Fourth Estate

This week, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, Ben Roberts-Smith, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of war crime murder. The charges follow years of investigative reporting by journalists at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald — and a landmark defamation case that tested that reporting in court. In this episode of Fourth Estate, Tina Quinn speaks with two of the journalists behind the story, Nick McKenzie and Michael Bachelard about how the investigation was built — from sourcing and verification, to editorial decisions and legal risk. What does it take to report allegations of war crimes? And what does this case reveal about the power — and limits — of journalism in holding institutions to account? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 2,000 ABC staff walked off the job in the broadcaster’s first strike in 20 years. While the dispute centred on pay, progression and job security, it also exposed deeper concerns about culture, leadership and editorial independence. In this episode of Fourth Estate, Tina Quinn speaks with current and former ABC journalists, including Michael Slezak, Fran Kelly, Quentin Dempster, Emma Field and Scott Mitchell, to unpack what led to the strike — and what it reveals about the future of the organisation. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"She seems unaware of just how inexperienced she is," was how one media commentator described Virginia Trioli when she first took her place behind the microphone of the Drive program on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne. She had by that point more than a decade of experience as a journalist — but was still relatively new to the art of broadcasting. But Trioli was a quick study, and in the 25 years that followed, would establish herself as one of Australia’s most incisive and instinctive broadcasters, from the interview with Peter Reith that would earn her a Walkley Award, to her expansion into television, presenting Lateline, and her role as the foundation host of the now long-running ABC News Breakfast. As part of our ongoing profile series, the two-time Walkley Award winner joins Tina Quinn to reflect on those years in broadcasting — the interviews that defined her career, the evolution from radio to television, and the pressures that would ultimately lead her to step away from daily broadcasting. Virginia's 2024 memoir, A Bit on the Side: Reflections On What Makes Life Delicious, is published by Pan Macmillan. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Virginia Trioli stepped onto the floor of "this horrible soviet-style building" that was The Age newsroom as a young cadet journalist in 1990, she knew she’d found her place — despite the building doing its best to suggest otherwise. What followed was a career that quickly established her as a formidable voice in print, including the publication of her seminal feminist manifesto, Generation F — before a pivot into broadcasting that would shape the decades to come. As part of our ongoing profile series, the two-time Walkley Award winner joins Tina Quinn to reflect on those early years in journalism, and the transition that would take her beyond the newsroom. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For eleven years, John Howard dominated Australian politics, winning four elections and reshaping the country’s political and economic direction. To many supporters, he remains the careful economic manager with a plain-spoken style and an instinctive connection to suburban voters. But in her new book Where It All Went Wrong: The Case Against John Howard, journalist and political commentator Amy Remeikis sets out to challenge the mythology surrounding the Howard years, a narrative she argues is still perpetuated in sections of the media and political class today. In this episode of Fourth Estate, Remeikis joins Tina Quinn to revisit the Australia that elected Howard in 1996 after thirteen years of Labor governments under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating, and to unpack why she believes many of the political and social dynamics shaping Australia today can be traced back to decisions made during his prime ministership. We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fourth Estate goes live for this special International Women’s Day edition, as host Tina Quinn revisits some of the remarkable women who helped reshape Australian journalism. Featuring archival interviews with Margaret Throsby, Liz Hayes, Maxine McKew, Bridget Brennan, Laura Tingle and more, the program reflects on the barriers women faced in the newsroom, and the legacy they’ve left for the generations that followed. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The United States and Israel have launched a joint military operation against Iran, killing the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dramatically escalating tensions across the Middle East. But as the conflict unfolds, it is also exposing deep divisions within the Iranian community and its wider diaspora, and whether the media is capturing the complexity of those voices. Host Tina Quinn is joined by ABC News journalist Nassim Khadem and Iranian-American writer and researcher Ciara Moezidiz to examine the context behind the conflict and the absence of nuance in some Western coverage. For more of Ciara's writing and analysis, head to her Substack. Later in the program, Nine newspapers media writer Calum Jaspan joins us to discuss the spectacular collapse of Australia’s most powerful breakfast radio partnership. After 27 years on air, The Kyle and Jackie O Show has imploded following an extraordinary on-air clash between the hosts. What does the future hold for both presenters, and for ARN after its $200 million bet on the polarising duo? Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory missile attacks across the region, we return to the Fourth Estate archives. In this 2020 conversation, Iranian-American journalist, writer and academic Azadeh Moaveni joins then-host, Sharon Davies talking to the dangers of reporting from Iran and her book, Guest House for Young Widows, examining the young women from Europe and North Africa who left home to join ISIS. This episode was originally broadcast in April, 2020. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a beacon of groundbreaking American journalism, the masthead that helped expose Watergate and held presidents to account is now undergoing sweeping cuts that have shaken its newsroom. More than 300 journalists have been laid off at The Washington Post, foreign correspondents, climate reporters, local staff, entire desks dismantled. For many inside the newsroom, it wasn’t just the scale of the cuts that shocked, it was the way they were handled. Journalists reportedly learned they had lost their jobs via email and social media. Owner Jeff Bezos was absent. Publisher Will Lewis was absent. And questions are now swirling about leadership, strategy, and the future of one of the world’s most influential newspapers. This week on Fourth Estate, Marty Baron, Executive Editor of The Washington Post from 2013 to 2021, and the author of Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and THE WASHINGTON POST, joins Tina Quinn to discuss the gutting of the paper, what’s gone wrong, and whether a future for it still exists. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia was framed as routine diplomacy by political leaders and much of the press. But outside the official engagements, thousands protested — and in Sydney, violent clashes between demonstrators and police were captured on camera. Footage showed officers punching and capsicum-spraying protesters, including an 18-year-old pinned to the ground and struck repeatedly. Other videos showed men kneeling in prayer before being forcibly removed. Premier Chris Minns has urged the public not to rush to judgement based on short clips, promising an internal investigation and a review of body-worn footage. So how did Australian media cover the visit — and the crackdown? When powerful images circulate instantly, what responsibility do journalists have to interrogate official narratives? And has the story shifted from diplomacy to police conduct? Plus: Angus Taylor rolls Sussan Ley to become Liberal leader, Lenore Taylor steps down as Editor of Guardian Australia, and we reflect on the life and legacy of cartoonist Jon Kudelka. Joining Tina Quinn to discuss is Mike Bowers (Host of Talking Pictures), David Leser (Regular contributor to Good Weekend) and Daanyal Saeed (Media Writer at Crikey). Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Fourth Estate, we examine how the media covered the biggest stories of the week, from the attempted bombing at an Invasion Day rally in Perth, now declared a terrorist act, to the latest document dump linked to Jeffrey Epstein. We also look at the shifts happening within the media itself, as Nine Entertainment sells off its powerful talkback radio stations and the ABC launches a new Q+A-style panel show. Joining Tina Quinn to discuss is Charlie Lewis from Crikey and Daniel James from 7am. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A chaotic week in federal politics has left the opposition fractured and raised serious questions about how power is being exercised in Parliament. As the Albanese government rushed landmark hate-speech and extremism legislation through in under 24 hours, warnings about civil liberties, due process and executive overreach were brushed aside. The speed of the laws’ passage split the Coalition, with the Nationals walking away and Liberal leader Sussan Ley fighting to hold her leadership together. On this episode of Fourth Estate, we unpack how the legislation passed so quickly, why it proved so destabilising for the opposition, and what it reveals about the current political moment — from the use of fear and urgency in law-making to the media’s role in amplifying campaigns for a royal commission. Joining Tina Quinn to discuss are Rachel Withers, Contributing Editor at The Point, and Claudia Long, Federal Politics Reporter at ABC News. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠@fourthestateau Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, a sustained media and political campaign intensified pressure on the government to establish a royal commission into antisemitism. Within a day of the Albanese government announcing that one would take place, an invitation to Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah to appear at Adelaide Writers’ Week was rescinded, citing concerns around cultural sensitivity. The fallout was swift, more than 180 writers withdrew, the festival collapsed, its director resigned, and the board stepped down. This episode of Fourth Estate examines how sustained media pressure can move beyond scrutiny into something more coercive — shaping decisions, narrowing debate, and contributing to institutional implosion. Joining Tina Quinn to discuss is Amy Remeikis (The Australia Institute), Paul Karp (The Australian Financial Review) and Osman Faruqi (Lamestream Media). Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠ or tweet us at ⁠@fourthestateau Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices