Murderers, fraudsters, mobsters, dodgy doctors, and corrupt politicians. Kate McClymont has exposed all manner of shady characters, and lives to tell the tale. Here, she reveals some of the perils of investigative journalism over her career, and what she sees are the threats and promises for its future.

The 2025 Brian Johns Lecture, in partnership with the Copyright Agency and Macquarie University, was recorded at the State Library of NSW on 1 May 2025.

Speakers

Kate McClymontChief investigative journalist, Sydney Morning HeraldAuthor, Dead Man Walking: The murky world of Michael McGurk and Ron Medich and He Who Must Be Obeid (with co-author Linton Besser)

John Potts (host)Professor of Media, Macquarie University