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Julian Fell

@jtfell.com

330 followers 190 following 31 posts

Journalist at ABC News Story Lab https://jtfell.com

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Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Sep 10

As a 12 year old, Alliyah was looking for support.

Instead, they found a teacher prepared to break every rule in the book.

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Introducing... The Favourite - ABC listen

She's every student’s favourite teacher — warm, funny, the kind who bends the rules. But for one 12-year-old, Alliyah, her attention goes far beyond the classroom. The Favourite is a five-part series ...

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 21d

And of course the team at Background Briefing who jumped into a difficult project with such enthusiasm and dedication.

Thanks to Loretta Florence, Fanou Filali, Max Chalmers, Ben Sveen, Ingrid Wagner, Leila Shunner, Thomas Oriti and Justine Landis-Hanley – you're all superstars.

01 The Favourite | Secrets after school - ABC listen

12-year-old Alliyah’s clowning around in science class, testing the waters to see how the new teacher will respond. An unusual bond grows between them — and what starts with a death stare and a smirk,...

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 21d

This wouldn't have been possible without the support of my amazing team at ABC News Story Lab.

Teresa Tan, Georgina Piper, @mattliddy.bsky.social and Cristen Tilley each played crucial roles in bringing this to life.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 21d

The core of this was 18 recorded interviews with Alliyah, their friends and family members.

Things got real.

I particularly want to thank Alliyah's parents, Jackie and Scott, for revisiting a difficult period with me.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 21d

Above all, I'm honoured that Alliyah trusted me to tell their story.

They gave legal consent to be identified as the victim of a sexual crime – which opened all kinds of doors for asking questions about who failed them.

It's an incredibly brave and powerful choice.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 21d

I'm getting emotional seeing this finally out there.

After 18 months of conversations, court dates and bureaucratic brick walls, Alliyah's story finally is seeing the light of day.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

Alliyah 'married' their teacher at 13. No one else knew

Alliyah is reckoning with a decade of grooming and abuse at the hands of a trusted teacher.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · 27d

12-year-old Alliyah’s clowning around in science class, testing the waters to see how the new teacher will respond.

It starts with a death stare and a smirk, but soon slips into a world of secrets.

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

01 The Favourite | Secrets after school - ABC listen

12-year-old Alliyah’s clowning around in science class, testing the waters to see how the new teacher will respond. An unusual bond grows between them — and what starts with a death stare and a smirk,...

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Sep 10

The Favourite is the product of 18 months of conversations with Alliyah, their family and closest friends – not to mention an anonymous police detective, several teachers and all the documentary evidence we could dig up.

The first episode drops on Saturday.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Sep 10

As a 12 year old, Alliyah was looking for support.

Instead, they found a teacher prepared to break every rule in the book.

www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Introducing... The Favourite - ABC listen

She's every student’s favourite teacher — warm, funny, the kind who bends the rules. But for one 12-year-old, Alliyah, her attention goes far beyond the classroom. The Favourite is a five-part series ...

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Jul 22

A little while back, my inbox came under attack. I'd been trying to track down an Australia scammer at the time.

But the person behind it wasn't who I'd suspected.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

ABC reporter 'email bombed' while hunting an Australian crypto scammer

How a malicious email barrage led to a hacker community, claims of extortion, and an insight into the dark side of online gambling.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Jun 29

Scoop: Shuffle's executives are gambling on its own live broadcasts, despite the online casino being banned in Australia.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

A multi-million-dollar online lottery is bending Australia's laws

Online casino Shuffle's executives are gambling on its own live broadcasts, despite it being banned in Australia.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · May 6

“The old logic — that people naturally drift right as they age — is breaking down,” says Intifar Chowdhury, a lecturer in government at Flinders University.

“This is widening the gap between people who have a slice of Australia versus people who don’t.”

The Coalition won few seats made up of more than one-third renters

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · May 6

It is often said that after young people buy a house, they tend to gravitate towards conservative politics.

But that step — a crucial marker of adulthood — has fallen increasingly out of reach for younger generations.

An old voting trend is breaking down.

www.abc.net.au/news/105253600

Trends show how younger, richer and rental areas voted

What data about voters' age, income level and home ownership status can tell us about the election result.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · May 1

We're bringing hexy back.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05...

Where the election will be won and lost — or left hanging

The electoral maths on Saturday seems simple — win 76 seats and you win government. But that's not all there is to it.

Reposted by Julian Fell

Patrik Wikstrom @pwik.bsky.social · Apr 16

We’re featured by ABC!
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04...

Explore your TikTok data and contribute to a study examining how TikTok influences political discourse: foryouparticipate.net/tiktok/

#ForYouProject #CitizenScience #TikTokResearch #QUT #auspol

Peering inside his TikTok viewing history, one user finds it is 'not just raw, pointless data'

A new tool created by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology is allowing people to see themselves through the eyes of the algorithm.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Apr 16

As a self-professed data science nerd, Jordan Hennell is proud of how well he’s taught his TikTok algorithm.

Find out what the algorithm knows about him – and you.

My latest for ABC News Story Lab.

Peering inside his TikTok viewing history, one user finds it is 'not just raw, pointless data'

A new tool created by researchers at the Queensland University of Technology is allowing people to see themselves through the eyes of the algorithm.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Mar 31

It was an honour to pick up the Gold Lizzie for Best Journalist, which is a testament to the support I've received – from colleagues in Story Lab and at the ABC more widely – to be ambitious in my journalism and chase original stories.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Mar 31

Massive night for the ABC at the IT Journalism Awards. It was so nice to see colleagues recognised for the amazing work they do – and none are more deserving than Kevin Nguyen and Gianfranco Di Giovanni.

Julian Fell, Kevin Nguyen and Gianni Di Giovanni sitting on a stage, holding up glass trophies

Julian Fell speaking at a lectern, with formally dressed people watching from their tables

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Mar 5

🫡 🫡 🫡

Axel Bruns @snurb.info · Mar 5

The ABC News dataviz team has reported for duty. #CycloneAlfred

www.abc.net.au/news/...

Track wind speeds live as Cyclone Alfred approaches coast

Cyclone Alfred is due to cross the coast on Friday morning. Track wind speeds at key locations in the cyclone zone.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Mar 5

My team at ABC News Story Lab has been busy scrambling to set up a tracker map and live wind charts as Cyclone Alfred approaches.

I promise the backend isn't running on my laptop.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03...

Track wind speeds live as Cyclone Alfred approaches coast

Cyclone Alfred is due to cross the coast on Friday morning. Track wind speeds at key locations in the cyclone zone.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Jan 27

The last line of security for much of your digital life probably isn’t as secure as you think.

My latest for ABC News Story Lab

Is your PIN code among the first ones hackers are likely to try?

The ABC analysed 29 million stolen codes to help you avoid using an insecure one.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Jan 27

"PFC was irrefutable proof that Spotify rigged its system against musicians who knew their worth."

Important reporting from @lizpelly.bsky.social

harpers.org/archive/2025...

The Ghosts in the Machine, by Liz Pelly

Spotify’s plot against musicians

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Dec 17

The dataset – from TransitionZero – goes back to 2017, letting us see how quickly its grown since then (in some countries, anyway).

Screenshot of article with side-by-side comparison of solar farms in China in 2017 and 2024 on a 3D globe

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Dec 17

Of the billions of panels in operation around the world, the vast majority of them have their intellectual origins in a lab in the Sydney suburbs.

Here's how it seeded the coming revolution.

Our latest interactive, in collaboration with ABC Climate.

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

A planet-wide solar boom is beating expectations at every turn

Satellite imagery reveals the staggering rise of solar farms around the world in recent years. Can Australia get on board?

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Dec 6

The thing that no one is talking about is how the United HealthCare CEO shooter lifted his assassination idea and did even did it at the LITERAL EXACT LOCATION from the first page of my novel.

Julian Fell @jtfell.com · Dec 1

We also collaborated with RN's Future Tense to make a podcast of the same story: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

TikTok's superstar economy – how live-streaming is turning social media into a game played for money - ABC listen

Fans are spending thousands of dollars a month to support their favourite streamers on TikTok Live, but most of the money is going to TikTok itself.