21 charges face Alan Jones as journalist testifies

Former broadcaster Alan Jones is facing 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching against five men as the Sydney Morning Herald's chief investigative reporter took the stand to describe her role in uncovering the allegations. Kate McClymont testified on Tuesday at the Downing Centre local court in Sydney.

McClymont stated that the men she interviewed did not receive any benefit from her or the media company for sharing their accounts. She confirmed to the court that she contacted three alleged victims and kept their stories confidential from one another. The prosecutor, Georgina Wright, agreed with this assessment during the evidence-in-chief.

The court heard that police established Strike Force Bonnefin after McClymont's articles in the Herald and the Age prompted more victims to come forward. These publications appeared in December 2023. McClymont said she always sought comment from Jones and his legal team via text and email before publishing her findings.

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC cross-examined McClymont regarding the media's motivation for the story. Bashir asked if special investigations under McClymont's name sell newspapers. McClymont replied that readership and advertising metrics were irrelevant to her work as a journalist. The defence cited call logs and emails between McClymont and colleagues, including columnist Peter FitzSimons and reporter Jennifer Duke, dating back to 2017.

In an email following a conversation with a man identified as complainant C, McClymont wrote, "We have another one." Bashir argued in her opening statement that McClymont and FitzSimons were looking for a story driven by the hatred and jealousy of Jones's 2GB radio rival, Ray Hadley. McClymont countered that FitzSimons had been working on the matter since October 2017.

Jones, 85, was supported in court by men's rights activist Bettina Arndt and defamation lawyer Paul Svilans from Mark O'Brien Legal. McClymont was supported by SMH editor Jordan Baker and deputy editor Nick Ralston. The former radio host was arrested in late 2024 at his city apartment after a long investigation by New South Wales police.

Jones had been retired from his breakfast radio show on 2GB, which paid him $4 million a year, for four years at the time of his arrest. His radio career ended abruptly in 2020 after on-air incidents caused the station to lose advertisers and revenue. The hearing before Judge Glenn Walsh continues.