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Journalist explains texts about Alan Jones investigation in court
Investigative journalist Kate McClymont was questioned in a Sydney court about texts and a phone call concerning the investigation into Alan Jones. She said her phrase “an absolute nail in the coffin” referred to new information for her story, not harm to Jones, as his trial on sexual assault charges continues.
McClymont told the court that Jones’s youngest alleged victim had spoken to police as a teenager, contrary to what police had previously told her. She acknowledged texting the alleged victim’s mother that she hoped “the shit does hit the fan for him”, with two poo emojis, and messaging a police media contact that she could hardly wait for Jones’s arrest. Jones denies 21 counts relating to alleged assaults on five men between 2003 and 2020; McClymont is due back in court on Thursday.
In short
- McClymont said “nail in the coffin” referred to her story.
- She acknowledged texts anticipating developments in the Jones investigation.
- Jones denies 21 charges involving five men.
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The case for
The messages can reasonably be seen as signs that McClymont had formed a strong personal view about Jones before publishing, raising questions about her impartiality and whether her reporting crossed from investigating allegations into anticipating a particular outcome. In a criminal case, scrutiny of a journalist’s communications can help test the reliability and fairness of the reporting, while the charges remain allegations that Jones denies.
The case against
McClymont’s explanation is that “an absolute nail in the coffin” referred to information strengthening her story, and the messages expressed hope for an arrest rather than evidence of fabrication or influence over the case. Journalists can express private frustration while still reporting accurately, and close examination of their communications should not be treated as proof of wrongdoing or as a reason to discount the alleged victims’ accounts.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Kate McClymont questioned over ‘nail in the coffin’ and poo emoji texts at Alan Jones trial”.