Fourth Estate

Fourth Estate Live: The Women Who Shaped the News

Fourth Estate goes live for this special International Women’s Day edition, as host Tina Quinn revisits some of the remarkable women who helped reshape Australian journalism. Featuring archival interviews with Margaret Throsby, Liz Hayes, Maxine McKew, Bridget Brennan, Laura Tingle and more, the program reflects on the barriers women faced in the newsroom, and the legacy they’ve left for the generations that followed. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fourthestate@2ser.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Absence of Nuance in Iran Coverage and a Breakfast Radio Bust-Up

The United States and Israel have launched a joint military operation against Iran, killing the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dramatically escalating tensions across the Middle East. But as the conflict unfolds, it is also exposing deep divisions within the Iranian community and its wider diaspora, and whether the media is capturing the complexity of those voices. Host Tina Quinn is joined by ABC News journalist Nassim Khadem and Iranian-American writer and researcher Ciara Moezidiz to examine the context behind the conflict and the absence of nuance in some Western coverage. For more of Ciara's writing and analysis, head to her Substack. Later in the program, Nine newspapers media writer Calum Jaspan joins us to discuss the spectacular collapse of Australia’s most powerful breakfast radio partnership. After 27 years on air, The Kyle and Jackie O Show has imploded following an extraordinary on-air clash between the hosts. What does the future hold for both presenters, and for ARN after its $200 million bet on the polarising duo? Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠fourthestate@2ser.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One From the Archives: Azadeh Moaveni on Iran and the Plight of “ISIS Brides”

In the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory missile attacks across the region, we return to the Fourth Estate archives. In this 2020 conversation, Iranian-American journalist, writer and academic Azadeh Moaveni joins then-host, Sharon Davies to the dangers of reporting from Iran and her book, Guest House for Young Widows, examining the young women from Europe and North Africa who left home to join ISIS. This episode was originally broadcast in April, 2020. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠fourthestate@2ser.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marty Baron On The Gutting Of The Washington Post

Once a beacon of groundbreaking American journalism, the masthead that helped expose Watergate and held presidents to account is now undergoing sweeping cuts that have shaken its newsroom. More than 300 journalists have been laid off at The Washington Post, foreign correspondents, climate reporters, local staff, entire desks dismantled. For many inside the newsroom, it wasn’t just the scale of the cuts that shocked, it was the way they were handled. Journalists reportedly learned they had lost their jobs via email and social media. Owner Jeff Bezos was absent. Publisher Will Lewis was absent. And questions are now swirling about leadership, strategy, and the future of one of the world’s most influential newspapers. This week on Fourth Estate, Marty Baron, Executive Editor of The Washington Post from 2013 to 2021, and the author of Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and THE WASHINGTON POST, joins Tina Quinn to discuss the gutting of the paper, what’s gone wrong, and whether a future for it still exists. Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠fourthestate@2ser.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Force And Fallout: The Herzog Visit

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia was framed as routine diplomacy by political leaders and much of the press. But outside the official engagements, thousands protested — and in Sydney, violent clashes between demonstrators and police were captured on camera. Footage showed officers punching and capsicum-spraying protesters, including an 18-year-old pinned to the ground and struck repeatedly. Other videos showed men kneeling in prayer before being forcibly removed. Premier Chris Minns has urged the public not to rush to judgement based on short clips, promising an internal investigation and a review of body-worn footage. So how did Australian media cover the visit — and the crackdown? When powerful images circulate instantly, what responsibility do journalists have to interrogate official narratives? And has the story shifted from diplomacy to police conduct? Plus: Angus Taylor rolls Sussan Ley to become Liberal leader, Lenore Taylor steps down as Editor of Guardian Australia, and we reflect on the life and legacy of cartoonist Jon Kudelka. Joining Tina Quinn to discuss is Mike Bowers (Host of Talking Pictures), David Leser (Regular contributor to Good Weekend) and Daanyal Saeed (Media Writer at Crikey). Get in touch: We'd love to hear from you! Email us at ⁠⁠⁠fourthestate@2ser.com⁠⁠⁠ or tweet us at ⁠⁠⁠@fourthestateau Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices