Avani Dias

Big news today that the Australian Government has announced it will ban dynamic pricing and outlaw hidden fees for concert tickets, following our Four Corners investigation into live music giant Live Nation and its ticketing arm Ticketmaster. A class action on behalf of music fans is also being investigated. Watch our full story, link in bio.

Our Four Corners investigation into the world’s largest music company, Live Nation is out. The company is putting on some of the world’s biggest gigs, including the hugely lucrative Oasis tour. Artists and industry insiders don’t usually speak out against this company, because of its global hold on the industry. But major artists like Midnight Oil’s Peter Garrett are now coming forward in our story calling for action. Our story has found music fans are being charged a series of hidden fees, while Live Nation has a growing stake in every part of Australia’s live music industry. In Australia, the grassroots end of the industry is suffering while the company’s making record revenue of (US)$23 billion. We spoke to Live Nation for a month to get an interview. It eventually said no and sent us legal letters of complaint. It said it’s proud to support Australian artists and that there’s more competition than ever before. 
Watch our story, link in bio. Really proud to work with the amazing Four Corners team on this one.

Our next Four Corners story is investigating the world’s largest live music company, Live Nation, which is making record earnings. We’ve found fans are being charged a series of hidden ticket fees and the company’s expanded its reach to every part of Australia’s live music industry. This investigation is unprecedented in its scope, with industry insiders and artists coming forward in a last-ditch effort to protect Australia’s unique live music culture. Live Nation responded to us through its lawyers, saying it’s championing local talent and that there’s more competition in the industry than ever before. Tonight on Four Corners at 8:30pm AEDT or on YouTube. Made with brilliant team Amy Donaldson, Mayeta Clark, Lara Sonnenschein, Rob Hill, Michael Nettleship and many, many others.

Me when I have a dangerous idea 🥴

For the second time this year, the Narendra Modi Government has blocked our story in India. This time it’s our investigation into the administration’s infiltration of Australia and how Indian authorities are silencing critics here. ABC news director Justin Stevens said the organisation believes strongly in the role of independent journalism across the globe. “Press freedom is essential for a healthy democracy,” he said.  “It’s the second time this year the Indian government has issued an instruction to YouTube to remove ABC public interest journalism about its country.  “We’re dismayed at efforts to silence strong journalism. It won’t deter us from continuing to report any and all issues in the public interest.”  If you’re not in India (or have a VPN) you can watch our story through the link in my bio.

Swims in perfect blue oceans next to dramatic old rock quarries, crater lakes, the beautiful home village of @marchesedavid, fresh tuna paninis for breakfast and lunch, many lols with @frangoldman and an erupting volcano so unbelievable all of us but Pat were convinced it was a lamp…

Bad time to be a pasta or the Mediterranean Sea

Avani’s investigations were not welcomed in Modi’s India. When she heard the news her visa wouldn’t be extended, she’d just put out a story for the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent program investigating accusations that Modi’s Hindu nationalist government had killed a Canadian Sikh separatist in Vancouver — allegations the government continues to deny. Conversations - Hear more via the ABC listen app. #Conversations #PressFreedom #Journalism #India

This week, I went on Conversations with Richard Fidler. It’s a podcast I’ve loved for years and was a true honour, so feel it’s worth a grid post with some intense work photos. We talk about the emotional time leaving India, being discredited in the media (no I didn’t lie about my visa drama or come home because I was “lured into a marriage and new job”), the rise of Modi, what his loss of power in the last election could mean, and some other stuff. You can listen where ever you get your pods! 📷 @gurmeet_sapal

We’ve just released our Four Corners investigation which has found the Narendra Modi Government is spying on Australians and infiltrating the country. In Australia, the Indian state and its affiliates are promoting far-right Hindu ideology, threatening Modi critics, quietly amassing political power, and we’ve uncovered never-before-reported details of a “nest of spies”. You’ll also see a raw and vulnerable retelling of how Indian officials clamped down on me and the ABC bureau. It’s not a comfortable thing as a journalist to make yourself a part of a story, but we thought it was important to show the reality of the crackdown on press freedoms by the Modi administration. We put a lot of blood, sweat, and emotion into this, so please watch! This was made by our incredible, talented team - Mayeta Clark, Meghna Bali, Mridula Amin, Louie Eroglu, James Braye and many others. Link in bio.

India ❤️😭

Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting “crossed a line”. After Australian Government intervention, I got a mere two-month extension ...less than 24 hours before our flight. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. My partner and I left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy”. Hear more on our podcast Looking for Modi, link in bio.