The ABC has completed a review of the use of anonymous interviewees in all stories reported by Mahmood Fazal for Four Corners and Background Briefing.
Three further stories of concern have been identified: Four Corners episode “Silent Orders”, Background Briefing episode “Meet the teens at the frontline of organised crime” and a short segment contributed by Mr Fazal in the Four Corners episode “Post Code Wars” in which he says he visits a drug “trap house”.
The review found that in each of these cases ABC verification policies concerning the use of anonymous interviewees were not followed to a level that meets our editorial standards. Therefore, in order to ensure complete confidence in published content, we have taken the decision to remove them.
“Silent Orders”, “Meet the Teens” and related content will be taken down from ABC platforms. The specific segment has been edited from “Post Code Wars”. Outside of this segment the episode meets our editorial standards and will remain available online with an editor’s note.
Mr Fazal ceased employment with the ABC in May 2026. The decision to remove this content is separate to the internal investigation that occurred following Mr Fazal’s appearance on an external podcast in 2025. A separate Ombudsman’s review into Four Corners episodes “Cocaine Nation” and “Meth Highway” is underway.
The ABC is committed to journalism of the highest standard. Maintaining the trust of Australians depends on upholding those standards and we take any concerns about our journalism seriously.
Posted Mon 17 Aug 2026 at 12:00pmMon 17 Aug 2026 at 12:00pmMon 17 Aug 2026 at 12:00pm