Claims extracted
25
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
8%
2 of 25 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
ABC News (AU)'s corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
In short:
Journalist Kate McClymont has given evidence in the Alan Jones trial where she was questioned about whether her reporting on Mr Jones was profit-driven.
asserted
reporting → give → Jones
Ms McClymont spoke with three of the five complainants in the trial for stories published in late 2023 and early 2024.
asserted
McClymont → speak → 2023
Mr Jones's team has also accused her of "introducing" the words "go the grope" in her interview with one complainant.
asserted
team → accuse → complainant
The journalist whose work sparked a police investigation into broadcaster Alan Jones has been questioned about whether she had a "profit motive" to run a series of stories about the former 2GB radio host allegedly indecently assaulting young men.
uncertain
host → spark → men
Kate McClymont gave evidence on day 55 of Mr Jones's criminal trial at the NSW Local Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching.
asserted
he → give → assault
The court has heard Ms McClymont, who is a multiple Walkley Award-winning journalist and the Sydney Morning Herald's chief investigative reporter, spoke to three of the five complainants in the trial for stories published in late 2023 and early 2024.
asserted
who → hear → 2023
The defence has sought to poke holes in Ms McClymont's original reporting of the allegations against Mr Jones, some of which have since been explored during days of evidence in his criminal trial.
asserted
some → seek → trial
Mr Jones's team has also accused the journalist of "introducing" the words "go the grope" in her interview with one complainant, and has suggested her reporting influenced the allegations other complainants made later.
uncertain
complainants → accuse → allegations
Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC probed Ms McClymont about why she wrote the stories, suggesting to her that there was a "profit motive" in writing articles about a high-profile person.
"
asserted
she → probe → person
The story has to sell papers, doesn't it?" Ms Bashir asked.
asserted
Bashir → have → papers
"That's not my problem," Ms McClymont replied.
asserted
McClymont → reply → ?
"It is correct to say that higher readership numbers encourage advertisers to invest in advertising with the paper?" Ms Bashir asked.
asserted
Bashir → say → paper
"As a general proposition, yes, but that is not my role."
Ms McClymont agreed Mr Jones was viewed "by some people" as "conservative leaning".
"Alan Jones is a very public figure in New South Wales?
asserted
Jones → agree → Wales
He's a divisive figure?" Ms Bashir proposed.
asserted
Bashir → propose → ?
"If you say so," Ms McClymont replied.
asserted
McClymont → say → ?
The journalist was also asked whether any money or benefit was paid to any alleged victim of Mr Jones in exchange for their stories, which she denied.
asserted
she → ask → which
Ms McClymont confirmed she spoke to and published the allegations of three of the complainants in this criminal trial.
asserted
she → confirm → trial
She said she had no contact with two other complainants, the high-profile athlete known as Complainant M and a former up-and-coming athlete known as Complainant J.
Mr Jones's lawyers have argued throughout the trial that Ms McClymont is on one side of a media rivalry which was set on "destroying" Mr Jones.
Clip of McClymont's interview played to court
The court was played a snippet of an interview Ms McClymont conducted with Complainant C in 2023, in which he described allegations of being touched by Mr Jones in a car.
"He would go the grope?" Ms McClymont can be heard asking the man.
asserted
McClymont → say → man
"He'd go the grope," Complainant C said in reply.
asserted
C → go → reply
That phrase became part of the headline of Ms McClymont's first article about Mr Jones, which was published in December 2023.
asserted
which → become → December
Under questioning, the journalist agreed she "introduced" the words but said her interview subject repeated them, so she used them.
asserted
she → agree → them
"You used those words and then he repeated them?" Ms Bashir asked.
asserted
Bashir → use → them
"Correct," Ms McClymont said.
asserted
McClymont → say → ?
"And when you used those words, you knew that would be a catchy quote?"
asserted
that → use → words
you're having a conversation with somebody, you're not looking for sexy phrases," Ms McClymont replied.
asserted
McClymont → have → phrases
The Aporia
