Behind the Lines - The Guardian Australia

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Come behind the scenes at the Guardian Australia newsroom. We talk to our journalists about the stories they’ve written and how they came to write them. If there are particular articles you’d like us to discuss,  please do get in touch

The Guardian


    • Jul 27, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 49 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Behind the Lines - The Guardian Australia

    Introducing Breathless: The Death of David Dungay Jnr

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2018 20:45


    Indigenous man David Dungay Jr died in Sydney’s Long Bay jail after a disagreement about a packet of biscuits. Our new podcast explores the questions his death raises about the use of medical restraint and tranquillisers Listen to Breathless, episode 2: Brothers Listen to Breathless, episode 3: Life Inside

    How did we start Guardian Australia? Behind the lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2018 20:47


    In 2012 Katharine Viner’s editor, Alan Rusbridger, took her aside and proposed starting a branch of the Guardian in Australia. A few months later she met the people who would become her first local journalists: Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy. In this special podcast Taylor talks to Viner – now the Guardian’s global editor-in-chief – and the founding chief executive of Guardian Australia, Ian McClelland, about the first five years of Guardian Australia

    Tim Winton on men, boys and writing 'with my heart in my mouth' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2018 71:42


    In a speech recorded in March at The School of Life in Melbourne, the Australian author explains how writing The Shepherd’s Hut got him thinking about the boys that get left behind • Tim Winton on how toxic masculinity is shackling men to misogyny

    Introducing Common Ground – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2017 21:45


    Gabrielle Jackson introduces you to our latest Guardian Australia podcast: Common Ground. Lenore Taylor and Rebecca Huntley bring four very different Australians together to find out where their views come from

    Brigid Delaney on wellness: yoga, colonics and 'the commodification of spirituality' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2017 18:32


    The Guardian columnist Brigid Delaney talks with Gabrielle Jackson and Bonnie Malkin about the highs and lows of the years she spent researching her new book Wellmania. Delaney talks about how retreats and yoga have worked for her … but bird-poo facials not so much. She says she has become alert to the ‘savage and savvy business people’ in a ‘multitrillion-dollar industry’ but recommends the value that being quiet and disconnected from the phone can bring. ‘It’s definitely made me more aware of the way I live’ • Read an extract from Wellmania

    Sexual assault and Australian universities: how big is the problem? – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2017 54:25


    ‘This is not a feminist issue. This is a public health issue,’ says Amy Ziering on the prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses in the USA. She was speaking on a panel to discuss her 2015 documentary, The Hunting Ground, which will air on ABC2 this week. But is any of the film relevant to Australia? A panel including Karen Willis, Allison Henry, Mariam Mohammad, Anna Hush, Katie Thorburn and Gabrielle Jackson talk through the issues

    'Trump can't stop progress on climate change' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2017 35:42


    With action in countries around the world and on the ground at a state level in the US, is Donald Trump’s position on climate change irrelevant? Martijn Wilder, from Baker & McKenzie and Greg Bourne previously the regional president for BP Australia and the CEO of WWF Australia join Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor to discuss the future of the energy market. Has the market already leapfrogged political debate?

    Black Lives Matter: 'We're trying to re-imagine humanity' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2017 30:29


    Calla Wahlquist talks to Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and Aboriginal activist Latoya Rule, whose brother Wayne Morrison died in custody in South Australia last year. As the Sydney peace prize is awarded to the Black Lives Matters movement, Cullors discusses the formation and philosophy of the movement while Rule explains how the group has influenced campaigns for Indigenous justice in Australia

    Katharine Viner and Lenore Taylor: Does the truth matter? - Behind The Lines Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2017 69:26


    The ABC’s Mark Colvin joins Guardian’s editor-in-chief Katharine Viner and Guardian Australia’s editor Lenore Taylor to discuss the changing face of journalism. They examine Donald Trump’s presidency and the difficulty the media has in holding him to account, as well as the rise of social media networks that provide mass audiences to media organisations while taking increasingly large amounts of advertising revenue. What will the future of the Guardian and journalism be?

    Thomas Frank: Donald Trump is right but a hypocrite – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2017 32:06


    When the US president talked about ‘the forgotten men and women of our country, people who work hard but no longer have a voice’ he connected with voters. After his winning pitch to the working class have the Democrats lost their relevance? And did Barack Obama miss the chance to create true change?

    How 'alt-right' ideology leaked into mainstream Australian politics – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 1, 2017 19:50


    Guardian columnist Jason Wilson explores the rise of the ‘alt-right’. In conversation with Bridie Jabour and Gabrielle Jackson he describes how Richard Spencer coined the term to represent a ‘big tent’ for dissident rightwing thinkers. Wilson argues that the line between the far-right and mainstream conservatives has since become blurred in Australia

    The lighter side of 2016 – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2016 25:16


    We look at the biggest news stories of 2016 that were ‘not really news’. From Harambe’s rise to meme stardom to Pokémon Go and Taylor Swift, Guardian staff discuss some of the year’s cultural phenomena

    Ms Dhu: how an Aboriginal death in custody unfolded – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2016 19:41


    Calla Wahlquist explores the timeline of Ms Dhu’s detainment and how she was misdiagnosed. We also hear from Ms Dhu’s grandmother and uncle on the impact of her death and why it’s important for everyone to watch the footage of what happened to her • Ms Dhu endured ‘inhumane treatment’ by police before death in custody – coroner • Ms Dhu’s inquest shines spotlight on failures but will it prompt change?

    What is your teenager doing online? – Behind the lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2016 18:45


    We talk to teenagers about what they were doing on the internet in their formative years and how their parents trying to protect them led to them using the internet in secret. How can parents protect their kids without being resented?

    'We need a moratorium on all coalmines': Naomi Klein in conversation – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2016 47:56


    On a Sydney Peace Prize panel moderated by Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor, the author Naomi Klein, anti-Carmichael coalmine campaigner Murrawah Johnson, climate action leader Maria Tiimon Chi- Fang, Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood and GetUp! human rights campaigner Shen Narayanasamy discuss the need to transition to a post-carbon Australia. Naomi Klein at the Great Barrier Reef: what have we left for our children? – video

    'All they see is your race, because that is what's written on your body' | Christina Ho

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2016 25:08


    It’s impossible to talk about rising pressure in education without addressing the elephant in the room, that is, the prevalence of children of Asian background working overtime for their excellent academic outcomes in our schools, particularly our selective schools. People are reluctant to address this head on, because invariably an accusation of racism – or actual racism – will follow. Lucy Clark spoke to Dr Christina Ho from UTS about her latest research in a Guardian Australia Behind the Lines podcast • Hothoused and hyper-racialised: the ethnic imbalance in our selective schools

    Pauline Hanson voters speak: 'I'm utterly disappointed in the way our country is run' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2016 19:47


    There has been plenty of speculation about why One Nation supporters voted the way they did in the 2016 federal election. Bridie Jabour asks the voters themselves for the Behind the Lines podcast and the answers are complicated – and surprising • Meeting Pauline Hanson’s voters: silent screamers find their voice • Comprehending Pauline is not the problem. Engaging constructively with Hansonism is | Katharine Murphy • First Dog on the Moon | A cartoon about Pauline Hanson voters. What are they?

    David Marr at Fodi: can we solve the asylum seeker crisis? – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2016 41:38


    Could a simple change to the law make a difference for asylum seekers in Australia? Or do we need to stop acting as though there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ types of refugees? David Marr, Shukufa Tahiri, Jane McAdam, Daniel Webb and Geoff Gilbert explore alternative solutions to the current situation for asylum seekers in Australia

    How Guardian Australia broke the Nauru files story – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2016 20:46


    What’s it like combing through thousands of reports of abuse? Bridie Jabour talks to Paul Farrell, Helen Davidson and Nick Evershed about the investigation, how the project came together and why reporters used to covering immigration and child cruelty cases still found themselves shocked by what they read. ‘If this happened in an institution on the Australian mainland it would be shut down the next day,’ Evershed says

    Dr Munjed Al Muderis' journey to Australia – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2016 13:08


    Dr Munjed Al Muderis lived very comfortably in Iraq but what led him to leave as a traitor? Today he is an inspiring doctor who specialises in crafting new limbs for amputees but to get here he risked a dangerous journey by boat and a long stay in detention. He tells the story behind his Dear Australia video

    Kristina Keneally: what has Malcolm Turnbull got himself into? - Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2016 23:18


    He’s still going to be prime minister, but Malcolm Turnbull did not get the election result he wanted. So how can he recapture political momentum? Kristina Keneally joins Bridie Jabour and Miles Martignoni and suggests at least one way the PM can stamp his authority on the Coalition again. Plus why we should keep a very close eye on the monthly poll ratings for ‘preferred prime minister’ to find out Turnbull’s fate.

    Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy on a 'strange, upside-down' election – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2016 37:53


    Join an all-star cast of Guardian contributors as we unpack how election night went. Lenore Taylor, Katharine Murphy and Gabrielle Chan discuss what the result means for Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten. Election analyst Ben Raue takes a close look at where the numbers stand. Michael Safi discusses the resurrection of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party and Elle Hunt takes us through the defining image of the day: a sausage sandwich

    Gay Alcorn in Indi: voices from a divided electorate – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2016 19:45


    Gay Alcorn travels to the Victorian seat of Indi, which independent Cathy McGowan won from Liberal party MP Sophie Mirabella in 2013. Can McGowan repeat her success or will the electorate return to Mirabella, or possibly Nationals candidate Marty Corboy? Voters in the electorate talk about what matters to them, who will they vote for and why More coverage: Will Indi hold on to the power of one?

    Attack ads: do they actually work? – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2016 26:42


    Kristina Keneally joins Gabrielle Jackson and Miles Martignoni to discuss election ads and slogans, what you should be doing in the last week of the campaign, the best and worst performers so far, and why Scott Morrison could be Australia’s next PM

    Is spending billions more on education a price worth paying? – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2016 25:33


    Lucy Clark joins Gabrielle Jackson and Kristina Keneally to discuss the education policies on offer at this election, why the Gonski funding plan now divides the major parties, and how that debate means some critical questions are being ignored

    How to show 'the stench of death' on the Great Barrier Reef – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2016 19:46


    Michael Slezak, Guardian Australia’s environment reporter, joins Gabrielle Jackson, Nick Evershed and Lucy Clark to talk about how we revealed the full story of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef for our ‘Reef on the brink’, series and why the fate of the reef should be centre stage during the Australian election

    Van Badham: don't fall for the same old neoliberal election ads – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2016 25:39


    Van Badham joins Gabrielle Jackson and Miles Martignoni to discuss inequality in Australia and what the economic policies being presented this election cycle might mean for everyday Australians • Is Australia egalitarian? Ask the worker sacked for using a Post-it note • It’s time Australians looked more closely at our privileged ruling class

    David Marr: Shorten would be a good Victorian premier, but would he make a good PM?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2016 26:11


    David Marr joins Behind the Lines podcast regulars Bridie Jabour and Michael Safi to discuss the the election campaign so far. Is the Labor leader doing well, or is the bar just set very low? Is there even a bar anymore?

    Kristina Keneally: the truth about election tax cut promises – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2016 34:35


    Kristina Keneally joins Gabrielle Jackson and Miles Martignoni to discuss the election campaign at the halfway stage, including the claim that Labor once supported corporate tax cuts, Scott Morrison’s aggressive language in a press conference, why Malcolm Turnbull’s father is the focus of a new campaign ad and why a double dissolution may work well for independents

    Richard Ackland: 'Where is George Brandis?' – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2016 15:23


    Why has the attorney general been absent from the campaign trail ? Richard Ackland joins Bridie Jabour to discuss this and why Australia’s legal aid funding is so low that it’s actually costing taxpayers more

    Kristina Keneally on why the leaders' debate doesn't matter – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2016 27:03


    Kristina Keneally joins Bridie Jabour and Gabrielle Jackson to discuss the latest face-off between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten, the protests against Mike Baird and the coverage of Amber Heard’s domestic violence case against Johnny Depp

    David Marr on the one thing that's stopping the Coalition from ruling forever – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2016 24:05


    David Marr, Bridie Jabour and Michael Safi discuss the ‘elephant poo’ the Coalition has been cleaning up since Peter Dutton’s remarks on refugees, and what the marriage equality debate says about parliament

    NBN raids: how independent are the federal police? – Behind the Lines podcast with Kristina Keneally

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2016 31:31


    Kristina Keneally joins Bridie Jabour and Gabrielle Jackson to discuss the Australian federal police raids over alleged NBN leaks, what they mean for the election campaign, whistleblower protection, freedom of press, and why an independent agency like the AFP is still strongly tied to the government

    David Marr asks: could Bill Shorten win? And why is everyone so scared of the Greens?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2016 23:44


    On this weeks’ Behind the Lines podcast David Marr talks to Bridie Jabour and Michael Safi about the Labor leader’s chances, Malcolm Turnbull’s weaknesses and how this election is shaping up as a repeat of 2013

    Women in politics in a world ruled by middle-aged white men – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2016 31:06


    Kristina Keneally, Bridie Jabour and Gabrielle Jackson discuss gender imbalances in Australian politics, vocal fry, quotas and why having more women in any organisation is better for everyone, male and female

    How to understand the numbers flying around election 2016 - Behind the Lines Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2016 22:52


    Guardian Australia’s data and interactives editor Nick Evershed tells us what you can read into polls – and what you can safely ignore. Plus he discusses the state of data journalism across the world – and how robots are starting to write the news

    How is everyone going to survive an eight-week election campaign? – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2016 32:43


    Former New South Wales premier Kristina Keneally joins Guardian staffers Bridie Jabour and Gabrielle Jackson to discuss the truth about life on the campaign trail – whether you’re a politician or a journalist. The threesome also chew over the first hours of this year’s campaign, and discuss Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten’s strengths and weaknesses

    Why journalists are locked up for the budget - Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2016 14:00


    As Scott Morrison delivers the 2016 federal budget, laying the ground for the Coalition’s election campaign strategy, Lenore Taylor and Katharine Murphy discuss what it’s like being locked in a room trying to extract the real meaning from the budget papers in the short space of time before they become public

    'Superannuation is a giant rip-off' and other election pitches - Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2016 32:24


    At a special live event Bridie Jabour and her panel discuss what would happen without superannuation, whether a banking inquiry is justified and just what Clive Palmer’s re-election pitch might sound like

    Paul Farrell on the 'surprising and disturbing' police investigation of his work – Behind the Lines podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2016 14:01


    Guardian reporter Paul Farrell speaks to Bridie Jabour about what it feels like when you find out the Australian Federal Police asked to access your metadata

    Behind the lines podcast: what kind of PM would Shorten make? What will he die in a ditch for?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2016 25:52


    This week’s podcast is a special live recording (heavily edited) of Guardian Australia’s first Quarter Time event in Melbourne. Podcast regular Bridie Jabour is joined on stage by Guardian Australia’s deputy political editor, Katharine Murphy, as well as the editor of the Saturday Paper, Erik Jensen, and the comedian Lawrence Leung. The panel talk about politics – and look ahead to the election

    How personal stories are shaping the debate on marriage equality - Behind the Lines

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2016 23:27


    At Guardian Australia’s Why Knot? event, campaigners told how the battle for marriage equality can be won if gay and straight supporters alike go out and spread the word about their own experience. Bridie Jabour and Miles Martignoni look back at some of the most moving speeches from Benjamin Law, Ally Hocking Howe, Kristina Keneally and Rodney Croome, and ask what role religious faith will play in the debate

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