Democracy's Watchdogs

May 29 2023

Democracy's Watchdogs Podcast artwork

This is a critical time in the history of Australian democracy with thousands of journalists losing their jobs due to the transformation of the media's business model. The rise of fake news and spin is poisoning public debate. It is time to reflect on the incalculable worth of original in-depth reporting and its value to a healthy democracy and informed public sphere. Democracy’s Watchdogs provides an oral history through interviews with past and current Australian investigative reporters who exposed corruption and held powerful government, criminal and corporate interest

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Adele Ferguson

May 29 2023 22 mins

Adele Ferguson has exposed deceptions, scams and heartless profiteering by financial institutions and weak oversight by the nation’s regulators. Her work has led to hundreds of millions of dollars being refunded to bank customers and ripped-off workers, as well as a Royal Commission and other inquiries. She has won more than 50 key journalism and other awards including the Graham

Nick McKenzie

May 28 2023 24 mins

As an investigative reporter on The Age, Nick McKenzie has covered the local Mafia, allegations of war crimes, Crown casino’s links to criminal figures, political donations by Chinese interests, national security issues, foreign bribery by Reserve Bank and other companies, and much more. The award-winning journalist’s work also is published in The Sydney Morning Herald, and his

Bob Bottom

May 28 2023 28 mins

Bob Bottom risked his life fighting organised crime as a journalist, a source to other journalists and as an advocate for the creation of federal and state crime-busting commissions. In a role that is unique in Australian journalism, he often acted as a conduit between police intelligence units and reporters, exposing the Mr Bigs of the criminal underworld. ⁠See the video inter

Michael West

May 28 2023 19 mins

Michael West is an investigative journalist who focuses on the rising power of corporations over democracy. He is best known for investigations into multinational tax avoidance by some of the world’s biggest companies, and exposing the influence of corporations on government policy. After eight years as a columnist and investigative reporter with The Australian and a similar stre

Chris Masters

May 27 2023 27 mins

Chris Masters reported about 100 episodes for the ABC’s Four Corners, exposing corruption and criminal behaviour at the highest levels of politics, the judiciary and police. His reporting withstood waves of litigation and the test of time. Multi-award-winning and highly honoured, Masters is one of the giants of Australian investigative journalism. ⁠See the video interview &

David Wilson

May 26 2023 23 mins

David Wilson led The Age’s Insight investigative team for a decade and was one of the first journalists in Australia to build vast databases of information that enabled him to expose dozens of criminals and organised crime figures. Wilson helped reveal corrupt land deals in Victoria in 1970s and early 1980s, claiming the scalps of two state ministers and jail for a senior offici

Gerard Ryle

May 26 2023 19 mins

Gerard Ryle led worldwide teams of journalists who worked on investigations such as Offshore Leaks, the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and Implant Files, producing the biggest cross-border collaborations in journalism history. Their award-winning stories helped bring about the downfall of three world leaders – the prime ministers of Pakistan, Iceland and Malta – and prompted go

Sally Neighbour

May 25 2023 23 mins

As executive producer of the ABC’s Four Corners, Australia’s premier investigative reporting program, Sally Neighbour continues a long tradition of award-winning exposés of injustice, corruption, and abuse of power. As a reporter, Neighbour dug deeply into the untold stories behind Islamic terrorism. ⁠See the video interview >>⁠ ⁠ Support our mission >>⁠

Brian Toohey

May 24 2023 31 mins

While editing The National Times, Brian Toohey published some of the most controversial and bold investigative journalism of the 1980s. As a reporter and author, he broke numerous stories about national security and politics, regularly receiving leaks that enraged and embarrassed politicians and governments. See the video interview >> Support our mission >>

Richard Baker

May 23 2023 23 mins

Richard Baker is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist and podcaster at The Age. He has exposed a broad range of issues including the payment of bribes to foreign officials by subsidiaries of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and Chinese influence in Australian politics. His podcasts have explored the death of a young woman in a garbage chute, the suspected murder of an Indig