Defamation trial and media war over Ben Roberts-Smith's alleged war crimes in Afghanistan
Consensus Summary
The articles detail the high-stakes defamation case involving Ben Roberts-Smith, a decorated Australian soldier and media executive, accused of war crimes in Afghanistan by investigative journalists Chris Masters and Nick McKenzie. Masters and McKenzie, backed by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, published allegations in 2018 that Roberts-Smith was involved in the murder of Afghan prisoners, including pushing one off a cliff and ordering killings to 'blood' soldiers. Roberts-Smith sued for defamation, arguing the claims were false and that the Afghans were insurgents killed lawfully. The case became a media spectacle, with News Corp outlets like The Australian and The West Australian fiercely defending Roberts-Smith, while Masters and McKenzie faced relentless criticism. The trial was delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19. Masters and McKenzieâs investigation was built on years of research and interviews with over 100 sources, while News Corp relied on Roberts-Smithâs side with limited independent verification. The conflict highlighted tensions between journalistic integrity and media bias, with Masters accusing News Corp of prioritizing loyalty to Roberts-Smith over thorough investigation.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Chris Masters and Nick McKenzie published articles in 2018 alleging Ben Roberts-Smith was involved in the murder or complicity in the murder of Afghan prisoners between 2009 and 2012, including kicking an unarmed and handcuffed Afghan villager off a cliff and directing killings to 'blood' soldiers.
- Ben Roberts-Smith sued for defamation in 2018, claiming the articles ruined his life and that either the Afghans were insurgents killed lawfully or he did not give orders for their deaths.
- The defamation trial was delayed until 2021 due to COVID-19 and was dubbed the 'defamation trial of the century'.
- Chris Masters is a respected investigative journalist with a history of powerful disclosures, including books like *No Front Line* and *Uncommon Soldier*, and has worked extensively with the ABCâs *Four Corners* and embedded with SASR during combat.
- Nick McKenzie is an investigative journalist who has won multiple Walkley Awards and was named Graham Perkin journalist of the year twice.
- The Australian newspaper published an article in 2017 headlined 'VC hero Ben Roberts-Smith: âI did nothing wrong in Afghanistanâ', where Roberts-Smith denied wrongdoing and called Masters 'un-Australian'.
- The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) set up an inquiry in 2016 into allegations of war crimes committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.
- Ben Roberts-Smith served six deployments in Afghanistan with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and was later appointed general manager of Seven Networkâs Queensland operations.
- Kerry Stokes, owner of Seven West Media and chair of the Australian War Memorial, bankrolled Roberts-Smithâs legal suit and supported him through media outlets like *The West Australian*.
- The Age and Sydney Morning Herald provided institutional and legal support for Masters and McKenzieâs investigation.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Chris Masters described Roberts-Smith as reacting to his questions 'like a frill-necked lizard' and noted he was 'not behaving like a man with nothing to hide'.
- Masters mentioned receiving back-channel feedback from senior journalists at News Corp, with one saying, 'Thank god I wasnât asked to follow that up.'
- Masters stated that News Corp outlets did not do the 'hard groundwork' of interviewing about 100 people, instead relying on Roberts-Smithâs side with only three or four sources.
- Masters recalled sleepless nights worrying about attacks on the soldiers who spoke out, noting they had 'lonely Anzac Days' due to being ostracized.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The articles do not explicitly contradict each other, but the tone and emphasis differ slightly in how they describe the media bias and Roberts-Smithâs legal campaign.
Source Articles
âI knew the beating was comingâ: When the Murdoch media went to war over Ben Roberts-Smith
In their new book, Getting Murdoched, Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson interview people News Corp has targeted, including journalist Chris Masters. In this exclusive extract, Masters shares his experience of News Corpâs campaign of support for Roberts-Smith.
âI knew the beating was comingâ: When the Murdoch media went to war over Ben Roberts-Smith
In their new book, Getting Murdoched, Andrew Dodd and Matthew Ricketson interview people News Corp has targeted, including journalist Chris Masters. In this exclusive extract, Masters shares his experience of News Corpâs campaign of support for Roberts-Smith.