Alan Jones trial as it happened: SMH journalist Kate McClymont returns to witness box in former 2GB broadcaster’s alleged indecent assault, sexual touching trial

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of former 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones’ indecent assault and sexual touching trial in the historic Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney.

Today, The Sydney Morning Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, returns to the witness box for a second day of evidence.

Jones, 85, is standing trial on 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent against five male complainants between 2003 and 2020. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies the alleged physical acts occurred.

All five complainants have now given evidence in court. McClymont was called to give evidence by the Crown because she spoke to three of the complainants, dubbed “C”, “A” and “H” to protect their identities, when she was investigating allegations against the former broadcaster.

The Herald published a series of reports by McClymont about Jones in late 2023 and early 2024. Her reporting triggered a police investigation and McClymont gave a statement to police in June 2024.

Jones was arrested in November that year. During cross-examination on Tuesday by Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, McClymont was asked if there was a “profit motive” for newspaper articles.

“The story has to sell papers, doesn’t it?” Bashir asked.

“That’s not my problem, no,” McClymont replied.

“Stories are published to increase the readership of print papers [and] to get clicks online,” Bashir said. “No,” McClymont replied.

Bashir pressed that higher readership numbers encourage advertisers to invest in the newspaper.

“As a general proposition, yes, but that is not my role,” McClymont said.

McClymont said she did not know what impact her reporting on Jones had on readership figures or subscriptions. She agreed that Jones is a very public figure in NSW.

Read more from McClymont’s first day of evidence here.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.