A secret recording from a 2019 meeting at the Subiaco Hotel in Perth has been publicly released as part of a defamation trial. Perth property developer Greg Poland is suing journalists from *this masthead* over two articles published that were based on the recording. The released tape centers on a conversation held four years ago, and its contents are now subject to legal scrutiny. The release follows a court case initiated by Poland regarding the articles' content. The publication of the recording is expected to provide further insight into the allegations of defamation. The trial focuses on the accuracy and implications of reporting derived from the covert recording made at the Subiaco Hotel.