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New podcast to investigate harassment and abuse in the Australian music industry

By | Published on Thursday 26 August 2021

As both Sony Music and Universal Music continue with investigations into allegations regarding toxic corporate cultures at their respective Australian divisions, a new five part podcast will put the spotlight on “serious allegations of harassment, abuse and assault in the Australian music industry”.

Australian company Schwartz Media will begin publishing the new series called ‘Everybody Knows’ from next week. Its presenter, investigative journalist Ruby Jones, says: “This series is an investigation into the underbelly of the Australian music industry, the harassment, abuse and misogyny that’s been allowed to flourish there for years. But my investigation doesn’t stop there”.

“I want to know why, four years on from #MeToo, so little has changed for women in Australia”, she adds. “How the law, journalistic failures and a culture of ‘boys will be boys’ has combined to make speaking about abuse so impossible. How is it that everybody knows about the crimes being committed and yet nothing changes?”

Name-checking the company’s daily news podcast 7am, the Head Of Audio at Schwartz Media, Osman Faruqi, says: “With ‘Everybody Knows’, we’re bringing the same compelling, narrative storytelling format we use every day on 7am to a long-form, investigative series. We think it sets a new benchmark for quality audio journalism in Australia”.

“Ruby is a brilliant host of 7am”, he goes on, “but she’s also an extraordinary journalist in her own right. We’d been looking for the right opportunity to unleash some of those skills, and ‘Everybody Knows’ is it”.

Sony Music announced back in June that it was investigating allegations of sexual harassment and intimidating behaviour at its Australian business. The announcement followed the sudden departure of the long-time boss of Sony Music Australia, Denis Handlin, who isn’t accused of harassment himself, but has been criticised for overseeing such a toxic working environment.

Universal Music then confirmed earlier this month that it had also launched an internal investigation into inappropriate behaviour at its Australian offices.

‘Everybody Knows’ will start appearing on all the main podcast platforms from next Wednesday.



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