ABC Pulls Four Corners Episodes Over Misrepresented Source

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) removed two Four Corners investigations – the 2024 episode “Meth Highway” and the earlier “Cocaine Nation” – after internal reviews raised concerns that an anonymous source had been presented under different identities. Executive producer Matthew Carney said he was shocked to learn that the source, referred to as “Brendan” in one broadcast, had been depicted as a meth dealer in one episode and under another name in a separate report.

ABC stated the programs were withdrawn because of doubts about the veracity of the sources used. Reporter Mahmood Fazal, who produced the pieces, was dismissed in May and has not been given details of the broadcaster’s concerns. The ABC’s internal editorial standards team and its independent ombudsman are conducting investigations into the matter.

Carney told the masthead, “I was shocked by the contents and did my own inquiries,” and emphasized that the reports had undergone “rigorous fact check, verification and legal process.” The source himself declined comment.