gap between these parts of the country and the big cities is only getting bigger.

33:43

Meet the debt monster

Background Briefing ·

2020/07/11

In little over two months' time, the support payments keeping millions of Australians afloat through the pandemic are due to end.Banks' deferrals on mortgage payments are meant to wind up soon after too.This week on Background Briefing, Geoff Thompson shows how the country is driving towards an economic cliff.

40:14

Why was this woman sent to a men's prison?

Background Briefing ·

2020/07/04

As she entered one of Australia's largest male prisons, Mara Ellis was strip-searched by four prison guards: two men and two women.She says it was the last time the justice system acknowledged she is a woman before Mara was locked away in solitary confinement.This week on Background Briefing, Meghna Bali investigates what happens to women in men's prisons.

53:40

The rallying cry heard the world over

Background Briefing ·

2020/06/27

Could Australia's Black Lives Matter movement bring about real world change? Jared Goyette, Bridget Brennan and Allan Clarke trace how the brutal death of George Floyd has resonated with so many, from the scorched streets of Minneapolis to downtown Melbourne.

45:22

Who seeks to profit from the trauma of abuse survivors?

Background Briefing ·

2020/06/20

Uncle Justin has waited a long time for an acknowledgement that he has survived institutional child sexual abuse.When the National Redress Scheme was established, he was offered help from a private legal firm.But what Uncle Justin and other survivors hadn't realised, Jeremy Story Carter discovered, was their trauma had become a honeypot.

34:40

Why Australia's spies think the far right could find...

Background Briefing ·

2020/06/13

Since Australia's coronavirus shutdown began, there's been a spike in reports of racist attacks, where people are targeted because they just happen to look Asian.Intelligence agencies are now warning that far right groups are exploiting the pandemic to further their own radical agendas.For some, that involves fomenting unrest to bring about a "race war".Mario Christodoulou investigates.

39:29

The controversial push to rebrand raw milk

Background Briefing ·

2020/06/06

Advocates of raw milk say its safe for people to drink the stuff, so long as dairies take proper precautions.But Australian health authorities are wary about re-opening the trade, especially since the death of a toddler was linked to drinking unpasteurised milk. Kathryn Gregory investigates that link and asks whether there could be a valid case to re-open the raw milk trade.

40:49

How were the kids in this town contaminated?

Background Briefing ·

2020/05/30

For children in Port Pirie there is no 10 second rule. When you grow up in a “lead town” eating off the floor is forbidden, and could be harmful to your health. But when a mum follows all the strict and unusual rules of the town to keep her son safe and his blood lead still continues to rise, she asks: what am I doing wrong?Can a town coexist with a lead smelter? Paul Culliver investigates

13:36

Having a baby alone: How the pandemic has changed how...

Background Briefing ·

2020/05/21

Pregnancies and births around the world have been radically changed by the spread of COVID-19. Background Briefing reporter Katherine Gregory is 39 weeks pregnant, and has been watching this news closely. In this episode, as she goes through her own pregnancy journey, she uncovers how maternal health experts are trying to prevent any long-lasting impacts on new mothers and their babies.This is the final episode of our three-part series on how Australia is coping with the COVID-19

10:46

Drive-by dinners: Food relief in the time of Corona

Background Briefing ·

2020/05/19

Social distancing measures have robbed many charities of the human connection so crucial to their already vulnerable clients.But, as our reporter Geoff Thompson finds out, one charity has radically transformed its service, and still feeds almost eight thousand people a week. This is part two of a three part series into how Australia is coping with COVID-19 Pandemic.

13:24

Prison outbreak: Prisoners released to protect them...

Background Briefing ·

2020/05/14

Australian prison operators say they're well equipped to deal with a possible COVID-19 outbreak inside their walls. But inmates claim unhygienic conditions are making them fear for their lives.Now, some are being released early to protect them from getting the virus. Reporter Meghna Bali speaks to one prisoner about her early release. This is part one of a three part series into how Australia is coping with COVID-19 Pandemic.

39:36

Hotel Corona: How the pandemic could fix homelessness

Background Briefing ·

2020/04/25

People experiencing homelessness are being moved from the street and shelters into four-star hotels. The radical plan is meant to protect them from the pandemic and it's temporary. But as Hagar Cohen discovers, there are questions about what happens once the virus crisis is over.

41:28

Who's profiting from the pandemic?

Background Briefing ·

2020/04/18

The coronavirus pandemic is causing pain and suffering the world over, but then there are always those who never let a good crisis go to waste.Some are benefiting from COVID-19 for legitimate reasons: just think of companies that make video conferencing apps, ventilators, or canny investors.But there are also more nefarious players looking to bank a win off the back of coronavirus fear and confusion: scam artists, fraudsters, counterfeiters. This week, Geoff Thompson, Mario

38:35

'People will die': Country hospital fears it won't...

Background Briefing ·

2020/04/04

What does it take to prepare for a pandemic? Many hospitals around the world are already overwhelmed by patients infected with COVID-19.Australian doctors and nurses are bracing for something most of them have never faced before.In our country hospitals, resources are already stretched: beds are in short supply and there’s a greater proportion of older people.Preparation will, in many cases, be the difference between life and death. ABC National Regional Reporter Jess Davis takes

53:17

How we're getting through this

Background Briefing ·

2020/03/28

Coronavirus is changing the way the entire human race lives.Emergency workers are scrambling together contingency plans, fearing hospitals could soon be overwhelmed.Scientists are racing to invent a faster, cheaper Covid-19 test kit available for us all.Restaurants are reinventing themselves as delivery services, artists are turning to live-streaming to make a living.This week, the entire Background Briefing team investigates how each of us are finding new ways to get by.

41:47

He wanted an ambulance. He got a police "dog box".

Background Briefing ·

2020/03/21

Tristan was a kind and gentle 23-year-old surfer from Byron Bay.One night he suffered a drug-induced psychotic episode.And ended up driven to hospital in a small steel cage.Police say it is probably the worst place he could be.Tristan later died in hospital.Mario Christodoulou investigates the series of tragic events that led to Tristan's death that raise questions about how emergency services treat young drug-affected people in New South Wales.

36:21

Mutants or miracles? Australia's GM cows

Background Briefing ·

2020/03/14

205 results

Background Briefing

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci