Four Corners (Australian TV program)
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''Four Corners'' is an Australian
investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
/ current affairs documentary television program. Broadcast on ABC TV, it premiered on 19 August 1961 and is the longest-running Australian television program in history. The program is one of only five in Australia inducted into the
Logie Hall of Fame The Logie Hall of Fame is a specialised industry-voted award presented annually at the Australian TV Week Logie Awards. It was first awarded at the 26th Annual TV Week Logie Awards held in 1984. The award is given to recognise the outstanding c ...
.


History

''Four Corners'' is based on the concept of British current affairs program ''
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''. The program addresses a single issue in depth each week, showing either a locally produced program or a relevant documentary from overseas. The program has won many awards for
investigative journalism Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
. Including 23 Logie Awards and 62
Walkley Awards The annual Walkley Awards are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. They cover all media including print, television, documentary, radio, photographic and online media. The Gold Walkley is the highest prize and ...
. It has broken high-profile stories. A notable early example of this was the show's 1962 exposé on the appalling living conditions endured by many
Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Islands ...
living in rural
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
. Founding producer
Robert Raymond Robert Alwyn Raymond OAM (7 July 1922 – 26 September 2003) was an Australian Logie Award winning producer, director, writer, filmmaker and journalist. A pioneer of Australian television, he with Michael Charlton in 1961, co-founded the Austra ...
(1961–62) and his successor
Allan Ashbolt Allan Campbell Ashbolt (24 November 1921 – 9 June 2005) was an Australian journalist, producer, and broadcaster. Early life He was born in Melbourne and attended Caulfield Grammar School, and served with the Australian Imperial Force in Wo ...
(1963) did much to set the ongoing tone of the program. The program celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021.


Notable episodes

In sharp contrast to print media, television was the medium for critical accounts of Australia's role in the
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. ''Four Corners'', regardless of modest ratings, favoured the viewpoint of the antiwar and anti-conscription movements.


1980s

In 1983, ''Four Corners'' aired allegations that then
New South Wales Premier The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...
Neville Wran Neville Kenneth Wran, (11 October 1926 – 20 April 2014) was an Australian politician who was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 to 1986. He was the national president of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1980 to 1986 and chairman ...
had tried to influence the magistracy over the dropping of fraud charges against Kevin Humphreys, charged with misappropriation of funds from the
Balmain Leagues Club Balmain may refer to: Places * Balmain, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia * Electoral district of Balmain, an electoral division in New South Wales, Australia * Balmain East, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia * Balmain Hou ...
. Wran stood down and the Street Royal Commission, headed by the Chief Justice of NSW, Sir Laurence Street, was set up to inquire into this matter. Street found that the chief magistrate,
Murray Farquhar Murray Farquhar OBE (7 July 19183 December 1993) was an Australian jurist. He was the Chief Stipendiary Magistrate of New South Wales between 1971 and 1977. Farquhar was born in Broken Hill, New South Wales. He attended Broken Hill High Sch ...
, had used the Premier's name to get the Humphreys case dismissed, but exonerated Wran of any involvement. Farquhar was subsequently sent to prison. Together with articles in ''
The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, ...
'', a 1987 ''Four Corners'' story entitled "The Moonlight State" reported on
police corruption Police corruption is a form of police misconduct in which law enforcement officers end up breaking their political contract and abuse their power for personal gain. This type of corruption may involve one or a group of officers. Internal police ...
in
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
. The subsequent Royal Commission, known as the
Fitzgerald Inquiry The Commission of Inquiry into Possible Illegal Activities and Associated Police Misconduct (the Fitzgerald Inquiry; 1987–1989) into Queensland Police corruption was a judicial inquiry presided over by Tony Fitzgerald QC. The inquiry resulted ...
, found systematic corruption in various levels of government and led to the gaoling of police commissioner Terry Lewis, and the resignation and subsequent criminal trial of Premier
Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (13 January 191123 April 2005), known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during ...
. The program has investigated other cases of corruption in the New South Wales and Victorian police forces. Another report from 1985 helped to reveal that the French secret service had been responsible for the bombing of the ''Rainbow Warrior''.


2000s

A 2006 episode titled "
Greenhouse Mafia "Greenhouse Mafia" is the title of a TV program aired by Australian network ABC on the 13 February 2006 episode of its weekly current affairs program '' Four Corners''. The program says the term ''greenhouse mafia'' is the "in house" name used b ...
" exposed the influence of the fossil fuel lobby on Australian
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
policy. In March 2009, an episode titled "The Dishonouring of Marcus Einfeld" aired; it detailed the events leading up to the conviction and sentencing of an Australian former federal court judge,
Marcus Einfeld Marcus Richard Einfeld (born 22 September 1938) is a former Australian judge who served on the Federal Court of Australia and was the inaugural president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In retirement, he served two years ...
. Einfeld was convicted on charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice over a speeding ticket. "The Code of Silence", which aired 11 May 2009, was an investigative report on the attitudes towards and the treatment of women by
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
players. The report focused primarily on two incidents involving NRL players and women who felt they had been exploited sexually. The mainstream media reported heavily on the subject for a number of weeks following the airing of "The Code of Silence". The ''Four Corners'' website has also won multiple awards, including two Walkley Awards and three AIMIA Awards for it
Broadband Editions
of the programs, which include exclusive interviews, analysis and background information on selected programs.


2010s

On 8 March 2010, a program was aired shedding light on ex-members of the controversial
Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a scientology as a business, bu ...
, many speaking of abuse and other forms of inhumane treatment, for example coerced abortions and disconnection. The program was of note due to Church spokesperson Tommy Davis "categorically
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all allegations put forward by ex-members. All interviews were conducted by ''Four Corners'' journalist Quentin McDermott, and aired the same week that a Parliamentary vote was held for an inquiry into the Church after South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon brought Church abuse to light in November 2009. On 30 May 2011, the program aired an exposé on cruelty inflicted on Australian cattle exported to
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n abattoirs. As a result, there was a major public outcry at the practices and a petition launched by activist group
GetUp! GetUp! is an independent Progressivism, progressive Australian political activism, political activist group. It was launched in August 2005 to encourage Internet activism in Australia, though it has increasingly engaged in Community organizing, ...
received more than 10,000 signatures overnight. This petition has received over 200,000 signatures. The next day, independent MP
Andrew Wilkie Andrew Damien Wilkie (born 8 November 1961) is an Australian politician and independent federal member for Clark. Before entering politics Wilkie was an infantry officer in the Australian Army., Australian Parliament House Biographies; 19 Augu ...
and independent Senator
Nick Xenophon Nick Xenophon ( Nicholas Xenophou; born 29 January 1959) is an Australian politician and lawyer who was a Senator for South Australia from 2008 to 2017. He was the leader of two political parties: Nick Xenophon Team federally, and Nick Xenophon ...
lobbied for an immediate ban on live export to Indonesia, which was backed by the Federal Minister for Agriculture,
Joe Ludwig Joseph William Ludwig (born 21 July 1959) is an Australian barrister and retired politician. He was a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Queensland from July 1999 to May 2016, representing the Australian Labor Party. Ludwig serve ...
. There was an immediate ban on the abattoirs featured in the graphic ''Four Corners'' program, which was followed by a six-month ban on all live trade to Indonesia. In February 2015, ''Four Corners'' uncovered widespread live baiting in the greyhound racing industry. The investigation revealed the use of live piglets, possums and rabbits to train racing greyhounds in three states. The revelation led to suspensions, resignations, inquiries and condemnation of the practice. The NSW Greyhound racing board was dismissed, and the Queensland Government dissolved all the Racing Queensland boards. On 28 March 2016, ''Four Corners'' in an episode called State of Fear: Murder and Money in Malaysia, aired new allegations about the large sums of money that have flowed into the bank accounts of
Malaysian Prime Minister The prime minister of Malaysia ( ms, Perdana Menteri Malaysia; ms, ڤردان منتري مليسيا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the feder ...
Najib Razak. On 26 July 2016, ''Four Corners'' aired graphic footage of systematic physical and verbal abuse of young Indigenous children and teenagers in the Northern Territory at
Don Dale Youth Detention Centre The Don Dale Youth Detention Centre is a facility for juvenile detention in the Northern Territory, Australia, located in Berrimah, east of Darwin. It is a detention centre for male and female juvenile delinquents. The facility is named after D ...
. The episode caused outrage from the Australian public, prompting Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Turnbull grad ...
to announce a Royal Commission into the abuse occurring in the Northern Territory. This episode also resulted in the NT Corrections Minister, John Elferink, being stood down from his position. On 4 February 2019, ''Four Corners'' aired a report documenting the status of
women's rights in Saudi Arabia Women's rights in Saudi Arabia are a topic of concern and controversy internationally. Saudi women have experienced major rights reforms since 2017, after facing religious fundamentalist dominance dating from 1979. According to Human Rig ...
. The episode also chronicled Rahaf Mohammed who eventually found asylum in Canada,
Dina Ali Lasloom Dina Ali Lasloom ( ar, دينا علي السلوم; born 29 March 1993) is a Saudi woman who attempted to seek asylum in Australia to escape Saudi guardianship laws, but was forcibly repatriated to Saudi Arabia from the Philippines. She was s ...
who was unsuccessful in her attempt to secure asylum in Australia, and featured prominent activist
Mona Eltahawy Mona Eltahawy ( ar, منى الطحاوى, ; born August 1, 1967) is a freelance Egyptian-American journalist and social commentator based in New York City. She has written essays and op-eds for publications worldwide on Egypt and the Islamic w ...
and
Manal al-Sharif Manal was an Argentine rock group. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock.war crimes, including execution of war prisoners, by members of Australia's
Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The re ...
deployed to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
. In May 2021, ABC managing director, David Anderson delayed a ''Four Corners'' story about the relationship between Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...
and a supporter of
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, in spite of "(a) lot of detail is already in the public domain". The story aired on ''Four Corners'' the following week. In 2022, following an investigative report by the program,
Aspen Medical Aspen Medical is an Australian-based health service company with operations in Australia and internationally. The company headquarters are in Canberra with regional offices in Brisbane and Perth. In 2020, the company recorded a total turnover ...
fell under scrutiny following allegations of financial misconduct and its relationship with the Australian Government. In May 2022, the program in a documentary claimed that Australian based medical company Aspen Medical had involved in a high-profile money laundering scandal in
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
after its involvement in a multi-million dollar hospital project for the construction of Hambantota General Hospital during the Presidency of
Mahinda Rajapaksa Mahinda Rajapaksa ( si, මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ, ta, மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ; born Percy Mahendra Rajapaksa; 18 November 1945) is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to ...
in 2012. As per the documentary, the company had obtained amounting to $18.8 million insurance guarantee through the formal Australian governmental support from the then Export Finance and Insurance Corporation. The first transaction of Aspen Medical in Sri Lanka amounted to a whopping amount of 1.4 million euros (which is equivalent to $2.1 million) to a suspectable mysterious British Virgin Islands domiciled company Sabre Vision Holdings which was owned by Nimal Perera, a Sri Lankan businessman who also has close ties with Rajapaksa family. Nimal Perera claimed that in 2016, he collected funds for
Namal Rajapaksa Lakshman Namal Rajapaksa ( si, ලක්ශ්මන් නාමල් රාජපක්ෂ; born 10 April 1986; known as Namal Rajapaksa) is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the eldest of son of Sri Lankan former President and Prime Minister M ...
and as a result Namal was arrested by the police but was released on bail shortly afterwards. However, soon after the release of the documentary, Namal denied wrongdoing and insisted that it is a conspiracy to undermine his reputation by Yahapalanaya government. In December 2022, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) criticised the program's non impartial reporting, and found two breaches of the ABC’s Code of Practice in a program about the role of
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
in the US elections. ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said that "Both audiences and participants are entitled to the full picture. In this case, by omitting information the ABC did not do justice to the story or provide all relevant facts to its audience.”


Hosts

*
Michael Charlton Michael Charlton (born 1 May 1927) is an Australian-born Gold Logie winning former journalist and broadcaster, who worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for many years. Biography Charlton was born in Sydney to broadcaster Conrad and Haz ...
, 1961 *
Mike Willesee Michael Robert Willesee, (29 June 1942 – 1 March 2019) was an Australian television journalist, interviewer and presenter. Willesee was the son of politician senator Don Willesee; Mike first came to prominence in 1967 as a reporter for the ...
, 1969–1971 *
Caroline Jones Caroline Jones (born June 30, 1990) is an American country music singer, songwriter and radio host. Jones has released a number of albums, the most successful one being ''Bare Feet''. Her most recent album, ''Antipodes'', was released on Novemb ...
, 1973–1981 * Andrew Olle, 1985–1994 *
Liz Jackson Liz Jackson (1951 – 27 June 2018) was an Australian journalist and barrister noted for her work on the '' Four Corners'' and '' Media Watch'' television programs. She received nine Walkley Awards for excellence in journalism. Career Jac ...
, 1995–1999 * Kerry O'Brien, 2011–2015 * Sarah Ferguson, 2016–2018 *Michael Brissenden, 2019–present


Producers

* Robert Moore (1965–1967) * Sam Lipski (1968) *
Paul Lyneham Paul Lyneham (13 August 1945 – 24 November 2000) was an Australian journalist, commentator and television presenter. Lyneham was born in Melbourne
(1980–1981) * Bruce Belsham (executive producer, 2002–2007) *
Sue Spencer Sue Spencer is an Australian journalist and television producer. Biography Spencer is perhaps best known for her work on ABC Television's current affairs program '' Four Corners'', where she initially commenced working as a researcher and produc ...
(executive producer, 2007–2015) * Sally Neighbour (executive producer, 2015–present)


See also

* List of longest-running Australian television series


References


External links

* * *
''Four Corners''
at the National Film and Sound Archive

abc.net.au. Retrieved on 28 April 2017. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Four Corners Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming Australian non-fiction television series ABC News and Current Affairs Black-and-white Australian television shows 1961 Australian television series debuts 1970s Australian television series 1980s Australian television series 1990s Australian television series 2000s Australian television series 2010s Australian television series English-language television shows Articles containing video clips