Photo via The Sydney Morning Herald

Alan Jones trial live updates: SMH journalist Kate McClymont returns to witness box in former 2GB broadcaster’s alleged indecent assault, sexual touching trial

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Cite

Sibthorpe, C., Whitbourn, M., & Alexander, H. (2026, November 4). Alan Jones trial live updates: SMH journalist Kate McClymont returns to witness box in former 2GB broadcaster’s alleged indecent assault, sexual touching trial. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/alan-jones-trial-live-updates-smh-journalist-kate-mcclymont-returns-to-witness-box-in-former-2gb-broadcaster-s-alleged-indecent-assault-sexual-touching-trial-20261104-p61b6r.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

The Sydney Morning Herald · collected 2026-11-04 · by Clare Sibthorpe, Michaela Whitbourn, Harriet Alexander
Content note This article describes sexual violence.

Quick Summary

The article provides live coverage of former radio host Alan Jones's trial in Sydney, where he faces 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent over a period from 2003 to 2020. SMH journalist Kate McClymont is testifying for the second day about her investigative reporting on these allegations against Jones; she denied any profit motive influencing her stories when cross-examined by Jones's barrister Gabrielle Bashir, SC.
Written by AI on 2026-11-04, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Kate McClymont, an investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), is giving evidence in the ongoing trial of former broadcaster Alan Jones, who faces 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants from 2003 to 2020. McClymont's reporting led to a police investigation into Jones after she published stories detailing allegations made by several men in late 2023, including claims that he groped or inappropriately touched them without consent. In court, McClymont denied having any financial motives for her reporting and stated that the alleged victims did not receive benefits from her or the media company for sharing their experiences. Jones' legal team has suggested that McClymont's work was part of a media rivalry aimed at "destroying" him. The journalist returned to testify on November 4, 2026, for a second day in the historic Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.

Written for “Alan Jones Trial Updates” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 127137 · logged 2026-11-04

Story

📰 Alan Jones Trial Updates
Crime & Law · 6 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 1 of 21 claims Outlet record 67/100
The Guardian
Hedges 1 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 2 of 25 claims Outlet record 67/100
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 4 of 67 claims Outlet record 61/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
17
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 17 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
6
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-04 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 6022 article(s) · 15 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 15 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Clare Sibthorpe
16 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 McClymont McClymont agreed under cross-examination by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, that one purpose of newspaper reporting may be an attempt to hold individuals and institutions accountable.
🔮 ‘It will be my word against him and he’s a powerful man.
🔮 Newlinds said the two residents of the house would be extremely distressed by “the loss of their house ... their lifetime of belongings, and perhaps most significantly, the cats”.
🔮 According to a police fact sheet tendered to the Supreme Court as Ballesta was granted strict bail last week, NSW Police’s child abuse squad was alerted in May to a child abuse file that was uploaded to the cloud by an email address known to them.
🔮 In another exchange, Bashir put to him that he intended to obtain as much financial assistance from Jones as he possibly could.
🔮 The court heard Jones messaged “A” that it was “very, very important” to thank his contacts for their “extraordinary generosity” and that he wouldn’t want them to think their help was being taken for granted.
🔮 - Tenants who rely on credit cards to pay their rent could soon be forced into arrears, advocates warn, after a major rental payment platform blocked the method of payment in response to a new ban on card surcharge fees.
🔮 I survived something that broke parts of me I may never fully get back …
🔮 Allan would cook for the near-daily prominent guests, serving lunches that became dinners and weekend feasts when Jones was off-air.
🔮 What could I do?’ ” the woman said, adding she told him “that’s awful”.
Also by Clare Sibthorpe
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 16 articles by Clare Sibthorpe →
Michaela Whitbourn
33 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 McClymont McClymont agreed under cross-examination by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, that one purpose of newspaper reporting may be an attempt to hold individuals and institutions accountable.
🔮 Freund had lodged a complaint against Allen with the watchdog in May this year alleging he bullied her over an 18-month period, according to documents filed by her lawyers in court.
🔮 Beau Lamarre-Condon texted a friend a day before he allegedly murdered Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies suggesting that he may not “get to talk to you again”, a court has heard.
🔮 “I then instructed my solicitors to make contact with the DPP and officer in charge to inform them that I’m willing to assist with a statement regarding Elizabeth’s involvement in the matter.
🔮 Lamarre-Condon said the second person “wasn’t even meant to be shot” but he couldn’t leave any witnesses, the man said.
🔮 I was running a tad late or I would have loved to chat for longer.
🔮 “My kids needed stuff for school and I couldn’t afford it.”
🔮 She said they subsequently spoke on the phone and he “asked me if I could do him a favour”.
🔮 He said that “the original shot would have been discharged at a very similar distance” of between five and ten centimetres from the door.
🔮 Moon said there was one officer who had the same type of cartridge, meaning it was “possibly a cartridge that may have been distributed to NSW Police at some time”.
Also by Michaela Whitbourn
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 33 articles by Michaela Whitbourn →
Harriet Alexander
10 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction
🔮 McClymont McClymont agreed under cross-examination by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, that one purpose of newspaper reporting may be an attempt to hold individuals and institutions accountable.
🔮 Cox's comments, with a week to go until the midterms, will sink like a stone in the Jackson camp.
🔮 ' When Trump said he would be 'a dictator on day one,' Watters dismissed it as a joke.
🔮 Republican Ken Paxton, 63, three-term Texas attorney general, has been urging his supporters to keep their faith with the MAGA marvel as he eyes a seat in the Texas Senate If elected, James Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative and former middle school teacher, would be the first Democrat elected by Texans to the Senate in 33 years On Monday night he was in a school gymnasium, positioned in the middle of the arena surrounded by an estimated 1,450 people who his team showed on social media lining up around the block to get inside.
🔮 'The university conducted an extensive investigation and adjudication over several months and imposed different sanctions based on the findings and circumstances involving each student,' the university said, adding that some of the seven men were suspended or expelled - but they could not disclose which.
🔮 “People who hold positions of authority in licensed venues are expected to demonstrate integrity, professionalism and respect,” Agreres said.
Also by Harriet Alexander
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 10 articles by Harriet Alexander →

Topics

Herald Jones NSW Sydney The Sydney Morning Herald’s

Subjects

McClymont PERSON · 8× Jones PERSON · 6× Bashir PERSON · 3× Alan Jones PERSON · 1× Gabrielle Bashir PERSON · 1× Herald ORG · 1× Kate McClymont PERSON · 1× NSW GPE · 1× Sydney GPE · 1× The Sydney Morning Herald’s ORG · 1×

Narrative

McClymont was called to give evidence by the Crown because she spoke to three of the complainants, dubbed “C”, “A” and “H” to protect their identities, when she was investigating allegations against the former broadcaster.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-04

Claims (17 extracted, 0 hedged)

Today, The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, returns to the witness box for a second day of evidence. asserted
reporter → return → evidence
Jones, 85, is standing trial on 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants between 2003 and 2020. asserted
Jones → stand → 2003
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies the alleged physical acts occurred. asserted
acts → plead → charges
All five complainants have now given evidence in court. asserted
complainants → give → court
McClymont was called to give evidence by the Crown because she spoke to three of the complainants, dubbed “C”, “A” and “H” to protect their identities, when she was investigating allegations against the former broadcaster. asserted
she → call → broadcaster
The Herald published a series of reports by McClymont about Jones in late 2023 and early 2024. asserted
Herald → publish → 2023
Her reporting triggered a police investigation and McClymont gave a statement to police in June 2024. asserted
McClymont → trigger → June
Jones was arrested in November that year. asserted
Jones → arrest → November
During cross-examination on Tuesday by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, McClymont was asked if there was a “profit motive” for newspaper articles. asserted
McClymont → ask → articles
“The story has to sell papers, doesn’t it?” Bashir asked. asserted
Bashir → have → papers
“That’s not my problem, no,” McClymont replied. asserted
McClymont → ’ → ?
“Stories are published to increase the readership of print papers [and] to get clicks online,” Bashir said. asserted
Bashir → publish → clicks
“No,” McClymont replied. asserted
McClymont → reply → ?
Bashir pressed that higher readership numbers encourage advertisers to invest in the newspaper. asserted
numbers → press → newspaper
“As a general proposition, yes, but that is not my role,” McClymont said. asserted
McClymont → say → proposition
McClymont said she did not know what impact her reporting on Jones had on readership figures or subscriptions. asserted
reporting → say → figures
She agreed that Jones is a very public figure in NSW. asserted
Jones → agree → NSW
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