Australian Story
[2] The program first aired on 29 May 1996, and since then it has continued to profile various Australian people, typically ones with a diverse background or notable reputation.
[3] As of 2013, it attracted an average audience of more than one million viewers each week, making it one of the most popular programs on ABC Television.
[7] This hybrid categorisation[7] is a result of the program's decision to present newsworthy stories without the presence of an onscreen reporter.
[8] Given it was shot predominantly outside of a studio and always without the presence of a reporter, Australian Story was originally considered to be a novelty current affairs program.
[8] The special acknowledged many notable stories covered since the program's inception, such as Hazel Hawke's Alzheimer's diagnosis, Australian actress Jacki Weaver's battle with alcoholism and Gail Shann's life in rural Queensland after losing her arms.
[10] Occasionally a high-profile person would fill this role, such one off presenters included the likes of Matt Damon, Elton John and Dawn Fraser.
[10] As a result of her departure, it was decided that episodes would no longer be introduced by a presenter,[10] although in 2023 the original format returned with Leigh Sales stepping into the role.
[1][2][7] Such critiques suggest the program has become a platform for people with high-profile stories who want to manage their image and the publicity surrounding it.
[19] It detailed the story of Scott Rush, a 20-year-old Australian male who was on trial in Bali, Indonesia for his part in a heroin smuggling attempt.
[19] Producers Helen Grasswill and Ruth Dexter chose not to disclose Rush's previous criminal misdemeanours in the episode per legal advice.
[2] Bleaney raised concerns about links between forest industry practices and the supposed presence of toxins in Tasmanian waterways.
[2] Accusations arose after the episodes aired, that they had been deliberately broadcast during the 2010 Tasmanian State Election campaign, in order to influence the result.
[2] Deborah Fleming who was Australian Story's executive producer at the time responded to such criticism by saying that the program had sought only to report concerns rather than facts.
[2] Although past public surveys have revealed that Australians rely on the ABC News and Current Affairs Department as a source of trustworthy political information.
[2] It is expected that when this department gives an issue in-depth attention, it will become legitimated and treated as a current affair rather than solely a human interest story.
[23] This was a notable episode because Australian Story had the exclusive interview with Hollingworth after a major school sex abuse scandal he had inadvertently played a part in.
[1] Whilst Hollingworth was Archbishop there were two serial pedophiles active in three Brisbane Anglican schools and the way he handled the situation was widely deemed across Australia as inappropriate.
[28] Producers Ben Cheshire and John Stewart won the TV Week Logie Award for 'Most Outstanding Public Affairs Programme' for this profile.
[5] The Australian Story special entitled "Unbreakable" detailed the experience of competitor Garry Robinson who managed to survive a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2010 and went on to compete in the Invictus Games.
[13] The profile was of great interest to Australians as it included interviews with particularly powerful men such as John Howard, Malcolm Turnbull and Richard Walsh.
