The Briefing
Episodes
BONUS: Succession Obsession: how a TV series won a cult following
03 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The drama of the Roy family has captured the worlds attention, been compared to Shakespeare and created it’s own fashion wave. Why has Succession cr...
Pete Helliar from the Project to the jungle
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Peter Helliar has done it all, from the jungle to co-hosting the Project, to even being declared dead. I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here ...
"I was in a moment of history": The Ben Roberts-Smith verdict
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Roberts-Smith, former SAS soldier and Victoria Cross recipient lost his defamation case against Nine newspapers yesterday, with the judge finding ...
“A stab in an open wound”: why your student loan is blowing out today
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today student debts will increase by 7.1% for more than three million Australians thanks to indexation. The average national student debt is $24,770.7...
"The drop out": Elizabeth Holmes finally behind bars
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Holmes was "the world's youngest self-made female billionaire" with her company Theranos, which promised to detect conditions such as cancer...
Does Gen Z need more praise? What the AFP boss got wrong
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In senate estimates last week, the AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw mentioned how Gen Z needs more praise in the workplace. It turns out he’d misquote...
Everest: a doctor takes us inside the "death zone"
28 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
40 year old South Australian man Jason Kennison was the 10th climber to die on Mount Everest this climbing season, one of the deadliest in recent hist...
The year Kevin Rudd apologised Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts was taken from her family
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, is a proud Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman who was taken away from her family and her country at age 11. Vanessa would live ...
Why there's hope Julian Assange might be home before Christmas
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At the National Press Club on Monday Julian Assange’s wife said 'we're the closest we've ever been' to securing his release and earlier this year An...
"Absolutely furious": how we all just got screwed by a consulting giant
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you pay tax, this story will make your blood boil. We explain how PwC, a firm that’s received hundreds of millions of tax payer funds, shared con...
"Poison in the bloodstream": Is the ABC failing indigenous journalists?
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last week Q&A presenter Stan Grant announced he was leaving the ABC after constant racial abuse, and a lack of institutional support. Torres Strai...
Why India is the new China - and our new best friend
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China has been the world’s most populous country since 1950, but last month according to UN demographers India has now surpassed China. India is now...
"I’ll release your nudes”: Sextortion victims are not who you think
21 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Young men are the main victims of sextortion in Australia, according to new data to be presented by the eSafety Commissioner in parliament. Sextortion...
A surprising chat with Kayla Itsines
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kayla Itsines went from training clients in her parents’ backyard to touring around the world hosting sold out boot camps. But since then she’s ...
"Years away": Why Gay Australian men can’t give blood
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially dropped restrictions that prohibit gay and bisexual men from donating blood. The ban was implemen...
Why Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert are off-air
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
11,500 Hollywood television and screenwriters are on strike, they’re determined to get better pay and conditions and want safeguards in place agains...
Snapchat AI: The creepy fake friend
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Snapchat has introduced an AI chatbot that users can ask any question and receive an answer in extreme detail. Users can customise the chatbot’s nam...
Is vigilantism the answer to youth crime?
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anti-crime groups have taken to the streets going door to door targeting suspected thieves in the Queensland town of Rockhampton. The vigilante groups...
Was Queen Charlotte the UK's first black Queen?
14 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
New Netflix show Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story has hit the number one spot on the streaming service and gives the back story of the British Quee...
Sarah Harris won’t take the media mum guilt
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Harris is the newest host of The Project, filling the shoes of Carrie Bickmore who has been with the agenda-setting news show since its inceptio...
Sentencing Day: The downfall of Jarryd Hayne
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former NRL player Jarryd Hayne is expected to be sentenced today. The 35-year-old was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on grand final nigh...
"Bonkers and ridiculous": Behind the scenes of Eurovision 2023
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Eurovision is back again, this year being played out in the UK. It’s a change from the norm after Ukraine won last year’s contest, but couldn’t ...
Budget rundown & How AI is wired up to be a privileged white man
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve heard artificial intelligence could take our jobs, now a new investigation shows how it could make inequalities worse. We speak to Tracey Sp...
Inside a Kenyan starvation cult
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
110 people have been confirmed dead in a Kenyan forest, believed to have starved themselves after following the teachings of a cult called The Good Ne...
First home buyer’s nightmare: is the market already bouncing back?
07 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is that it? Housing market data shows the downturn in prices is over, for now. One of Australia’s leading property market analysts, Tim Lawless from...
The writer behind Offspring, Wentworth and the Newsreader
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
While you may not have heard Michael Lucas’ voice before, you’ve almost certainly heard his words. Michael is an award winning screenwriter who ha...
Adam Hills goes behind the scenes of the coronation
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a big weekend for the royalists around the world with the coronation of King Charles III to take place in London. It’s been 70 years since ...
Katie Perry vs Katy Perry: How an Aussie businesswoman defeated a superstar
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Singer Katy Perry has lost her long running legal fight with Australian clothing designer Katie Perry. Our Federal court has ruled the pop-star infrin...
Met Too - A questionable line of Beauty
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year’s Met Gala theme is ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty' which sparked backlash due to the late fashion designer's views on women's bodies...
An insider reveals how to save thousands on your mortgage
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of households are refinancing their mortgages. In February alone $20billion worth of loans were remortgaged. With the fixed rate cliff just ...
Mickey Mouse vs Conservative America: Why Disney is suing Florida
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This strange saga has a few twists and turns which have culminated in Disney taking Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis to court. It's the latest move i...
Melissa Leong makes watching food taste great
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Melissa Leong tastes her food, everyone pays attention. As the first female MasterChef judge her elegant and evocative descriptions make you feel...
“News for angry old people” - the trouble in Murdoch town
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did the TV show Succession predict it? The Murdoch's have fired Tucker Carlson and retreated from two giant legal fights with Dominion & Crikey. I...
What's behind the rise in driver's license suspensions?
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two Australian states have experienced a huge increase in the number of license suspensions. It’s a result of AI detection software that is now bein...
Luxury fashion: What do Gen Z and Gwyneth Paltrow have in common?
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The luxury goods industry is worth $5.3 billion, but it turns out despite the cost of living crisis, young people are driving demand with a third of l...
Tom Tilley’s six month Hillsong investigation
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Australia’s megachurch in turmoil, Tom Tilley has been working on an documentary investigation that reveals how far the problems go back and th...
What does the RBA review mean for you?
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A long-awaited review into the RBA has been handed down, with the government supporting the 51 recommendations in principle. Among them, the board tha...
Jess Hill on what's next for #metoo
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Jess Hill is an investigative journalist who has dedicated the last six years of her life to exploring, explaining and making sense of family violence...
Synthetic "forever chemicals" found in popular cosmetics brands
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We take six well known cosmetics to an independent laboratory for testing. The results show that two of the brands contain PFAS, which are dangerous s...
Can we talk about vaccine injury now?
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been one year since Sydney artist Scott Marsh caused a storm on social media after posting controversial comments about vaccines. The Aussie ar...
Cate Campbell: why female athletes cop so much online abuse
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An Australian-first study has been launched looking at the online hate directed at female athletes. At the Tokyo games, 87% of online abuse towards at...
Filters and fillers: how far is too far?
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The controversial Bold Glamour filter on TikTok has now been used almost 40 million times. The AI filter gives users the perfect bone structure, full ...
Why the Learner Driver system is wrong
16 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2007, due to road fatalities among young drivers, the learner period more than doubled from 50 hours to 120 hours in NSW and Victoria, but new rese...
Kate Jenkins changed the game - and the parliament
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Jenkins has changed Australian workplaces forever during her seven-year term as Sex Discrimination Commissioner. During her time in the role Kate...
"It's his prerogative": young female Liberal MP opens up on Dutton
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The LNP is divided on the First Nations Voice. The shadow Attorney General Julian Leeser has stepped down from the Shadow Cabinet over the issue, whil...
The conspiracy group trying to take over local councils
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From disrupting local council meetings, to denying the Holocaust - there’s a new movement of conspiracy theorists called My Place, who are taking so...
Are you a leader? Leadership stereotypes dismantled
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership author, columnist and company director Kirstin Ferguson says ”I truly believe we are all leaders; whether we lead our families, our busin...
Obesity crisis: why dieting makes you lose control of your weight
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The latest World Obesity Federation Report found 51 per cent of the world, or more than 4 billion people, will be obese or overweight within the next ...
Dating apps in 2023: Are we over them?
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mid-last year, figures showed Tinder subscriptions dropped, and it was largely attributed to Gen Z making a switch. More recently, Bumble has taken a ...
Kath Koschel made a list of names and called everyone
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kath Koschel is a former Australian Cricket player and founder of The Kindness Factory who has lived the highest of highs and lowest of lows, to a deg...
Chocolate scorecard: where do your eggs rank?
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever thought about where the chocolate in your Easter egg comes from and how it is made? In this episode, we speak to John Dumay, research le...
Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish: what’s it like to live with Tourettes?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pop star Lewis Capaldi has announced he may have to quit his music career as the stress of making a second album has made his tourettes worse. The Sco...
Why Elon Musk wants AI development paused
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AI technology jumped onto most people’s radar last year with the launch of Chat GPT. Now, one of the biggest tech leaders, Elon Musk, has signed a l...
Why Malcolm Turnbull backflipped on The Voice: Part 2
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Malcolm Turnbull originally rejected the idea of a Voice to parliament in 2017, but he's now come around. In this episode, we find out if the former P...
Malcolm Turnbull on Putin, media and why he still backs the NBN: Part 1
02 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Malcolm Turnbull was Australia's 29th Prime Minister, holding office from 2015 - 2018. His brand new podcast Defending Democracy dives deep into his ...
Susanne Legena has a plan to tackle poverty
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Susanne Legena is the CEO of child rights organisation Plan International Australia, a passionate feminist, and champion of young people. In 2014,...
Will banning Nazi symbols work?
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Victorian government is moving to ban the Nazi salute after neo-Nazis made the gesture on the steps of parliament. The issue has also spilled into...
Wall-to-wall Labor: What does it mean for Australia?
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The recent NSW election result puts Labor in power right across the country, except for Tasmania. The last time – indeed, the only time – it has b...
#StopWillow: Biden approves massive US oil project
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Biden has just approved the Willow Project in Alaska – the biggest oil drilling project in the US for decades. During his election campaign, Bid...
Part 2: Betrayal at the heart of Australia's biggest tax fraud
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The incredible story of Adam and Lauren Cranston, the children of a former tax commissioner, who attempted to steal $105m from the ATO. We speak to We...
Part 1: The brother-sister duo who attempted Australia’s biggest ever tax fraud
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The incredible story of Adam and Lauren Cranston, the children of a former tax commissioner, who attempted to steal $105m from the ATO. We explain how...
We forgot to tell Lizzy Hoo she’s a POC
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lizzy Hoo is many things, a writer, a noddle enthusiast, the child of a Hollywood-style love story, an actor, a rescue greyhound owner - and, as she’...
NSW election: what you need to know
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The NSW election takes place this Saturday. The LNP’s Dominic Perrottet is going up against Labor’s Chris Minns. Polls are putting Labor just ahea...
Donald Trump’s impending arrest: The story behind the publicity stunt
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump is back in the spotlight again, after announcing he's going to be arrested based on charges stemming from a 2016 investigation into a pa...
"It does break people": Inside a violent offenders yard
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Listnr’s investigative journalist Joey Watson spent three hours in Sydney’s Long Bay prison meeting offenders who are selling their art through Bo...
Pill-testing gets the green light... in Queensland
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Queensland will become the second jurisdiction in Australia to implement a pill-testing regime to test for purity and contamination in recreational dr...
Are we a step closer to having a male contraceptive pill?
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Scientists in the US have been working on developing a male contraceptive pill and new research means we could be a step closer to having it available...
Big birthday haircuts with Nikki Britton
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Nikki Britton wanted to be a Shakespearean actor before somebody said her over-the-top expressions were too much for serious theater. So she ...
AUKUS is here. Is this nuclear sub deal worth it?
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been all over the news: we’re buying nuclear submarines. The subs are set to be world-leading with Australia becoming only the seventh countr...
“Could it happen here?”: Inside America’s bank collapse
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Silicon Valley Bank collapsed last week, after being forced to cash in assets due to a slowing tech sector. The bank specialised in lending to early-s...
We can talk about depression and anxiety, but why not schizophrenia?
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Elfy Scott grew up in a household where her mother's schizophrenia was rarely spoken about. For many years, this complex mental health cond...
The rise and fall of F45
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Founded by two Aussies, F45 was launched on the New York Stock Exchange back in 2021 and was immediately valued at $2 billion with endorsees among the...
Why are schoolgirls being poisoned in Iran?
12 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of schoolgirls have been poisoned across Iran. The attacks have been described by some observers as part of an extremist response – perha...
Linda Marigliano knows tough love
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Linda Marigliano is an Australian radio announcer and musician, turned podcaster and storyteller. She’ll likely have kept you company during the aft...
“Disbelief and shock”: arrested for protesting interest rates
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As interest rates rise for a tenth consecutive time, we have a cautionary tale about Cherish Kuehlmann. One night last month the student was woken u...
Are you part of Generation F’d?
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Gen F'd? economist Alison Pennington writes about how the most educated generation in Australian history looks set to be the first generation worse...
South Korea: why is the country shrinking?
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world and last month it broke its own record. The average number of expected babies per South Korean ...
The epic fail of our soft plastics recycling system
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia's largest soft plastics recycling scheme REDcycle collapsed last November and last week the scheme was declared insolvent by the Supreme cou...
Special International Women's Day ep with your fave LiSTNR hosts
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
March 8 is International Women's Day. We asked the women (and a couple of men) behind your favourite LiSTNR podcasts and radio shows to share about ...
"Maybe I'm superhuman": Why some people still haven’t had Covid
05 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Three years into the pandemic there are still people who (as far as they know) have never contracted or tested positive for Covid. They’re called ‘...
Dilruk Jayasinha was never going to be an accountant
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dilruk Jayasinha is one of Australia’s most in-demand comedians. His new stand up show is called Heart Stopper, named as such because in Hindi, Dil ...
Would you pay $20 a month for Facebook and Instagram verification?
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook and Instagram users can now pay for their blue verified tick. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced last week what’s called the Meta Verificat...
The rental platform rip-off that could be outlawed
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Renters across Australia are being ripped off - having to pay for so-called background checks to help them secure a property. The step is causing havo...
BONUS: The science behind the Kathleen Folbigg inquiry
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen Folbigg has been in prison for nearly 20 years, charged with murdering 3 of her children and one charge of manslaughter. While she’s been b...
Could a new inquiry finally prove Kathleen Folbigg’s innocence?
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kathleen Folbigg is serving a minimum 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2003 of the murder of her three children, Patrick, Sarah, and L...
Gay Conversion Therapy Part 2: Where are we now?
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Conversion therapy is banned in Qld, Victoria and the ACT, but it’s still legal in NSW. It's in the process of being banned in WA, but still looks t...
Gay Conversion Therapy Part 1: “I convinced myself I could ignore it.”
26 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Conversion therapy is banned in Qld, Victoria and the ACT, but it’s still legal in NSW. It's in the process of being banned in WA, but still looks t...
Claire Tonti is a teacher turned podcaster turned musician.
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why are all the good songs written for people in their twenties? Why is it, as we get older and have partners, and children, pets and parents-in-law, ...
The Voice BONUS: What is the Uluru Statement?
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Later this year we'll be voting in a referendum on the Voice, but how did it come about? In this bonus episode we go into the history of the Voice: th...
The Voice Part 2: The case for voting 'yes'
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Footage from last month’s Invasion Day rallies around Australia featured speakers urging those gathered to vote ‘No’ in the promised Indigenous ...
The Voice Part 1: Understanding Indigenous opposition
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Footage from last month’s Invasion Day rallies around Australia featured speakers urging those gathered to vote ‘No’ in the promised Indigenous ...
Pokies: how did they get such a hold on us?
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Pokies are responsible for more than half of Australia’s serious gambling harm, with NSW alone holding 35% of the world's pokie machines. Now, the N...
Click or Clash Part 2: Why we're drawn to toxic relationships
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why some people instantly click and others don’t? Dr Ali Walker is an Australian human connection scientist who's just writte...
Click or Clash Part 1: Why we click with some and not others
19 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why some people instantly click and others don’t? Dr Ali Walker is an Australian human connection scientist who's just writte...
Aaron Fa’Aoso’s life has been so far, so good
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Aaron Fa’Aoso is a film producer, director, screenwriter and actor, who also in his first career played professional rugby for the Canterbury Bulldo...
Should Australian banks be reimbursing scam victims?
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The rise of online scammers has seen many Aussies losing their life savings with little to no hope of being reimbursed by their bank. In Australia, it...
Who said women 'want it all'?
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, we investigate the concept that women have to somehow ‘have it all.’ It comes as a recent article i...
So you think you have adult ADHD: what now?
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This is our second episode focusing on adult ADHD. Two weeks ago we spoke with Bridget Pringle, a Melbourne based advertising professional and mothe...
Who we do and don’t trust
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer has revealed that the government and the media are among the least trusted by Australians. Whereas trust in busine...
Why Australians need to get serious about sun protection again
12 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Australia has the highest skin cancer rates in the world - with one person here diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes. Last year alone, 17,000 peop...