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Artwork for Background Briefing

Background Briefing

ABC Australia
Aboriginal Naming Practices
Family Court
Historical Figures
Racism In Naming
Child Custody
Cattle Stations
Psychology
Family Violence
Therapy
Professional Accountability
Identity and Dignity
Cultural Dislocation
Power Dynamics In Naming
Emotionally Abusive Relationships
Domestic Violence Orders
Whalmajerry Country
Australia
Queensland
Psychology Board Of Australia
John Pascoe

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 truste... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes360Founded21 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureDocumentaryNews

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Artwork for Background Briefing

Latest Episodes

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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 grazed his head, and as he lay bleeding on the gro... more

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 family. But he also made poor choices, fell into d... more

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 and son to carry out their plan. He takes us from ... more

Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Arsen Ostrovsky
Public figure, Israel advocate, lawyer for an NGO
Israel advocacy groups (AJAQ)
Episode: 03 The Road to Bondi | Deepfake
Torquay Hussain
Investigative journalist in India who helped trace Sajid Akram's past
Independent journalist (India)
Episode: 01 The Road to Bondi | Father and Son
Denny Slorak
Community member and childhood witness to local incidents.
Episode: 06 Hometown Boys | Not the only one
Ed Ferguson
Under 14s footy coach and a local community member
Balmoral Southern Roos
Episode: 01 Hometown Boys | One Street Town
Craig Jones
Founder of Moogoo, a skincare company that produces sunscreens
Moogoo
Episode: 04 Before and After | Behind the sunscreen
Joseph Mizukovsky
CEO of Veganic Skin, a zinc sunscreen manufacturer
Veganic Skin
Episode: 04 Before and After | Behind the sunscreen
Amnie Al-Reefeh
Regulatory affairs consultant with experience at the TGA
Therapeutic Goods Administration
Episode: 04 Before and After | Behind the sunscreen
Andre Ead
A man who experienced severe side effects from finasteride.
Episode: 01 Before and After | The cost of keeping your hair
Mitch Sabine
An advocate working to support those affected by post-finasteride syndrome.
PFS Network
Episode: 01 Before and After | The cost of keeping your hair

Hosts

Thomas Oriti
Host of Background Briefing
Charlotte King
Co-host of Background Briefing
Andy Burns
Co-host of Background Briefing

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 1.9k ratings
  • It’s not just Balmoral

    This is a fascinating dissection of a rape case. The issues are universal, definitely not just football communities, Balmoral or country towns.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Puggle20
    Australiaa month ago
  • Not surprising

    These small country towns are all nearly exactly the same. Most people are wonderful and the backbone of the community. We love football and are a part of a big club in Melbourne.

    There is always the small majority that put their footballers in front of being a decent human being. This is a fantastic thought provoking podcast. Well done.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    melb girl holly
    Australiaa month ago
  • This story stays with you…

    I don’t know how Bush Nurse Lisa Hutchins & the judge in this case sleep at night!!

    What an incredibly brave & courageous young woman “Elise” is …I wish her lots of happiness for the future. She did the right thing by reporting such a heinous crime & yet justice was not served.

    Great reporting on this podcast! Well done!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CarolD14
    Australiaa month ago
  • Hometown Boys

    Unfortunately this story could have been a lot of other small towns around the country and it would have had all the same players just different names. It triggered a lot of sad memories of my experience growing up in a small town. Very well handled.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MurderMurderMurder
    Australiaa month ago
  • True Crime Series 👍

    The special multi part true crime series on here are excellent. So far I’ve listened to Hometown Boys, The Invisible Killer and The favourite. Very well researched and presented. A big thumbs up from me.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mark3949596
    Australiaa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audience appreciates accountability-focused investigations.
Compelling long-form journalism that tackles tough truths.
High-quality, well-researched reporting with clear storytelling.
Powerful, sometimes controversial coverage that spurs wider discussion.
Strong journalistic integrity and thorough sourcing.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#104
Australia/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#20
Australia/News
Apple Podcasts
#67
New Zealand/News
Apple Podcasts
#220
Taiwan/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

06 Hometown Boys | Not the only one
Q: We asked the women if this town has learned from the case, but they seemed confused by the question.
They responded that they wouldn't say the town has learned anything from it, indicating that the incident was viewed as a one-off.
02 Beef | Who would shoot a wombat?
Q: What's the way out of this beef?
There's no clear solution as the community remains deeply divided over their approaches to wombat management and the economic implications of their beliefs.
01 Agents of Influence | The PM's secret strategists
Q: Is there a sense that any of that is actually crossing a line though?
The relationship between politicians and podcasters has raised questions about transparency and whether undisclosed interactions could undermine the authenticity of these platforms.
01 Agents of Influence | The PM's secret strategists
Q: How did a 26-year-old with a threadbare carpet in an office that doesn't look like your traditional newsroom score an hour with the Prime Minister?
Hannah has been part of the shift in power moving away from legacy media towards online influencers, reflecting a changing landscape where young content creators like her are becoming significant voices in political discussion.
03 Births, Deaths, and Marriages | ‘Horror stories’ from inside the funeral industry
Q: What does embalming and dressing mean?
Embalming is when they open up the body and clean it for preservation; dressing is putting clothes on the cleaned body for burial.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Background Briefing

What is Background Briefing about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Investigative long-form storytelling that probes cover-ups, crime, and social issues through rigorous reporting, archival context, and first-hand interviews. Episodes often center on communities grappling with accountability, fairness, and systemic problems—from sexual violence and policing to regulatory failures and public health risks. Notable strengths include meticulous sourcing, human-centered narratives, and a willingness to tackle uncomfortable truths that resonate beyond local contexts. The show tends to attract listeners who value deep-dive journalism, accountability, and stories with broad societal implications, and it often features voices from reporters, experts, and affected community members.

Where can I find podcast stats for Background Briefing?

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How many listeners does Background Briefing get?

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What are the audience demographics for Background Briefing?

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How many subscribers and views does Background Briefing have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Background Briefing has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Background Briefing?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Background Briefing:

1. Expanse
2. Conversations
3. If You're Listening
4. ABC Rewind
5. The Case Of

How many episodes of Background Briefing are there?

Background Briefing launched 21 years ago and published 360 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Background Briefing?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Background Briefing?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Background Briefing from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Background Briefing?

Recent guests on Background Briefing include:

1. Arsen Ostrovsky
2. Torquay Hussain
3. Denny Slorak
4. Ed Ferguson
5. Craig Jones
6. Joseph Mizukovsky
7. Amnie Al-Reefeh
8. Andre Ead

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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