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When NITRAM, a newly released film about the perpetrator of the Port Arthur massacre, was announced there was swift backlash from politicians and film critics who argued that the story was too painful and traumatic to tell.  On today’s episode of The Culture we dissect the film, and explore the bigger questions it raises about how to tell stories about trauma and violence. Plus, we speak to the di...

The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has returned from his trip to Washington, and is spending the next couple of weeks in quarantine at The Lodge in Canberra. But he’s already facing pressure over another international summit - the UN climate change conference in Glasgow next month. Scott Morrison is under criticism from the UK government, the hosts of the summit, over his unwillingness to confirm h...

The Catholic Church has historically been one of the most powerful institutions in Australia, influencing both sides of politics. But now the Church is in steep decline with dwindling congregations and fewer and fewer donations.  In response to its current crisis, a once-in-a-century meeting is being organised to discuss the future of Catholicism in Australia. This plenary is pitting church reform...

The country's two largest states, NSW and Victoria, now have clear roadmaps out of the pandemic and towards a future where we live with COVID-19. Those pathways, as well as the national plan, are heavily influenced by modelling conducted by the Doherty Institute, which estimates case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths as the country reopens. But the Doherty Institute isn’t the only organisation...

Throughout the pandemic health experts and human rights advocates have been warning about the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak in the prison system. Now it’s happened. Hundreds of prisoners in NSW have contracted Covid-19 in recents weeks, with the worst of the outbreak centred at Parklea, a private correctional center. Family members of those inside Parklea are now speaking out about their concerns ov...

In October last year Simon Rice found himself in an unusual situation.  As a law professor at the University of Sydney, he’d gone to observe a rally on campus with his students. But then police moved in, and Simon was physically restrained, arrested and fined.  When he tried to challenge the fine, he discovered a serious lack of accountability at the heart of the New South Wales Police Force. Toda...

Have you ever wondered how long you would last if you were dropped into the wilderness with just a hunting knife, a shovel, and a sleeping bag? A day? A week? That’s the premise of a show called ‘Alone’. Think ‘Survivor’, but on steroids. Contestants are isolated with nothing but a camera for company. They take on grizzly bears and hunt wildlife. And the last person standing wins a cash prize. It’...

In the final episode of Everybody Knows , Ruby Jones unpacks what she’s learnt about the rise and fall of MeToo in Australia, and why holding perpetrators accountable still feels so hard. To help answer that question, Ruby speaks to two people who have thought deeply about the problems in the music industry. The first is Dorothy Carvello. She worked for major labels in the US, and is now blowing t...

Scott Morrison has hailed Australia’s military alliance and new submarine deal with the United Kingdom and United States as a landmark achievement. But it’s already led to a global diplomatic standoff, pitting Australia against a number of European countries as well as further deepening tensions with China. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on the fallout from Australia’s nucl...

Australia is now steadily marching towards the magic number of 80 percent of the population aged 16 and above being fully vaccinated: the number that should see lockdowns and most restrictions end.  But given how few countries have reached that target so far, even with a significant head start, how likely are we to actually get vaccination coverage that high? Today, journalist with the Australian...

Over the past few weeks an internal brawl over who will represent the Labor party in the western Sydney seat of Fowler at the next federal election has been playing out in public. The move to parachute in a high profile Labor frontbencher, who doesn’t live in the seat, has exposed the rifts and rivalries within the party. But it's also raised a bigger question.. Is Labor doing enough to make sure...

Australia has entered into a new trilateral military alliance with the United Kingdom and the United States, called AUKUS. The partnership was sealed with the announcement that Australia would, for the first time, construct and operate a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.  The new deal has been criticised by former Prime Minister Paul Keating and national security experts. It’s also led to incre...

A major new study has found that the therapeutic use of the illicit drug MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, could cure people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The landmark findings could radically change the way PTSD is treated. Now an Australian psychologist is finally embarking on Australia’s first ever clinical trial using the drug.  Today, James Bradley on the healing power of...

Sally Rooney’s third novel, ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’, was one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year. Now that it’s out, it’s smashing sales records. Her new book covers similar ground to her earlier work, but this time, more than ever, Rooney turns inward and grapples with what it means to be a successful writer in the current moment. So why has Rooney’s work struck such a cho...

In episode four of Everybody Knows Ruby Jones speaks to three women who have worked at Sony Music Australia, who all have something in common: they all experienced bullying and intimidation from the same man at the company. Two of those women have lodged complaints to Sony about this man as part of Sony's internal investigation into workplace culture. But the longer the investigation has gone on,...

After a slow and delayed start, vaccination rates across Australia are finally gaining momentum, with NSW and Victoria hitting 80 percent and 70 percent single dose targets this week. The targets were reached despite a confusing rollout, riddled with mixed messages from the federal government. Today, columnist for The Saturday Paper Paul Bongiorno on whether the Morrison government has the trust a...

From this week residents in NSW, who have been locked down for nearly three months, will finally be able to leave their homes. But the new freedoms are contingent on one important factor: their vaccination status. It’s the first time the easing of restrictions has been linked to vaccine status, but it’s likely to become the new normal across Australia. Today, journalist with the AAP Hannah Ryan on...

The anniversary of 9/11 this week, along with the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, has seen politicians, military leaders and the public reflect on the past two decades. But what has really been learned from these events that shaped world history? Today, The Saturday Paper’s chief political correspondent Karen Middleton on the aftermath of 9/11 and its impact on foreign policy 20 years...

State and federal governments have promised billions in new spending to fix Australia’s mental health crisis, a crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. But despite the pledges, experts are identifying that young people in particular are still struggling to access urgent care and support. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Santilla Chingaipe on why this could be our one chance to fix the ailing m...

The pandemic has kept many people separated from their homes and their loved ones for over 18 months.  Lockdowns and border closures have led to a specific kind of grief and yearning - homesickness. Homesickness isn’t an official medical condition but it was once, with soldiers fighting on foreign soil regularly diagnosed after suffering debilitating symptoms. Today, GP and health columnist for Th...

It was one of the most chaotic and controversial album rollouts in recent history but Kanye West’s 10th studio album, Donda , is finally here.   It’s safe to say Kanye is now far from the peak of his nearly two-decade career – artistically and culturally – yet his latest album still went to No. 1. But when we’re talking about Kanye, it’s never really about the sales figures, or even just the music...

Twenty years ago the terrorist group Al-Qaeda hijacked four planes, flying them into New York City’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, killing nearly 3000 people. The September 11 attacks, and the war on terror that followed, changed the world. They ushered in a new era of global conflict, domestic terror threats, counter-terrorism laws and Islamophobia.  Two decades on the legacy of the attack...

In this episode, Ruby Jones speaks to some of the best known lawyers on either side of the Me Too movement in order to help her investigation. Ruby looks at how the law is used to silence women, and the media, when it comes to sexual harassment and misconduct. And she asks how legal threats became one of the foremost barriers to women sharing their stories. This is episode three of Everybody Knows...

Governments and car manufacturers all over the world are preparing for a future where most vehicles will be powered by electricity - a future that is just around the corner. But in Australia there’s no national policy on electric vehicles and, as a result, the country is falling behind the rest of the world. Today, Mike Seccombe on how electric cars are poised to take over and what Australia needs...

As Australia grapples with its biggest outbreak yet of Covid-19, an outbreak that shows few signs of slowing, the focus is shifting to hospitalisation figures and deaths. But even though Covid-19 wards are becoming busier, it isn’t easy to get a clear picture of just how bad things are in our hospital system. Today, senior reporter for The Saturday Paper , Rick Morton on how our two largest states...