Personal text messages between Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, have been splashed over the news for days – reopening questions about the lead up to the interview when Higgins first went public with the allegation she was raped in a ministerial office.

The Coalition says the texts show evidence of “collusion” and “weaponisation” on the part of the Labor government.

But as the political scandal spirals, the source of the texts, the motives for the leak and the consequences of them being published have remained mostly unexamined.

Today, contributing editor of The Politics at The Monthly online, Rachel Withers, on the leak of Brittany Higgins’s texts, and what it really proves about our media.

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram

Guest: Contributing editor to The Politics at themonthly.com.au, Rachel Withers.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.