Four Corners is an Australian investigative journalism and current affairs documentary television program. Broadcast on ABC TV, it premiered on 19 August 1961 and is Australia's longest-running current affairs television program.
Originally a magazine program combining filmed reports and studio interviews, it developed a format centred on an extended report on a single subject. Its coverage includes politics, business and social issues in Australia and overseas. Investigations have contributed to public inquiries, including the Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption in Queensland. The program has also been the subject of disputes over political bias and editorial standards.
Four Corners has received Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, and Logie Awards. In 1992, it became the first television program inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.
History Four Corners is based on the concept of British current affairs program Panorama. Its founding producer was Robert Raymond, and its first presenter was Michael Charlton. The first broadcast was at 8.30 pm on Saturday 19 August 1961, and the first 17 episodes were presented live. The original magazine format brought together several filmed stories and studio interviews in each edition.
Within weeks of its debut, the program reported on living conditions at the Box Ridge Aboriginal reserve near Casino, New South Wales. The report prompted public complaints and a specially convened meeting of the New South Wales cabinet. A 1963 report questioned the political neutrality of the Returned Services League, provoking further controversy.
During the 1980s, the program adopted a format concentrating on one subject per edition. Jonathan Holmes became executive producer in 1982, after a period in which the program's continuation had been in doubt. Its running time and broadcast slot changed during the decade; by the late 1980s it was a 45-minute program broadcast on Monday evenings.
The program celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021. A retrospective edition was broadcast on 16 August, accompanied by an online collection of reports from the program's archive.
Notable episodes In sharp contrast to print media, television was the medium for critical accounts of Australia's role in the war in Vietnam. Four Corners, regardless of modest ratings, favoured the viewpoint of the antiwar and anti-conscription movements.
1980s In 1983, Four Corners aired allegations that then New South Wales Premier Neville Wran had tried to influence the magistracy over the dropping of fraud charges against Kevin Humphreys, charged with misappropriation of funds from the Balmain Leagues Club. Wran stood down and the Street Royal Commission, headed by the Chief Justice of NSW, Sir Laurence Street, was set up to inquire into this matter. Street found that the chief magistrate, Murray Farquhar, had used the Premier's name to get the Humphreys case dismissed, but exonerated Wran of any involvement. Farquhar was subsequently sent to prison.
Together with articles in The Courier-Mail, a 1987 Four Corners story entitled "The Moonlight State" reported on police corruption in Queensland. The subsequent Royal Commission, known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry, found systematic corruption in various levels of government and led to the jailing of police commissioner Terry Lewis, and the resignation and subsequent criminal trial of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
The program has investigated other cases of corruption in the New South Wales and Victorian police forces. Another report from 1985 helped to reveal that the French secret service had been responsible for the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.
2000s A 2006 episode titled "Greenhouse Mafia" exposed the influence of the fossil fuel lobby on Australian climate change policy.
In March 2009, an episode titled "The Dishonouring of Marcus Einfeld" aired; it detailed the events leading up to the conviction and sentencing of an Australian former federal court judge, Marcus Einfeld. Einfeld was convicted on charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice over a speeding ticket.
"The Code of Silence", which aired 11 May 2009, was an investigative report on the attitudes towards and the treatment of women by National Rugby League players. The report focused primarily on two incidents involving NRL players and women who felt they had been exploited sexually. The mainstream media reported heavily on the subject for a number of weeks following the airing of "The Code of Silence".
The Four Corners website has also won multiple awards, including two Walkley Awards and three AIMIA Awards for its Broadband Editions of the programs, which include exclusive interviews, analysis and background information on selected programs.
2010s On 8 March 2010, a program was aired about the controversial Church of Scientology, with ex-members speaking about abuse and inhumane treatment such as coerced abortions and disconnection. The program was of note due to Church spokesperson Tommy Davis "categorically [denying]" all allegations put forward by ex-members. All interviews were conducted by Four Corners journalist Quentin McDermott, and aired the same week that a Parliamentary vote was held for an inquiry into the Church after South Australian senator Nick Xenophon brought Church abuse to light in November 2009.
On 30 May 2011, the program aired an exposé of cruelty inflicted on Australian cattle exported to Indonesian abattoirs. As a result, there was a public outcry about the practices and a petition launched by activist group GetUp! received more than 10,000 signatures overnight. This petition has received over 200,000 signatures. The next day, independent MP Andrew Wilkie and independent senator Nick Xenophon lobbied for an immediate ban on live export to Indonesia, which was backed by the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig. There was an immediate ban on the abattoirs featured in the Four Corners program, followed by a six-month ban on all live trade to Indonesia.
In June 2014, Four Corners aired the episode Being Me, which followed a transgender child and presented the gender-affirming medical model as a positive and necessary pathway. The episode featured Dr Michelle Telfer, then director of adolescent medicine at the Royal Children's Hospital, as an advocate for gender transition in youth.
In February 2015, Four Corners uncovered widespread live baiting in the greyhound racing industry. The investigation revealed the use of live piglets, possums and rabbits to train racing greyhounds in three states. The revelation led to suspensions, resignations, inquiries and condemnation of the practice. The NSW Greyhound racing board was dismissed, and the Queensland Government dissolved all the Racing Queensland boards.
On 28 March 2016, Four Corners in an episode called "State of Fear: Murder and Money in Malaysia", aired allegations about large sums of money going into the bank accounts of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.
On 26 July 2016, Four Corners aired footage of systematic physical and verbal abuse of young Indigenous children and teenagers in the Northern Territory at Don Dale Youth Detention Centre. The episode caused outrage from the Australian public, prompting prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to announce a Royal Commission into the abuse occurring in the Northern Territory. The episode resulted in the NT Corrections Minister, John Elferink, being stood down from his position.
On 4 February 2019, Four Corners aired a report documenting the status of women's rights in Saudi Arabia. The episode included Rahaf Mohammed who eventually found asylum in Canada, Dina Ali Lasloom who was unsuccessful in her attempt to secure asylum in Australia, and activists Mona Eltahawy and Manal al-Sharif.
2020s On 16 March 2020, the program aired a report documenting allegations of war crimes, including execution of war prisoners, by members of Australia's Special Air Service Regiment deployed to Afghanistan.
On 9 November 2020, "Inside the Canberra Bubble", reported by Louise Milligan, examined allegations of sexism and inappropriate conduct in federal politics. Communications Minister Paul Fletcher subsequently asked the ABC board to explain the report's newsworthiness and impartiality. Its journalists defended the investigation as being in the public interest.
In 2021, ABC managing director David Anderson delayed a Four Corners story about the relationship between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and a supporter of QAnon. The report, "The Great Awakening", aired on 14 June 2021. Morrison denied any involvement in or support for QAnon.
The two-part report "Fox and the Big Lie", broadcast on 23 and 30 August 2021, examined Fox News and the 2020 United States presidential election. In December 2022, the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that the report breached the ABC's standards on accuracy, through two misleading omissions, and fair dealing with a participant. It found no breach of the impartiality standards. The ABC disputed the adverse findings.
On 14 March 2022, "State Control", reported by Anne Connolly, examined public trustee and guardianship systems, including fees charged to people whose finances were managed by state agencies and restrictions on their ability to make decisions. The Queensland government announced two investigations into its Public Trustee following the broadcast.
On 5 September 2022, "Flight Risk: The inside story of the chaos at Qantas", reported by Stephen Long, examined Qantas's cost cutting, outsourcing and industrial relations amid disruption as air travel recovered from COVID-19 restrictions. Current and former employees linked service problems to staffing reductions and raised safety concerns. Qantas said its safety standards had not been compromised and attributed operational problems to industry-wide labour shortages and staff illness. The Sydney Morning Herald business columnist Stephen Bartholomeusz criticised the report for insufficiently comparing Qantas with other airlines experiencing disruption.
On 19 February 2024, "Super Power: The cost of living with Coles and Woolworths", reported by Angus Grigg, examined supermarket pricing, competition and relations with suppliers. The chief executives of Coles and Woolworths denied price gouging. Woolworths chief executive Brad Banducci briefly left his interview before returning to complete it.
On 17 March 2025, "Betrayal of Trust: Australia's Childcare Crisis", reported by Adele Ferguson, examined allegations of abuse and neglect in childcare centres and failures in regulation. It won the 2025 Logie Award for Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report.
Awards The program has won many awards for investigative journalism. By its 60th anniversary in 2021, it had received 62 Walkley Awards, including seven Gold Walkley awards, and 23 Logie Awards. In 1992, it became the first television program inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.
+ Selected Gold Walkley awards for reporting broadcast on Four Corners Year Report or investigation Recipients Reference 2011 "A Bloody Business" Sarah Ferguson, Michael Doyle and Anne Worthington 2014 "Banking Bad" (with Fairfax Media) Adele Ferguson, Deb Masters and Mario Christodoulou 2015 "Making a Killing" Caro Meldrum-Hanna, Sam Clark and Max Murch 2020 "Killing Field" Mark Willacy and the ABC Investigations–Four Corners team 2022 "State Control" Anne Connolly, Ali Russell and Stephanie Zillman 2025 Childcare investigation (across Four Corners, 7.30 and ABC News online) Adele Ferguson and Chris Gillett
Hosts Michael Charlton, 1961 Mike Willesee, 1969–1971 Caroline Jones, 1973–1981 Andrew Olle, 1985–1994 Liz Jackson, 1995–1999, 2005–2010 Kerry O'Brien, 2011–2015 Sarah Ferguson, 2016–2018 Michael Brissenden, 2019–present
Producers Robert Moore (1965–1967) Sam Lipski (1968) Paul Lyneham (1980–1981) Bruce Belsham (executive producer, 2002–2007)