Journalist denies 'profit motive' for running Alan Jones stories

The journalist whose work sparked a police investigation into broadcaster Alan Jones has been questioned about whether she had a "profit motive" to run a series of stories about the former 2GB radio host allegedly indecently assaulting young men.

Kate McClymont gave evidence on day 55 of Mr Jones's criminal trial at the NSW Local Court, where he has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching.

The court has heard Ms McClymont, who is a multiple Walkley Award-winning journalist and the Sydney Morning Herald's chief investigative reporter, spoke to three of the five complainants in the trial for stories published in late 2023 and early 2024.

The defence has sought to poke holes in Ms McClymont's original reporting of the allegations against Mr Jones, some of which have since been explored during days of evidence in his criminal trial.

Mr Jones's team has also accused the journalist of "introducing" the words "go the grope" in her interview with one complainant, and has suggested her reporting influenced the allegations other complainants made later.

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC probed Ms McClymont about why she wrote the stories, suggesting to her that there was a "profit motive" in writing articles about a high-profile person.

"The story has to sell papers, doesn't it?" Ms Bashir asked.

"That's not my problem," Ms McClymont replied.

"It is correct to say that higher readership numbers encourage advertisers to invest in advertising with the paper?" Ms Bashir asked.

"As a general proposition, yes, but that is not my role."

Ms McClymont agreed Mr Jones was viewed "by some people" as "conservative leaning".

"Alan Jones is a very public figure in New South Wales? He's a divisive figure?" Ms Bashir proposed.

"If you say so," Ms McClymont replied.

The journalist was also asked whether any money or benefit was paid to any alleged victim of Mr Jones in exchange for their stories, which she denied.

Ms McClymont confirmed she spoke to and published the allegations of three of the complainants in this criminal trial.

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.

"He'd go the grope," Complainant C said in reply.

That phrase became part of the headline of Ms McClymont's first article about Mr Jones, which was published in December 2023.

Under questioning, the journalist agreed she "introduced" the words but said her interview subject repeated them, so she used them.

"You used those words and then he repeated them?" Ms Bashir asked.

"Correct," Ms McClymont said.

"And when you used those words, you knew that would be a catchy quote?"

"We were halfway through an interview… you're having a conversation with somebody, you're not looking for sexy phrases," Ms McClymont replied.