Four Corners

For decades we've been told that we can do our bit for the environment by recycling our waste. But as Four Corners revealed in 2017, much of Australia's recycling operations have been effectively a sham with mountains of waste being stockpiled with nowhere to go. Now, in this revealing investigation from PBS Frontline, the actions of the American plastics industry are laid bare. The program shows how over decades clever marketing campaigns were created to persuade consumers they should carry the burden of plastic pollution, by recycling, rather than expecting industry to reduce the amount of plastic it manufactured.

Around Australia a vocal band of activists have joined a worldwide protest movement against the arrival of the next generation in wireless technology known as 5G. Activists claim 5G is an invisible and potentially deadly health hazard, blaming the radiation emitted by the technology for a range of long-term health problems. Four Corners investigates these claims, exploring how the technology works and examining the scientific studies undertaken into whether the technology is actually a threat to our health. The program investigates the rise of the anti-5G movement and the spread of wild conspiracy theories tying the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic to the 5G rollout. Piecing together the viral spread of these theories, the program uncovers a sophisticated misinformation campaign.

The financial scandal and human cost of Australia's failing workers compensation schemes. Workers compensation is supposed to be a safety net designed to return injured employees to the workplace and provide assistance to those so badly hurt that they can no longer hold down a job. Australian workers are guaranteed these protections by law, but there is disturbing evidence the system is failing badly. Reporter Adele Ferguson reveals the scandalous state of workers compensation schemes in Australia, in a joint Four Corners, the Age and Sydney Morning Herald investigation.