Ben Roberts-Smith v the media

Jul 11 2023 9 ep. 47 mins 326

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media Podcast artwork

Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, is suing three of the country’s most trusted newspapers for defamation over articles he says falsely accuse him of war crimes. Whatever the outcome, the ramifications will be immense for public interest journalism, Australia’s military and the man venerated as a modern-day war hero. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Part eight: the pursuit of truth

Jul 11 2023 42 mins

At the heart of the defamation case Ben Roberts-Smith launched against three of Australia’s biggest newspapers were the articles published by Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters. In this episode Ben Doherty speaks to these journalists about what led them to start this investigation, how they overcame their doubts and fears to publish articles that accused Australia’s most decorated

Part seven: a hero’s downfall

Jun 08 2023 31 mins

Australia’s most decorated living soldier has lost his defamation case against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times. A federal court judge has found that the newspapers proved in their defence that Ben Roberts-Smith murdered unarmed prisoners while serving in the Australian military in Afghanistan.In this episode, host Ben Doherty combs through Justice Anthon

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part six: judgment day

Jun 01 2023 16 mins

Australia’s most decorated living soldier has lost his defamation case against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times. A federal court judge has found that the newspapers proved in their defence that Ben Roberts-Smith either murdered or was complicit in and responsible for the murder of unarmed civilians while serving in the Australian military in Afghanistan.

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part five: the letters

Oct 27 2022 61 mins

In June 2018, an SAS soldier known in this defamation trial as Person 18 says he received two threatening letters at his barracks in Perth. In their defence, the newspapers allege that these letters were written by Ben Roberts-Smith. He denies this outright. In this episode, Ben Doherty explains why the newspapers think these letters are important to their defence of this case and

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part four: the tunnel

Oct 27 2022 67 mins

On 12 April 2009, the SAS arrive in the village of Kakarak in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province. It’s a Taliban stronghold where an Australian soldier was killed just a month earlier. It’s here, in a compound known as Whiskey 108, that one of the most contested events in this extraordinary defamation trial takes place. In their defence, the newspapers allege that at Whiskey 108

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part three: the affair

Oct 27 2022 76 mins

An affair between Ben Roberts-Smith and a witness known to the court as Person 17 is one of the key contested elements of this extraordinary defamation trial. The newspapers as part of their defence allege that Roberts-Smith committed an act of domestic violence against Person 17. He denies this allegation, saying it is a complete fabrication. In this episode, host Ben Doherty take

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part two: death in Darwan

Oct 27 2022 75 mins

In the aftermath of an attack on Australian soldiers by a rogue Afghan soldier, the SAS is sent to the Taliban-controlled village of Darwan. They arrive by helicopter at dawn, looking for Hekmatullah, the soldier who shot dead three of their comrades. It is during this raid, the newspapers allege in court as part of their defence, that Ben Roberts-Smith kicked an unarmed, handcuffe

Ben Roberts-Smith v the media part one: reputation

Oct 27 2022 40 mins

In the defamation trial of the century, Australia’s most decorated living soldier is seeking to defend his reputation against reports in three newspapers that he says falsely accuse him of being a war criminal. His lawyers argue Ben Roberts-Smith has been unfairly targeted by envious comrades and assisted by credulous journalists. The newspapers’ lawyers say their reporting is

Introducing Ben Roberts-Smith v the media

Oct 25 2022 10 mins

Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, is suing three of the country’s most trusted newspapers for defamation over articles he says falsely accuse him of war crimes. Whatever the outcome, the ramifications will be immense for public interest journalism, Australia’s military and the man venerated as a modern-day war hero