Episodes 250
Avg. Duration 37m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.6 (34)
Since Oct 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Consistency
63%
Hosting
www.abc.net.au

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

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.

Explore Statistics

Recent Episodes

03 Tammy's Story | New Asylums

Jun 11, 2026 32m

For a while, Tammy's death looks like a one-off. Then an email lands in Kirstie Wellauer's inbox that changes everything.

02 Tammy's Story | Searching for Safety

Jun 03, 2026 32m

Tammy Shipley walked into a police station and asked to be locked up. She just wanted to be safe.

01 Tammy's Story | The Red Cup

May 27, 2026 30m

Tammy's under 24-hour surveillance. Her family can't reach her. Then she starts drinking water from a red cup — and nobody understands what they're watching until it's too late.

Introducing | Tammy's Story

May 14, 2026 1m

Tammy Shipley asked to be arrested so she could feel safe. After she was placed under 24-hour surveillance, something terrible took place. A new three-part series by Kirstie Wellauer and Joanna…

03 In Search of the Missing Artist | The Name

Apr 24, 2026 32m

Jean Paul Mangin is a nom de plume, an alias, a fake name. But no one seems to know that.  So why would a commercial gallery – a family-run business – go to such extreme lengths to protect the…

02 In Search of the Missing Artist | The Plastic

Apr 17, 2026 34m

The only clue to Jean Paul Mangin's true identity is hiding in his art. Unlike everything else about the elusive French sculptor, the material he works with is right there for anyone to see — giant,…

01 In Search of the Missing Artist | The Sculptor

Apr 11, 2026 40m

The sales pitch goes that Jean Paul Mangin is a reclusive Parisian sculptor whose works are internationally acclaimed. His pieces sell quickly through one particular Australian gallery, sought after…

Introducing | In Search of the Missing Artist

Apr 06, 2026 1m

For years, art buyers have been told that this man is an internationally acclaimed, intensely private Parisian sculptor. His bold, brightly coloured plastic works are available through one Melbourne…

03 The Road to Bondi | Deepfake

Mar 27, 2026 34m

How did a wounded Bondi survivor become the face of a global deepfake conspiracy in less than 24 hours? Arsen Ostrovsky was celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach when the first shots rang out. A bullet…

02 The Road to Bondi | A Test of Character

Mar 20, 2026 32m

This man fled Iran after being imprisoned and tortured for protesting the regime. Known only as AB, he came to Australia hoping to start again — and, in many ways, he did. He found love and started a…

01 The Road to Bondi | Father and Son

Mar 13, 2026 42m

You think you know the story. You know how it ended. But you don’t know how it began. In the first episode of The Road to Bondi, reporter Josh Robertson traces the decades-long path that led a father…

TRAILER — Introducing The Road to Bondi

Mar 05, 2026 1m

In an ordinary Australian suburb, a father and son are secretly planning something terrible. One fateful summer evening, their path brings them crashing into the lives of strangers from around the…

06 Hometown Boys | Not the only one

Feb 20, 2026 38m

Insiders from the Harrow-Balmoral football club decide to break the code of silence. For Elise, it’s time to rebuild her life. But her story inspires other women to emerge with their own troubling…

05 Hometown Boys | 'Luke, Maybe'

Feb 13, 2026 30m

A key witness submits a startling new statement that topples the guilty verdict and forces a retrial. This time, the men accused will not give evidence. But Lisa Hutchins, the trusted bush nurse will…

04 Hometown Boys | The Trial

Feb 05, 2026 27m

As the criminal trial unfolds, witnesses from Balmoral waver on the stand, and the judge is "taken aback". The courtroom is heaving with supporters of the accused but the verdict is not what they're…

03 Hometown Boys | The 'Mayoress of Balmoral'

Jan 26, 2026 31m

A respected bush nurse with close ties to the accused becomes a key police witness. As the investigation quietly gathers pace, locals start to choose sides and the family of the victim feels…

03 Hometown Boys | Exile

Jan 26, 2026 31m

In the days after the 21st birthday party, some residents of Balmoral appear to take sides. As the police case quietly gathers pace, the town’s loyalties harden. Soon Elise and her family find…

02 Hometown Boys | The Party

Jan 16, 2026 32m

Elise comes home to celebrate a classmate’s 21st birthday party. By the end of the night, two old school friends will be accused of a terrible crime. But almost immediately, the town appears to adopt…

02 Hometown Boys | In the caravan

Jan 16, 2026 32m

A 21st birthday party becomes a crime scene, but some locals carry on like nothing’s happened.

01 Hometown Boys | One Street Town

Jan 16, 2026 30m

Balmoral is a small Victorian town built on tradition, loyalty and knowing your place. But there appears to be an unspoken code when problems arise - stay silent, or risk being cast out altogether.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Background Briefing have?

Background Briefing has published 250 episodes since October 2020, covering topics in Documentary, News.

Is Background Briefing still active?

Background Briefing is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 37m.

How do I contact Background Briefing for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Background Briefing, including email and social media links.

Similar Podcasts