When Truth Itself Becomes a Battlefield
September 23, 2025
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September 23, 2025
September 23, 2025 – General –
In a riveting episode of Conversations, journalist Nick McKenzie recounts how he took on Ben Roberts-Smith, one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers, in a saga spanning years of investigation, litigation, and public reckoning. McKenzie and fellow reporter Chris Masters followed rumors emerging in 2017 about executions, cover-ups, and misconduct within the Special Air Service (SAS)—Australia’s elite military unit. reporting uncovered allegations of war crimes, intimidation, and abuse, catapulting them into what was later dubbed “the defamation trial of the century.”
As the legal battle unfolded, McKenzie and Masters’ defense rested on proving truth—arguing that their allegations about Roberts-Smith’s actions in Afghanistan were justified. In 2023, a federal court agreed: it found that four of six claims about Roberts-Smith’s conduct—including killings of unarmed Afghan civilians—met the standard of “substantial truth” in defamation law. Roberts-Smith, who had sued McKenzie and others, lost his case.
Even after the verdict, tension persisted. Roberts-Smith’s legal team later sought to reopen the case, pointing to a secretly recorded conversation in which McKenzie purportedly mentioned that Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife and a friend had shared aspects of his legal strategy with the reporters. McKenzie later denied ever receiving privileged communications, insisting the “strategy” references were based on second-hand information and interlocutions with sources—not direct leaks from Roberts-Smith’s legal team.
McKenzie’s fight underscores how, in exposing powerful figures, journalism often becomes its own battleground. A pen and a camera turned into weapons—challenging narratives, enduring legal threats, and testing ethical boundaries. In this case, the battleground was not just the battlefield abroad but the courtroom, media platforms, and public conscience. And McKenzie’s recounting reminds listeners: for some journalists, seeking truth is not passive reporting—it’s war.
Reference –
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/nick-mckenzie-ben-roberts-smith-sas/105786498
