FriendlyJordies on ‘hiatus’ after ABC journo’s alleged texts leak
The YouTuber has made explosive claims in a video after alleged texts purported an ABC journo said he wanted to “kill him”.
Australian YouTuber Jordan Shanks has announced he was going on hiatus “until further notice” days after reports emerged of an ABC journalist allegedly saying he wanted to “kill him so bad”.
In a video published on Monday afternoon, Shanks – better known as FriendlyJordies – addressed the recent controversy surrounding Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal.
The ABC said this month it was investigating Fazal’s participation in the Word on the Street podcast with independent crime scribe Ryan Naumenko, before the pair spectacularly fell out.
Mr Naumenko has made a series of unsubstantiated claims against Fazal, a reformed bikie, including that he asked to be paid in cash for his work on the podcast.
On Saturday, the Sydney Morning Herald published texts purported to have been sent between the pair in which Fazal allegedly called Shanks a “rat”.
“F*** Jordies and his people they’re dogs I wanna kill him so bad,” one text allegedly read.
News.com.au has contacted Fazal and his legal team for comment.
In a statement to the Herald, he reportedly said: “You have put a fabricated message to me and select (sic) messages out of context.
“I deny any wrongdoing.”
Mr Naumenko has revealed he “cannot talk about the subject for the time being” due to a “court order”. The Herald reported Fazal had made a statement to police.
It came after Shanks had published a video titled “They Tried to Kill Me” covering the news an associate of the Alameddine crime family had been jailed over the 2022 firebombing of his Bondi home.
During the October 1 video, Shanks made a reference to the Alameddines giving access to “certain ABC journalists”, and showed a screenshot of one of Fazal’s stories.
A spokesperson for Fazal’s employer said on Tuesday, “the ABC is investigating the matter and is not able to make further comment”.
On Monday, Shanks spoke extensively in another video on alleged police failings in investigating the firebombing and said the texts reported in the Herald were “really scaring me”.
There is no suggestion that Fazal was involved in the attack on Shanks’ home. No charges have been laid.
In the latest video, which has gained 500,000 views, Shanks took aim at the ABC and accused Fazal of giving favourable coverage to organised crime figures in his stories.
“He makes Gardening Australia or Women’s Weekly-style interviews for crims,” he said.
Former Mongols bikie Fazal spoke about how he sourced some of his stories during the second Word on the Street episode, which Mr Naumenko has said would be the last the ABC reporter would feature in.
Fazal said growing up around criminality showed him sides of life that most people did not get to see.
“Very quickly, I understood that the bread and butter of journalism was access,” he said in the YouTube video. “How are you going to get access to these worlds?
“I think I’m persistent to the point of where sometimes I think I’m like delusional or manic. “So many times people have said to me, ‘you’re not going to get that story’.
“And it just fires me up to the point where I keep going.”
The award-winning journalist said he gained access to some gangland elements through his reporting on Australia’s drill rap scene.
A comment appeared under the latest Word on the Street video on Tuesday afternoon from Mr Naumenko, which said he “cannot comment on the subject for the time being”.
“To be very clear. I cannot speak on the man you are all coming to comment about,” he commented.
“He has a court order in place that prevents me from mentioning his name. I also condemn the attacks on Jordies, they were putrid then and putrid now.”
In his Monday video, Shanks criticised NSW Police for failing to arrest the masterminds of the firebombing, which followed a video focusing on the Alameddine crime family.
“A video which I was forced to take down a year after the firebombing because of threats against my life and the lives of others,” he said.
Last month, an alleged Alameddine foot soldier was jailed for five years after pleading guilty to starting the fire.
“Please, NSW Police, can you make a substantial arrest?” he said.
“It’s actually unbelievable that after three years you have no one.”
In the video comments, the FriendlyJordies account stated: “We will be on hiatus until further notice.”
Shanks took a lengthy break from his work after the firebombing.
NSW Police has been contacted for comment.
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Originally published as FriendlyJordies on ‘hiatus’ after ABC journo’s alleged texts leak
