The Aporia · Live: Journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in Alan Jones case

Kate McClymont, an investigative journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald, is providing evidence in the criminal trial of broadcaster Alan Jones. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching involving five men. The article reports that McClymont published stories in late 2023 based on interviews with several men who alleged abuse by Jones; some of these interviewees did not file complaints but spoke to her before doing so. Today, she faces questioning from both the prosecution and defense regarding her reporting process and interactions with potential complainants and Jones himself.

Written by AI on 2026-11-03, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

On November 2, 2026, Kate McClymont, chief investigative reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, gave evidence at the ongoing trial of former broadcaster Alan Jones. Jones, aged 85, is facing 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants from incidents between 2003 and 2020. McClymont's reporting in late 2023 led to multiple men coming forward with allegations against Jones, which prompted police to form Strike Force Bonnefin.

McClymont testified that the alleged victims she interviewed received no benefit from her or the media company for sharing their stories and that she always sought comment from Jones and his legal team before publication. During questioning by Mr. Jones’s defense, McClymont acknowledged speaking with three of the five complainants but denied having a "profit motive" behind her reporting.

The trial has seen extensive debate over McClymont's journalistic practices, with Mr. Jones's lawyers arguing that she was part of a media rivalry aimed at damaging his reputation. The defense also accused McClymont of introducing specific language in interviews with complainants, such as the phrase "go the grope."

Written for “Alan Jones Trial Updates” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.

No political leaning scored for article 124323 · logged 2026-11-03

📰 Alan Jones Trial Updates

Crime & Law · 4 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Alan Jones trial live updates: SMH journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in former 2GB broadcaster’s alleged indecent assault, sexual touching trial Same event

The Sydney Morning Herald

Hedges 0 of 5 claims Outlet record 61/100

Investigative journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in Alan Jones indecent assault trial Same event

The Guardian

Hedges 1 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100

Journalist denies 'profit motive' for running Alan Jones stories Same event

ABC News (AU)

Hedges 2 of 25 claims Outlet record 68/100

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Ethan Rix

9 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 She will face questions from the Crown first, about her involvement in reporting on Mr Jones's alleged conduct.

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Live: Journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in Alan Jones case

🔮 Cameron will be sentenced in December.

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · 'I was terrified, you had a knife', victim tells 'Moore Park rapist' in court

🔮 Sydney man recalls moment of being set alight at Prince of Wales Hospital In short: A man said he "thought it was water" when he was doused in accelerant and set alight this week at a Sydney hospital. Radovan Banic told the ABC he was glad he was targeted, and not someone who "couldn't defend themselves" in the Prince of Wales Hospital. What's next? Raymond Dungay was charged with two counts of attempted murder and did not apply for bail in court.

2026-10-15 · assertive framing · Patient recounts moment he was set on fire at Sydney hospital

🔮 "Isn't it that the case that your intention was on obtaining as much financial assistance from Mr Jones as you possibly could?" Ms Bashir suggested.

2026-10-08 · assertive framing · Emails between Alan Jones and 17yo schoolboy read to court

🔮 "I went in there [the bathroom] with a loofah, I just soaked it and scrubbed my mouth as much as I could," he said.

2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Alan Jones kiss left 17yo feeling 'violated', court told

🔮 "She was answering all the [emergency operator's] questions that I couldn't answer, and doing all the things to make sure that this guy was OK."

2026-09-25 · assertive framing · Why young officer's death hit 'like a gut punch' for one Sydney local

🔮 "If Alan Jones was brought up in a conversation you could visibly see [Complainant M's] body language change."

2026-09-18 · assertive framing · Alan Jones trial hears of 'sharp shift' in athlete's relationship with him

🔮 "What I may not be able to give is who was sitting at my table … what direction I was facing.

2026-09-17 · mixed framing · Athlete tells court he can't get alleged Alan Jones kiss 'out of my memory'

🔮 The engineer said two from his group of seven, a driver and cook, were not as lucky and were swept away in the flood waters before they could reach higher ground.

2026-09-05 · assertive framing · 'Please run': Nepali engineer reveals steps that saved him from floods

Also by Ethan Rix

'I was terrified, you had a knife', victim tells 'Moore Park rapist' in court

2026-10-19 · ABC News (AU)

Patient recounts moment he was set on fire at Sydney hospital

2026-10-15 · ABC News (AU)

Emails between Alan Jones and 17yo schoolboy read to court

2026-10-08 · ABC News (AU)

Alan Jones kiss left 17yo feeling 'violated', court told

2026-10-06 · ABC News (AU)

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 9 articles by Ethan Rix →

Isobel Roe

10 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 She said she had no contact with two other complainants, the high-profile athlete known as Complainant M and a former up-and-coming athlete known as Complainant J. Mr Jones's lawyers have argued throughout the trial that Ms McClymont is on one side of a media rivalry which was set on "destroying" Mr Jones. Clip of McClymont's interview played to court The court was played a snippet of an interview Ms McClymont conducted with Complainant C in 2023, in which he described allegations of being touched by Mr Jones in a car. "He would go the grope?" Ms McClymont can be heard asking the man.

2026-11-03 · assertive framing · Journalist denies 'profit motive' for running Alan Jones stories

🔮 She will face questions from the Crown first, about her involvement in reporting on Mr Jones's alleged conduct.

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Live: Journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in Alan Jones case

🔮 Mr Jones's trial has been delayed temporarily due to illness in the defence team, but will return on November 2.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Accuser tells court Alan Jones was 'generous' for many years

🔮 "You were taking advantage of Mr Jones's generosity for as long as you could," Ms O'Neill put to the woman.

2026-10-23 · assertive framing · Accuser's mother denies taking advantage of Jones's generosity

🔮 "I was in a web of dependency with Mr Jones… so a crisis would come up, and I would ask for advice."

2026-10-22 · assertive framing · Mother trapped in 'web of dependency' with Alan Jones, court hears

🔮 "I went in there [the bathroom] with a loofah, I just soaked it and scrubbed my mouth as much as I could," he said.

2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Alan Jones kiss left 17yo feeling 'violated', court told

🔮 Complainant H will continue to give evidence as the trial proceeds.

2026-09-22 · mixed framing · 'Disgusting': Complainant H alleges Alan Jones touched his bottom

🔮 "If Alan Jones was brought up in a conversation you could visibly see [Complainant M's] body language change."

2026-09-18 · assertive framing · Alan Jones trial hears of 'sharp shift' in athlete's relationship with him

🔮 "What I may not be able to give is who was sitting at my table … what direction I was facing.

2026-09-17 · mixed framing · Athlete tells court he can't get alleged Alan Jones kiss 'out of my memory'

Also by Isobel Roe

Journalist denies 'profit motive' for running Alan Jones stories

2026-11-03 · ABC News (AU)

Accuser tells court Alan Jones was 'generous' for many years

2026-10-28 · ABC News (AU)

Accuser's mother denies taking advantage of Jones's generosity

2026-10-23 · ABC News (AU)

Mother trapped in 'web of dependency' with Alan Jones, court hears

2026-10-22 · ABC News (AU)

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 10 articles by Isobel Roe →

live Live updates of SMH journalist Kate McClymont's evidence in Alan Jones trial The investigative journalist whose stories kicked off a police investigation into broadcaster Alan Jones has been called to give evidence in his criminal trial. asserted

stories → kick → trial

Mr Jones has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching relating to five men, many of whom spoke to Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) journalist Kate McClymont before they made a police complaint. asserted

they → plead → complaint

The reporter published a series of stories from late 2023 that contained accounts from a number of men who alleged Mr Jones indecently assaulted them. asserted

Jones → publish → them

Live updates Sexual assault support services: - NSW Health Sexual Assault Services - NSW Sexual Violence Helpline on 1800 424 017 - NSW Victims Services on 1800 633 063 - Bravehearts (support for child sexual abuse survivors) on 1800 272 831 - MARS Australia (for men affected by rape and sexual abuse) on (07) 3857 1222 - National Survivors Foundation on 1300 124 433 New: Filters Choose what information you see below by using filters Proceedings underway We’ve got straight into it this morning, with Ms McClymont answering questions about an article outlining allegations of abuse against Mr Jones in December 2023. asserted

McClymont → affect → December

The reporter confirms she sought comment from Mr Jones by text and email two days before the first story was published in the Sydney Morning Herald. asserted

story → confirm → Herald

Ms McClymont says she did not receive a response from Mr Jones, but she thought she get a response from his lawyers. asserted

she → say → lawyers

McClymont arrives at court Kate McClymont arrived at court to a large media pack. asserted

McClymont → arrive → pack

Asked how she was feeling about today's evidence, the journalist responded, "fine." asserted

journalist → ask → evidence

Word appears to have got around that Ms McClymont was due to give evidence, because the courtroom has once again attracted members of the public, as well as a larger contingent of media. asserted

courtroom → appear → media

She will face questions from the Crown first, about her involvement in reporting on Mr Jones's alleged conduct. asserted

She → face → conduct

She will then be cross-examined by Mr Jones's defence team, who has accused her, among others, of being part of a media conspiracy to bring down their client. asserted

who → cros → client

Key Event What has the court heard so far? asserted

court → hear → What

This case is being heard in the local court in a judge-only trial. asserted

case → hear → trial

The court has previously heard in relation to McClymont: - Complainant C agreed to meet her in 2023 after she contacted him about his experiences with Mr Jones - asserted

she → hear → Jones

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) published an article about Mr Jones in December 2023 detailing allegations against him - asserted

Herald → publish → him

McClymont also spoke to or contacted 2GB employees and an ex-politician during research into the story - asserted

McClymont → speak → story

Author and journo Peter FitzSimons said he spoke to Complainant C about his experience with Mr Jones. asserted

he → say → Jones

FitzSimons said he passed his notes from the call onto McClymont - asserted

he → say → McClymont

Complainant H reached out to McClymont after her coverage. asserted

H → reach → coverage

His allegations were published in May 2024 in the SMH McClymont to give evidence soon Welcome to live coverage of investigative journalist Kate McClymont's evidence in court today. uncertain

McClymont → publish → court

The author and award-winning reporter is giving evidence about her coverage of allegations against the defendant in the Sydney Morning Herald. asserted

author → win → Herald

Live: Journalist Kate McClymont gives evidence in Alan Jones case

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Claims (21 extracted, 1 hedged)