Compiled by Grace Gollasch and Tess Connery
LiSTNR and DNX Media have launched a new original docu-series podcast, The Children in The Pictures, which tells the true story of an elite team of Queensland police called Taskforce Argos.
To tell this story, LiSTNR and DNX went to court and requested the removal of a longstanding suppression order over the name of the website The Love Zone (TLZ). Producers secured special judicial approval to release the arrest tape and police interviews with the Australian kingpin running TLZ, while Argos gave access to key evidence from its investigations.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to LiSTNR head of factual and drama podcasts, Jennifer Goggin, about how The Children in The Pictures came to be.
Jennifer Goggin
How did the partnership with DNX Media come about?
Ahead of launching the LiSTNR Factual and Drama podcast unit, I spent a considerable amount of time considering what type of docu-series LiSTNR should make, and what our commissioning criteria would be.
I decided it was important that we focused on Australian people or issues that were having an impact globally, and that each podcast should always give the listener a new lens on issues happening in the world around them.
So, when Simon Nasht and Akhim Dev spoke to me about the work they had been doing to document the growth and sophistication of this horrific crime, as well as documenting the Australian Police who were leading the world in fighting these types of crimes against children, it felt like a perfect fit for us to collaborate in order to tell an engaging Australian story that would educate listeners about this issue via a podcast.
Of all the cases to cover, why were Taskforce Argos and their work the one?
Taskforce Argos is an elite team of Queensland police who lead the charge in fighting this crime type, and they are world-renowned for the innovative ways that they have been learning and combatting it.
The particular case that we do a deep-dive on throughout the series, is the infiltration, takeover, and takedown of the world’s most nefarious child abuse site: The Love Zone (TLZ), which was monumental in finding new techniques to save the child victim-survivors of the online material and to catch these types of perpetrators more effectively.
TLZ was a global dark web network of 45,000 members that was exploiting children around the world in the worst ways. What Taskforce Argos did, not only allowed them to save many children around the world, but it also led to them to begin educating investigators around the world on what they’ve learned from this case, so that other law enforcement agencies can apply it to their own ways of policing this crime and be more effective. Taskforce Argos are authorities on this subject.
Child abuse is such a heavy topic. What did you have to consider when deciding which material to air?
When you understand the prevalence, sophistication, scale and level of threat that this crime presents to children around the world, as I did via Simon and Dev’s insights, you feel a sense of urgency around sounding the alarm and educating people on the reality of it.
However, our approach was done slowly, meticulously and with care.
We wanted to make sure that our telling of the story was accurate, respectful, sensitive to victims, would not affect any pending convictions and was trauma informed. To do this, we engaged trauma-specialists, psychologists specialising in both the perpetrator and victim-survivor side of this crime and engaged police forces around the world who had worked on investigations related to The Love Zone, all of whom can be heard in the series and helped ensure we were being respectful and accurate.
On the LiSTNR production side, given the sensitivities of the content, team members were given the option to opt-into working on this series, they were under no obligation to work on it. We also made sure that the team, me included, underwent vicarious trauma counselling and received ongoing pro-active counselling calls to make sure we are getting the support we need during the release of the series.
This series was challenging to make, but we all agreed that it would be worthwhile if it meant people would better understand how to protect their children. Although the content is confronting to listen to at times, we hope people find it informative, engaging, and that it drives them to take action in speaking to the children around them about their safety.
What do you think it is about True Crime genre that has people so enthralled?
Crime was what drove the growth of newspapers and still sustains them today, it was at the centre of Shakespearean plays and is still at the centre of modern streaming services. We continue to be intrigued with crime because we are fascinated with understanding the experience of those perpetrating or being victims of things, that make up our own worst fears for ourselves.
True crime comes in many shapes and forms, but at LiSTNR, the crime content we want to make is one that is focused on educating the public on modern crimes and injustices, partnering with journalists and experts to ensure accuracy and being as victim-centred in our approach as possible because we want to tell crime stories that drive social change.
If you or anyone you know needs help please contact:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
[Listen to The Children in The Pictures here]
Osher Günsberg’s Better Than Yesterday hits 10 million downloads
Acast has announced that Osher Günsberg’s podcast Better Than Yesterday has exceeded 10 million downloads. Better Than Yesterday launched in 2013, and since joining Acast in 2018, the show’s listens have quadrupled.
Günsberg said his podcast has led to getting a book deal, doing a sold-out national tour, speaking to corporate audiences about mental health, being invited to be on charity board among other things.
“Podcasting is one of my great loves. I relish podcasting’s demand for authenticity. It cultivates an intimacy between hosts and their audiences that other mediums cannot replicate. As the show clocks 10 million downloads, it’s an excellent opportunity to take stock and reflect on the highlights,” he said.
Of the 10 million downloads, the most popular episodes include Jackie O, Urzila Carlson, Turia Pitt, and Mark Manson among others.
Since joining Acast, Better Than Yesterday has extended to a weekly column in Australia’s Men’s Health Magazine. The show was recently recorded in front of a live audience of Instagram Creators at Meta HQ in Sydney with special guests Flex Mami and Nat’s What I Reckon.
[Listen to Better Than Yesterday here]
The Powerhouse explores vibrations, fluctuations, and movements in Oscillations
The Powerhouse has released a new podcast series titled Oscillations, premiering Friday, November 4.
Oscillations is a seven-part audio series with artists who reach into the Powerhouse collection and unearth stories about the vibrations, fluctuations, and movements woven through our world – and beyond it.
From heartbeats to brainwaves, economic cycles to cosmic orbits, oscillations can be found everywhere. For this series of seven commissioned audio works, the team have invited artists, radio producers, writers and curious people into the Powerhouse collection in search of new interpretations, unresolved positions and expansive provocations – oriented around the theme of Oscillations.
Episode one features Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr man Dakota Feirer. The episode titled The Moral Frontier is a mosaic of thoughts, yarns and poetic reflections on the history of the Native Police, particularly the Native Mounted Police in Queensland.
New Aussie true crime podcast reaches #3 in podcast charts
Australian true crime podcast, One Minute Remaining has recently entered #3 on the Australian podcast charts overtaking shows like Hamish and Andy and ABC Radio’s Conversations.
Launching on September 20, One Minute Remaining quickly garnered interest around the country and globally, featuring in Apple’s ‘New & Noteworthy’ after debut and being recognised by The Daily Telegraph as one of its ‘Top 10 new podcasts’.
Host Jack Laurence speaks with inmates serving lengthy prison sentences for a range of different crimes. From arson to robbery, attempted murder and even murder itself and everything in between.
Laurence says the success has come as a shock, “In all honesty, I’ve had some really stressful nights and days worrying about the fact that I had quit a full-time job to do this. In fact, the day before it took off, I’d started looking around at what work there was available, I was getting quite nervous.
“This show is a lot of hard work, and it’s very rewarding to see it at the pointy end of the charts, we still have a lot more to do to make sure we keep delivering on the quality of each episode, but I’m going to enjoy this little moment while I can because by the time people read this we could be at #203,” he added.
[Listen to One Minute Remaining here]
Speculation Life Uncut podcast hosts to take over 3PM Pick Up
KIIS FM has axed the 3PM Pick Up, hosted by Monty Dimond, Kate Langbroek and Yumi Stynes, with the weekday radio show wrapping up at the end of the year.
The Herald Sun noted that although no replacement for the KIIS FM show has been confirmed, there is speculation Life Uncut podcast hosts Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne will take over the time slot in the new year, according to the publication.
Hockley and Byrne launched Life Uncut as a podcast in 2019 and offerings listeners a ‘nothing-off-limits’ discussion about life, love, dating, friendship and everything in between.
The duo have since developed a large following and built a supportive community online. They have also become one of Australia’s most listened to podcasts.
Their podcast success has also translated into a live radio venture. At the start of the year Life Uncut Radio Show, hosted by Hockley and Byrne with co-host Mitch Churi, launched on Saturday mornings on KIIS.
Podcast winners at the ACRA’s
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson have been crowned Best On-Air Team (FM) at the 33rd annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards (the ACRAs), announced at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.
While the ACRAs celebrated a raft of radio talent, it also acknowledged those in the podcast space. Winners of podcast awards, included:
BEST RADIO SHOW PODCAST
Jimmy & Nath; Jimmy Smith & Nath Roye, Hit 100.9, Hobart TAS, Southern Cross Austereo NM
Jonesy & Amanda’s Time Travellers Podcast; Brendan Jones, Amanda Keller, Millie Michael, Jenna Benson & Wayne Fox, WSFM, Sydney NSW, ARN M
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST – BRANDED
Project Ari; The Project Ari Team, NOVA Entertainment
BEST ORIGINAL PODCAST – UNBRANDED
Brenda, Call Me!; Nova Podcasts, NOVA Entertainment
