Principal speaker
Hedley Thomas
Other speakers
Kerry O'Brien
With more than 70 million downloads, Hedley Thomas's The Teacher's Pet is the global podcast phenomenon that helped take down a killer.
In the latest instalment of Griffith University's A Better Future for All series, Kerry O'Brien talks to the award-winning investigative journalist and podcaster about the power of audio storytelling, and how his work helped take the case of Lynette Dawson's disappearance 40 years ago to a murder trial and a conviction.
They will also talk about Hedley's new podcast Shandee's Story, an investigation into the murder of a young woman. The podcast triggered the current royal commission-style inquiry into Queensland's DNA lab with remarkable revelations of murders and rapes going unsolved due to alleged lab negligence.
Kerry and Hedley will delve into what makes a true crime podcast, as well as the tricky legal minefield of reporting on an unsolved case. Where does the balance lie between uncovering the truth and introducing prejudice?
Join Kerry and Hedley as they discuss the case that captivated the world, the new avenues podcasting has opened for investigative journalism, and how his work has prompted debate about the relationship between online information and the criminal justice system.