The Reporter: True Stories

Sep 17 2023 9 ep. 27 mins 19

The Reporter: True Stories Podcast artwork

"The Reporter: True Stories" is a new podcast series hosted by veteran journalist Gary Adshead.

With a career spanning four decades, Adshead has stood on the frontlines of journalism, tackling a vast array of Western Australia's most notorious stories, from murder investigations and national espionage to heroic rescues and missing person cases.

In this gripping new series, Adshead and fellow newshound Michael Thomson bring listeners behind the headlines, offering a unique glimpse into the life of a reporter, unpacking the challenges, triumphs, and complicated realities of pursuing the truth. This podcast underscores what it takes to get the story.

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Fake Medals, Urban Myths

Sep 17 2023 34 mins

When someone questioned the legitimacy of police and military service medals worn by WA MP Barry Urban, the Reporter began weeks and months of investigation. The twists and turns finally found that Barry Urban became a politician based on a web of lies - Urban myths - ending up with him being sent to prison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spy Base Echelon

Sep 10 2023 30 mins

WA has one of the most secret spy bases in the world, operating 35km east of Geraldton. It was called Echelon, a listening station for satellite communications from across the globe. It was something the Reporter saw for himself - and that small visit led to some very interesting interactions afterward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finding Bogucki

Sep 03 2023 29 mins

It was an extraordinary search. Alaskan firefighter Robert Bogucki had been lost for over 40 days in the Great Sandy Desert - and everyone was desperate to find him. The Reporter tells us the real story of how Nine’s discovery of Bogucki went down, the fallout, the stuff-ups and the tension between the Nine crew, other media personnel, and an American rescue leader by the name of

Tow Trucks and Death Threats

Aug 27 2023 25 mins

WA's tow truck industry was unregulated and out of control. However, once the Reporter began to expose its dark secrets, including how police call centre operators were being paid in drugs and money for crash tip-offs and computer access, his very life came under threat - a threat taken so seriously he had to flee with his family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Blowing the Whistle on the Whistleblower

Aug 20 2023 28 mins

Ashton Foley wasn’t her real name, but she was such a convincing con artist that she was made chief executive of the largest hospital south of Perth’s metropolitan area – Peel Health Campus. The pursuit of her true identity, and the phone call from the Reporter that made her flee, was like something out of a movie plot.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Man Named T3

Aug 13 2023 32 mins

He was the secret operative working to sting corrupt police. He was on the fringes of organised crime and used to source and deliver amphetamines to the office of the WA Parliament’s most senior public official. T3 was the codename given to him by the Royal Commission into Police Corruption and the Reporter was the only journalist to interview him – while he was still working u

The Head in the Bag

Aug 06 2023 34 mins

For The Reporter, walking his dog one Sunday resulted in a tip-off about the identity of a severed head, wrapped in a plastic bag, that washed up on the sandy shores of Rottnest Island. It was a man named Stephen Raymond Cookson - and he was such a nasty piece of work that no one missed him. The Reporter is presented by Gary Adshead and Michael Thomson.See omnystudio.com/listener f

Bullimore and the Coin Toss

Jul 30 2023 32 mins

The Reporter was the only television journalist on the warship sent to find missing round-the-world yachtsman Tony Bullimore. When the sailor was surprisingly found alive, a media furore to secure the story began. How it unfolded was both hilarious and intriguing. The Reporter is presented by Gary Adshead and Michael Thomson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Reporter

Jul 16 2023 1 mins

"The Reporter: True Stories" is a new podcast series hosted by veteran journalist Gary Adshead, coming soon. With a career spanning four decades, Gary Adshead has stood on the frontlines of journalism, tackling a vast array of Western Australia's most notorious stories, from murder investigations and national espionage to heroic rescues and missing person cases. In this gripping ne