Amanda Meade

A witness told Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court that an alleged victim appeared distraught during a luncheon where Alan Jones allegedly placed his hand under the table and touched him. The witness said other guests appeared startled and later joked about the incident, while the complainant seemed deeply upset and recoiled when Jones touched him afterward. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent-assault charges and two sexual-touching charges involving six complainants. His barrister challenged the witness’s account as reconstructed and false, but the witness maintained it was true. The trial is continuing.

During the third week of Alan Jones’s trial, a complainant who worked at 2GB testified that Jones groomed him over a decade and subjected him to alleged indecent assault within a powerful workplace relationship. The defence denied that Jones indecently assaulted him and challenged the use of the term “groomed,” arguing it applies to young children. Guardian journalists Nour Haydar and Amanda Meade discuss the testimony and combative cross-examination.

Australia’s parliament debated a third “born alive” anti-abortion bill, with Nationals leader Matt Canavan, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce and other conservative politicians attending an anti-abortion rally in Canberra. The live coverage also reported Labor’s proposed single-service opt-out register for online gambling advertisements, restrictions on inducements and new enforcement powers for the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Coalition and Labor MPs clashed over housing affordability, the Capacity Investment Scheme, migration limits and veterans’ healthcare funding, with Dan Tehan expelled from question time after repeatedly using unparliamentary language. Other developments included debate over temporary migration and working holiday visas, concerns about NDIS transition supports, Victoria’s teacher pay agreement, NSW datacentre planning, and disclosures that Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting held about 8 million SpaceX shares.

A complainant in Alan Jones’s Sydney trial told the court that he sent explicit and distressing text messages to the former broadcaster because he felt intimidated by Jones’s power and wanted to keep him on side. The complainant described alleged unwanted touching and kissing during and after his employment as a driver at 2GB, including an uncharged incident in a Crown Towers suite in Melbourne. The defence argued that the later flirtatious messages were inconsistent with the complainant’s claim that he feared or had been assaulted by Jones. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent assault charges and two sexual touching charges involving six men. The trial before Judge Glenn Walsh is continuing.

A former young driver for Alan Jones told Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court that Jones allegedly touched his penis while driving and under a restaurant table, kissed him repeatedly in a lift, and made him perform personal and household tasks including preparing breakfast and ironing underwear. The complainant said he felt violated, trapped and unable to object because Jones was his employer and wielded extraordinary power in Australian radio. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges involving six complainants. The trial, before Judge Glenn Walsh, is continuing.

The Guardian’s live coverage reports that Bet365 apologised to the Australian Senate after children wore its branded caps and bibs during a charity relay at Victoria’s Terang Racing Club, saying volunteers distributed the clothing without the company’s authorisation. The day’s other major developments included mounting criticism of KPMG over alleged audit leaks and the treatment of whistleblowers, including emotional evidence from deputy counsel James McLelland; further evidence to NSW ICAC about possible misuse of public funding by Catholic Schools NSW; and charges against former CFMEU secretary John Setka over alleged threatening communications. The coverage also follows testimony from alleged victims in Alan Jones’s sexual-assault trial, a search for missing bushwalker Lily Hooper, falling Australian home lending, debate over Western Australia’s GST deal, controversy over housing standards, and the government’s response to social-media regulation and aviation and airline disruptions.

The podcast reviews the second week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial. The first complainant, known as J, completed intense cross-examination, followed by testimony from J’s witnesses. Disputed timelines concerning alleged offending around 20 years ago created the risk of delaying the proceedings, while Guardian Australia journalists Amanda Meade and Nour Haydar assess the latest evidence and courtroom developments.

As the second week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial concludes, cross-examination of the first complainant, known as J, has ended. The discussion examines testimony from J’s witnesses and inconsistencies in the timeline of alleged offending around 20 years ago, which threatened to delay the proceedings. Guardian Australia correspondent Amanda Meade joins Nour Haydar to analyse the evidence and courtroom developments.

The mother of complainant J told the court she apologised for not protecting her son after he disclosed that Alan Jones had allegedly sexually touched him as a teenager. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent-assault charges and two sexual-touching charges involving six complainants. The court also heard evidence from J’s former athletics coach and former girlfriend, whom Jones’s barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, questioned about whether financial motives influenced her testimony. Prosecutor Georgina Wright accused the defence of intimidating and besmirching the witness, but Judge Glenn Walsh ruled the questioning was relevant to the defence theory and did not constitute intimidation. The judge also allowed prosecutors to broaden the alleged offending period involving J from 2004 to January 2004-April 2006.

As the second week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial concludes, the first complainant, known as J, finishes intense cross-examination. The podcast examines testimony from J’s witnesses and inconsistencies in timelines surrounding the alleged offending two decades ago, which threatened to delay the proceedings.

The Reserve Bank of Australia held the cash rate at 4.35% but governor Michele Bullock warned that further increases remain possible because inflation risks persist, while a cut was not considered. In parliament, the opposition pressed Anthony Albanese over mortgage costs, housing, migration and his refusal to apologise to Japan’s prime minister over a melon-related remark; Tim Wilson was ejected during question time. Major political disputes included Labor and Coalition negotiations over online gambling advertising, pressure to permit voluntary assisted dying consultations by telehealth, and criticism of Victoria’s decision to delay work-from-home legislation. Victoria also advanced reforms criminalising coercive control and protecting family-violence survivors, while debating the abolition of group voting tickets. Other developments included a multi-state crackdown on illicit tobacco and vapes, an investigation into a hospitality gig-work app, further KPMG resignations, bird-flu vaccine preparations and a parliamentary review supporting the listing of White Australia as a prohibited hate group.

A witness told Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court that complainant J described alleged incidents involving Alan Jones grabbing his penis and kissing him, while saying they were “nothing too bad.” J reportedly delayed disclosure because he feared losing money and support. His brother said he had never witnessed Jones behaving inappropriately, while J’s former girlfriend testified that he disclosed inappropriate touching years earlier and urged her not to tell anyone. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges involving six complainants. The trial continues before Judge Glenn Walsh.

The podcast examines the first week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial, nearly two years after his arrest on multiple counts of indecent assault and sexual touching. Nour Haydar and Guardian media correspondent Amanda Meade discuss the prosecution’s opening statements, key evidence, and allegations concerning Jones’s treatment of his alleged teenage victim, which Jones strongly denies.

The first week of Alan Jones’s four-month judge-only trial focused on the defence’s claim that 22 charges involving six men resulted from media rivalry, opportunism and fabricated allegations. The first complainant, identified as J, rejected claims that he invented allegations of repeated indecent assaults for financial gain, despite acknowledging inconsistencies in his evidence and describing payments, a car and other support he received from Jones as a young athlete. J said he delayed reporting because he feared losing his career and financial security, and told the court he wanted justice rather than compensation. The court also dealt with a temporary non-publication order over aspects of his cross-examination. Jones has pleaded not guilty, and J is due to continue giving evidence.

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC accused complainant J of inventing or embellishing intimate details of alleged assaults by broadcaster Alan Jones to humiliate and smear him. J denied fabricating his account, including allegations of sexual touching and an unwanted kiss at Jones’s Southern Highlands farm, while Bashir challenged inconsistencies in his statements, memory and recollection of events. Jones, who has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges involving six men, denies the allegations. The trial continues with J due to undergo re-examination by prosecutors.

Australia’s attorney general, Michelle Rowland, asked the privacy commissioner to examine risks posed by increasingly discreet smartglasses, warning that women and children could be disproportionately affected by recording, harassment and surveillance. Other major developments included rising H5 bird flu cases, new poultry restrictions in Victoria and the cancellation of bird exhibits at the Royal Adelaide Show; evidence to a federal inquiry describing racism and unsafe reporting systems in education; and continuing proceedings in the Alan Jones indecent-assault trial. Sydney airport experienced widespread delays and cancellations linked to Airservices Australia staffing shortages. ICAC-related scrutiny of NSW Liberal figures continued, while the Victorian Electoral Commission rejected registration of a proposed “Free Palestine Party” because of its similarity to Avi Yemini’s registered party. More than 100 charges from the 2024 Rising Tide coal-port blockade were withdrawn, and new data showed lengthy parent-visa queues, including more than 1,500 applicants dying while waiting.

Coverage of Alan Jones’s indecent-assault and sexual-touching trial began awkwardly, with a misspelled judge’s name and a reporter’s ringing phone irritating the court. The piece also surveys Australian media developments: Kyle Sandilands is launching a paid independent platform with a revenue-sharing settlement involving ARN; the Justice Coalition has begun a boycott campaign against the Daily Telegraph, prompting accusations of censorship from editor Ben English; and Sky News Australia’s News24 rebrand is promoting audience-growth claims based largely on internal data while giving access to One Nation candidates excluded from other outlets. The ABC continues to face scrutiny over Mahmood Fazal’s reporting and source verification, alongside senior editorial departures. Nine Entertainment, meanwhile, is pursuing an AI-driven newsroom overhaul involving Saga and Mimir, with job cuts and expanded multiskilling expected.

The Full Story podcast examines the first week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial, nearly two years after his arrest on multiple charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. Nour Haydar speaks with Guardian Australia media correspondent Amanda Meade about the prosecution’s opening statements, key evidence, alleged treatment of a teenage victim, and descriptions of Jones as a fearful friend who made generous payments. Jones strongly denies the charges.

Guardian Australia discusses the first week of veteran broadcaster Alan Jones’s criminal trial, nearly two years after his arrest on multiple charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. Nour Haydar and Amanda Meade examine the prosecution’s opening statements, key evidence, Jones’s alleged treatment of a teenage victim, and the significance of the alleged fearful friendship and generous payments. Jones strongly denies the charges.

The opening week of Alan Jones’s criminal trial examined the prosecution’s allegations concerning his treatment of an alleged teenage victim, including claims of a fearful friendship and generous payments. The episode discusses opening statements, key evidence and robust cross-examination, while noting that Jones strongly denies multiple charges of indecent assault and sexual touching.

A complainant identified as J denied fabricating allegations that Alan Jones sexually touched him when he was a teenager. During cross-examination at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court, Jones’s barrister Gabrielle Bashir suggested J had a financial motive after losing his police job and facing severe financial difficulties, and challenged inconsistencies in his accounts of payments, gifts and an alleged kiss. J said he sought justice rather than compensation and maintained that the alleged conduct occurred. Jones, who faces 22 charges involving six men, has pleaded not guilty. The trial is continuing.

The Guardian introduces the Alan Jones on Trial podcast, hosted by Nour Haydar and Amanda Meade. It will provide weekly courtroom updates and analysis of the evidence in the trial of veteran Australian broadcaster Alan Jones, who faces 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching and denies any wrongdoing.

Alan Jones is due to appear in court facing 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching alleged to have occurred over nearly two decades. Jones denies all charges. The podcast explains how the case developed and examines the trial involving the former media figure, including prosecutors’ argument that he targeted significantly younger men.

Former broadcaster Alan Jones is facing 22 charges—20 of indecent assault and two of sexual touching—brought by six complainants over alleged incidents between 2003 and 2020. The judge-alone trial began at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court and is expected to last four months, with evidence from 76 witnesses. Prosecutors allege a pattern of targeting significantly younger men, while Jones denies wrongdoing and says the allegations are baseless or distort the truth. Evidence from the youngest complainant is being heard in camera, and the judge has allowed media reporting of complainants’ evidence despite a defence challenge.

Pre-trial evidence in the case against Alan Jones was released after a judge lifted a suppression order, revealing prosecutors will argue he displayed a pattern of targeting significantly younger men. Jones faces 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching involving six complainants, all of whom he says are either baseless or distort the truth. Prosecutors contend multiple similar accounts make the allegations unlikely to be untrue, while the court noted complainants had no prior connection. The judge affirmed Jones’s presumption of innocence and rejected a bid to call two witnesses who declined to give statements.

News Corp’s Daily Telegraph republished a video of Pauline Hanson touring Luton with far‑right activist Tommy Robinson, drawing renewed scrutiny of the platforming of extremist commentary. Karl Stefanovic defended his own contentious interview with Robinson while criticising detractors during an appearance on Piers Morgan’s show. Legal proceedings against Alan Jones advanced with updated charge counts, and other media-sector incidents included a correction by the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre and Kevin Rudd’s interview on US–China relations. Qantas publicly responded to Sky commentator Gemma Tognini after she complained about a brief flight delay.

Richard Guilliatt resigned from the Walkley awards judging board after the Walkley Foundation dismissed complaints about his podcast and then awarded a prize to Nina Funnell for reporting critical of his work. Funnell’s articles detailed a survivor’s distress over Guilliatt interviewing her jailed parents and accessing her counselling notes, which The Australian defended as public interest journalism. The Walkley Foundation stated it could not assess the journalism of individual judges, prompting Guilliatt to step down following its decision to honour Funnell’s reporting. An investigation is under way into how Guilliatt conducted jailhouse interviews for his podcast, which questioned the survivor’s convictions and raised doubts about the case.

Australian broadcaster and former senator Derryn Hinch has died at age 82 after declining health. Public figures including the prime minister and state leaders paid tribute to his influential media career, his confrontational interviewing style and his political advocacy, particularly for victims’ rights. Radio station 3AW, where he was a major presence for decades, led tributes and highlighted his lasting impact on talkback radio. Hinch was remembered as a prominent journalist, campaigner and outspoken public figure whose work shaped Australian media and politics over six decades.

The Australian Jewish News removed a commissioned opinion piece criticising the treatment of Sarah Schwartz after publisher intervention, prompting concerns about internal pressure and declining civil discourse. The article explored broader issues in Australian media, including staffing gaps at News Corp, Politico’s expansion into Canberra with a new reporting team, and factual errors in commentary about Victorian Liberal politics. Testimony at the royal commission highlighted challenges in journalism oversight at the ABC, and News Corp outlets were criticised for favourable coverage of Pauline Hanson’s meeting with far‑right activist Tommy Robinson.

A federal court judgment found Sky News Australia published misleading claims about a confidential legal settlement involving Cairo Takeaway and activist Ofir Birenbaum, concluding that Birenbaum’s lawyer Rebekah Giles provided the compensation information to the network. Documents also showed Giles or an associate briefed other outlets before the settlement. The article further reports internal tensions at the ABC amid an investigation into managing director Hugh Marks, unexpected awards and media narratives within the press gallery, critical coverage of News Corp’s framing of housing and tax changes, and political commentary involving Bridget McKenzie and Liz Truss on Australian governance.

A new book by Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson documents a pattern of personal attacks by Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets across the US, UK and Australia, arguing that these tactics are used to punish critics and distort public debate. Through dozens of case studies, including incidents involving David Nutt, Larissa Behrendt and teacher Flint Del Sol, the authors describe a system of persistent, personal and often misleading attacks that they say harm individuals and chill democratic discourse. They contend that Murdoch’s organisations deploy similar strategies globally, creating an echo chamber that amplifies campaigns against targeted groups such as climate scientists and LGBTQ+ people. The book argues that this approach undermines ethical journalism and exerts damaging influence on society.

Karl Stefanovic’s shift toward rightwing podcasting and soft interviews with controversial guests led to a breakdown with Nine Entertainment, ending his long career with the network. His embrace of far-right activist Tommy Robinson and rejection of earlier positions, including support for Covid vaccinations, accelerated tensions as Nine sought to protect its news brand. Former colleagues criticised the podcast’s lack of journalistic rigour, while Nine rejected Stefanovic’s framing of his exit as a free speech issue. Stefanovic positioned his departure as personal independence, but Nine executives cited a breach of professional standards and audience trust.

Karl Stefanovic withdrew from his scheduled radio appearance with Eddie McGuire after backlash over his interview with UK far-right activist Tommy Robinson prompted ARN Media to review their new show as advertisers threatened a boycott. Nine Entertainment is expected to end its relationship with Stefanovic, complicating planned streaming arrangements, while ARN distanced itself from his podcast activities. Political figures including Anthony Albanese and Pauline Hanson weighed in, with Hanson offering him a role, as Stefanovic continues releasing politically themed interviews.