News Corp Australia has unveiled a new daily podcast, The Mushroom Cook: The Trial, offering audiences daily coverage and exclusive insights from inside one of Australia’s most high-profile criminal trials.
Led by the Herald Sun’s award-winning investigative team, the series centres on the trial of Erin Patterson, who is facing three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in Victoria’s Supreme Court.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which relate to a fatal family lunch in rural Victoria in 2023 that captured national and global headlines.
Spearheaded by investigative journalist Brooke Grebert-Craig, court reporter Laura Placella, and Gold Walkley-winning reporter Anthony Dowsley, The Mushroom Cook: The Trial is designed to keep true crime fans, courtroom watchers and general news consumers glued to their headphones and screens throughout the legal proceedings.
Erin Patterson
Premium storytelling meets platform power
The project blends audio, video, and editorial formats, with daily podcast episodes available for free across major platforms, while deeper coverage, interactive features, court updates, and subscriber-only articles, will be available to digital subscribers of the Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-Mail, and The Advertiser.
Herald Sun editor Sam Weir said the initiative underlines the masthead’s ambition to lead national coverage of the trial with round-the-clock access and multi-platform reporting.
“The Mushroom Cook: The Trial will keep listeners up to date with the latest from inside the courtroom as Erin Patterson faces trial for the murders and attempted murder of four family members,” Weir said.
“The Herald Sun has positioned itself as the place to come for the latest in the case that has gripped the nation and the world. Our team of journalists will bring listeners the latest from inside the courtroom each day.”
With true crime ranking consistently among the most downloaded podcast genres, News Corp’s offering is poised to capitalise on growing listener interest in legal storytelling and real-time reporting.
The daily episodic format also increases dwell time and repeat audience engagement.
To listen to the podcast and for more information on the case, go to themushroomcook.com.au