Will Partlett speaks with Nick Feik, former editor of The Monthly, about the role investigative journalism plays in Australia’s integrity puzzle.

They discuss:

• Why difficult stories often need sustained public attention before they produce reform
• How reporting on Tasmania’s Ashley Youth Detention Centre and Robodebt exposed deeper institutional failures
• Why public inquiries, parliamentary pressure and civil society all matter to accountability

The episode also examines the challenges facing investigative journalists, including defamation law, short media cycles and governments’ ability to delay or manage demands for reform.

Full show notes:

00:00 Intro

02:40 Media economics and scarcity

04:59 The accountability cycle explained

06:40 Tasmania’s abuse investigation

11:12 Power and reform networks

12:14 Working with crossbenchers

13:45 The limits of royal commissions

19:05 Defamation and its chilling effect

23:02 Robodebt as a case study

26:59 The NACC and public accountability

28:34 Why details take time

29:27 Closing takeaways