The Briefing

Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer has revealed that the government and the media are among the least trusted by Australians. Whereas trust in business to take on social and structural issues, like climate change, is greater.   We’re joined by Tom Robinson, the Australian CEO of Edelman; and Zara Seidler is Co-Founder of leading youth news service The Daily Aus.  So in today's Briefing, why are Aust...

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 people were diagnosed. Social media is adding to the problem with ‘suntanning’ now trending on TikTok and Instagram. So, how do we drive down the numbers when so many people are obsessed with tanning? In this episode, we’re joined by Samantha Brett, who...

Jeanette Francis, better known as Jan Fran, is one of our brilliant hosts of The Briefing podcast. Jan recently returned to the show after having her beautiful baby boy.   Jan Fran is a Lebanese-Australian journalist, presenter and is ridiculously accomplished. She has won a Walkley award, worked as a foreign correspondent and is well known as a television presenter and content creator.  In this e...

Last week a massive white balloon drifted across U.S. airspace before being shot down by the Air Force. But where did it come from? The US believes China was spying on its military camps with the 200ft balloon which contained sensors and surveillance equipment inside. The incident has sparked diplomatic tensions, China said the US overreacted by bringing the balloon down and the US Secretary of St...

Rural regions in Australia are facing major maternity shortages as services in rural hospitals are forced to close. Pregnant women are travelling for hours to get care – some fearing they may have to give birth on the side of the road. The problem is adding more pressure to Australia’s maternity crisis which has been ongoing for years.  In this episode, we speak to Sophie Walker - the founder of t...

The first baby born through IVF was in 1978 and since then the treatment has dramatically changed how the family unit can look. It has also given same sex couples more options when it comes to creating a family as well as solo parents, challenging the image of a nuclear family. Technology surrounding IVF is continuing to advance but there are still many common misconceptions and questions surround...

Women across Australia are continuing to choose to become solo mothers by choice, using assisted fertilization (IVF, donor) because of factors like age and social infertility.   We’re joined by solo mothers, Aoife Cooke and Liz Cashen who take us through their fertility journey.  The decision to start the journey as a solo mother can be a daunting step but with online communities and support group...

Safety on dating apps has been at the centre of a government roundtable as the number of domestic violence cases across Australia continues to rise.     App companies, domestic abuse survivors and police were all at the summit which was called a few weeks after a NSW woman was allegedly killed by a man she met on a dating app. So, how do we really know who we’re speaking to behind the screen?    I...

Alex Dyson is an Australian radio and podcast presenter, author, business owner and former political candidate. He currently hosts the podcast ‘Matt & Alex All Day Breakfast’ alongside Matt Okine.    In this conversation, Jamila Rizvi and Alex Dyson delve into experiencing fame at a young age, the impact of loss and the legacy he wants to leave behind.    You can check out the podcast Matt &am...

So, Briefing co-host Jan Fran is back after more than six months away from the microphone.    In this episode, Tom interviews Jan about what’s she’s been up to over the last six months – and what big news stories have been on her radar    In today’s Briefing, we welcome back Jan Fran  Headlines: Clashes outside George Pell’s funeral Hand sanitiser banned in some Alice Springs pharmacies King Charl...

There has been a rise of well-known Aussies, particularly females, announcing that they have been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult. Due to this rise there have been many conversations on social media about why this is happening, with many saying it’s just being over diagnosed or turning into a trend.    We’re joined by Bridget Pringle - a freelance writer, mother of two and advertising professional...

Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi…some of the leaders radically reshaping today's world. Who are they and what drives them?   We’re joined by the Project’s Hamish Macdonald whose new ABC podcast delves into the lives and motives of eight leaders. From autocratic strongmen to democratic internationalists, from left to right to far right, Take Me To Your Leader! examines the cultural, histor...

Three hundred and thirty-nine people lost their lives to drowning last year while a further 686 experienced a non-fatal drowning incident. Between December 1 and January 9 alone, 35 people drowned across Australia. It's a combination of a number of factors that create these scenarios. We’re joined by Dr Amy Peden - A research fellow at the School of Population Health, UNSW, a leader in drowning pr...

Ozempic is a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity but social media influencers have now turned it into the most popular weight loss drug. Promotion of the drug has led to a shortage of supply with Australia's drugs regulator now investigating the matter. However, other issues have contributed to the lack of supply and influencers have promoted weight loss supplements for years. So why is...

Chloe Fisher married her now-husband, Grammy-nominated DJ Fisher, in 2020. It was on their wedding night that Chloe fell pregnant for the first time. She would miscarry shortly after. It was from that point that Chloe, also a model, instagram influencer and entrepreneur, decided to use her platform to give voice to people who have lost pregnancies. Along with her friend and co-host Ellidy Pullin,...

Australia’s beer culture is almost embedded in Aussies from childhood, whether one of your parents is asking you to grab them a beer from the fridge or pass their stubby holder, having a cold one in hand is a standard practice. But over the last couple of years the rise of non-alcoholic or low alcohol drinks have boomed, with companies like Heaps Normal leading the way.  In this episode...

Australians across the country will “celebrate” Australia Day today, January 26.  Many believe it ought to be scrapped as a day of celebration out of respect for Indigenous Australians who consider the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 as an invasion - a colonisation of First Nations.     Teela Reid, indigenous lawyer and practitioner in residence at Sydney University Law School.  In this long-fo...

Since December protests have rocked Peru as the former president Pedro Castillo was ousted after he attempted to dissolve the legislature to prevent an impeachment vote, and was replaced by President Dina Boluarte, his former vice-president. The anti-government protests against the new president have led to the closure of the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu and the Inca trail.   We’re joined by Neil...

Twelve years ago, ‘cable gate’ was published by Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks.  251,000 confidential cables from the US State Department were released, disclosing corruption, diplomatic scandals and spy affairs on an international scale.   Assange claimed asylum at the Ecuadorian Embassy in 2012 and in 2019 was arrested on a US arrest warrant.  He has now been held for three and a half year...

Having a nicotine addiction used to only be associated with cigarette smokers who’d have a pack a day and always try to bum a cig. Now vaping has become the newest nicotine addiction source, with a quarter of vapers in Australia having never smoked before.    We’re joined by Alyx Gorman, Lifestyle Editor at the Guardian, who found herself addicted to vaping after three years and at the peak of her...

Have you ever been at dinner with mates and someone comes up with a clever idea and you all agree it could totally be an app? Well, Elise McCann is the kind of person who actually does just that! Elise is a theater performer turned entrepreneur. You’ve probably heard her sing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, seen her perform as Miss Honey in the Australian musical production of Matilda or he...

Jacinda Ardern has announced she will quit as New Zealand prime minister next month, saying she no longer has "enough in the tank" to lead.  Ms Ardern choked up as she detailed how six "challenging" years in the job had taken a toll. We’re joined by Chelsea Daniels Senior Reporter for NewsTalkZB in New Zealand Ms Ardern will step down as Labour Party leader no later than 7 February. There will be...

Earlier this month the Chinese government reversed their covid-zero policy and changed how they report Covid infections and illnesses. It’s led to a number of countries including Australia placing restrictions on travelers from China out of fear a new variant will emerge there. In this episode, we speak with Jeremy Goldkorn, editor of The China Project, to find out what's really happening in China...

Wars, the pandemic, China’s economic woes and critical flaws in the supply chain have put economies on alert across the globe. 2023 is tipped to be the year of high inflation and economic stagnation - stagflation.  We speak to Richard Holden, professor of economics at the University of NSW about just what it is, and how it will affect us in our day-to-day lives?   Headlines: - Extreme weather brin...

Prince Harry’s new biography ‘Spare’ caused controversy before it was even released. It details everything from losing his virginity, to killing 25 people in Afghanistan. Harry speaks about fighting with his brother William and his decision to leave the Royal family and move both his and Meghan’s life to California. Tom Tilley and Katrina Blowers have both read the book and tell us what they think...