Fourth Estate

When Caroline Baum walked through the doors of British Vogue as a young editorial assistant in the mid-1970s, London was at the centre of the fashion, literary and cultural worlds. It was there she encountered some of the era's biggest names—from photographer Helmut Newton to Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon—while discovering both the craft of storytelling that would define her career and the feminism she says underpinned it.

From there, Baum found herself working behind the scenes on the television programs of Michael Parkinson and Melvyn Bragg, two of Britain's most celebrated interviewers—and two famously mercurial personalities—witnessing firsthand the pressures, egos and power dynamics of British television.

Her career would eventually bring her to Australia, where she became one of the country's finest arts and literary interviewers. Across television, radio and print, Baum sat down with some of the world's greatest writers and thinkers, earning a reputation for conversations that were thoughtful, searching and deeply human.

As part of our ongoing profile series, Caroline Baum joins Tina Quinn to reflect on those formative years, the lessons that shaped her approach to interviewing, and the experiences that laid the foundations for a remarkable career in journalism.

She also shares, for the first time publicly, the deeply personal story behind her departure from the ABC's Between the Lines in 1997.

This is part one of a special multi-part conversation.

To learn more about Caroline's remarkable life, pick up a copy of her memoir, ⁠Only⁠.

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at fourthestate@2ser.com or follow us at @fourthestateau.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hannah Ferguson (Cheek Media), Scott Mitchell (Lamestream Media) and Daanyal Saeed (Crikey) join Tina Quinn to unpack another big week in Australian media.

This week, the panel examines the future of journalism in the age of artificial intelligence following the Andrew Olle Media Lecture, where Reuters editor-in-chief Alessandra Galloni argued AI companies should pay for the journalism that powers their products. But with Nine announcing another round of newsroom redundancies on the same day—despite recently signing an AI licensing deal with Microsoft—we ask the question many journalists are now asking: if AI is creating new revenue for publishers, why are newsrooms still getting smaller?

The panel also debates Mamamia's appointment of founder Mia Freedman's 28-year-old son, Luca Lavigne, as chief executive, and what it says about nepotism, merit and leadership in an industry still criticised for being overwhelmingly white, middle class and dominated by familiar networks.

Plus, Sarah Ferguson's now infamous interview with Barnaby Joyce, the spectacle that followed, Pauline Hanson's latest comments on domestic violence, and Karl Stefanovic's next possible podcast guest
—shock surprise or completely expected?

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

After surviving Jeffrey Epstein and helping expose one of the biggest sexual abuse scandals in modern history, Virginia Giuffre became a global symbol of courage. But her story didn't end there.

Award-winning Good Weekend senior writer Melissa Fyfe joins Fourth Estate to discuss her extraordinary investigation into the final months of Giuffre's life — examining allegations of domestic violence, coercive control and institutional failures, and what her story reveals about trauma, violence against women and the media's reporting of survivors.

We also pay tribute to one of Australian journalism's most influential and polarising figures, Derryn Hinch. Journalist and media historian Andrew Dodd reflects on Hinch's remarkable career, his battles with the courts, his move into politics, and the complicated legacy of a broadcaster who forever blurred the lines between reporting, advocacy and activism.

Further reading and listening:

Good Weekend: "Isolated, scared, forlorn: The heartbreaking final months of Virginia Giuffre's life" by Melissa Fyfe and Carla Hildebrandt.

Virginia: Melissa Fyfe and Carla Hildebrandt's four-part investigative podcast from The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Weekend.

The Conversation: "Derryn Hinch was a bombastic journalist fuelled by imperfect principles and righteous outrage" by Andrew Dodd.

This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, domestic and family violence, and suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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

This week on Fourth Estate, we unpack the biggest stories shaping Australian media, politics and journalism.

As the Royal Commission into Antisemitism turns its attention to the media, we examine the recommendations aimed at the ABC and SBS, including calls for greater oversight and more "positive" coverage of Israel. What could this mean for editorial independence, public trust and press freedom?

We also discuss the federal government's tougher social media laws, whether multi-million dollar fines can really force Big Tech companies to protect young Australians, and why tech platforms continue to escape the level of scrutiny often directed at public broadcasters.

Plus, Australia's long-running battle over gambling advertising returns. As new reforms take shape, we ask whether broadcasters have become too dependent on gambling revenue, and whether streaming platforms are poised to become the industry's next frontier.

And finally, Anthony Albanese's appearance on Nikki Osborne's Bush Deep podcast sparked days of headlines over some very awkward exchanges. We ask whether the controversy was overblown, whether politicians are increasingly choosing entertainment podcasts over rigorous journalism, and if the media's fixation on viral moments is distracting from the questions that really matter. Is "relatability" replacing scrutiny in Australian political coverage?

Joining host ⁠Tina Quinn⁠ are ⁠Mark Kenny⁠, political analyst for The Canberra Times and Professor at the Australian National University's Australian Studies Institute, and columnist for The Monthly, ⁠Karen Middleton⁠.

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

Karl Stefanovic's dramatic exit from Nine has become one of the biggest Australian media stories of the year. But is this simply the downfall of a television star, or a sign that the media landscape itself is changing?

After his podcast interview with far-right activist Tommy Robinson sparked widespread backlash, Nine ended its three-decade relationship with one of its biggest names. Now, as Stefanovic embraces podcasting and the language of "free speech", bigger questions are emerging. Can Australia support a Joe Rogan-style media model? Is controversy a viable business strategy? And where is the line between journalism, platforming and personality-driven media?

Joining Tina Quinn to unpack the saga are The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age columnist Jacqueline Maley, whose sharp analysis of the affair has sparked national debate, and Crikey Readers' Editor and Cut Through host Crystal Andrews.

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