"Died of Shame" Controversy
In a September 2012 speech at a Sydney University Liberal Club social function, Jones stated that Prime Minister Julia Gillard was a liar, and as a consequence her father had recently "died of shame". The remarks relating to Gillard's father were condemned from all sides of the political spectrum by politicians, media and social media outlets. Jones held a press conference and said he "got it wrong", and wanted to apologise to the Prime Minister both publicly and in person. Julia Gillard refused to receive a call from Jones for an apology, and there was considerable media speculation regarding his sincerity. Both the Prime Minister's Labor colleagues and Liberal figures including Opposition Leader Tony Abbott criticised Jones for his remarks.
Labor Party figures sought to associate Tony Abbott and Liberal Party with Jones' remarks, leading to counter accusations that they were seeking to "gain political capital" from the affair. Many sponsors pulled advertising from Jones's show, followed by lobbying campaigned through social media and other outlets such as change.org to have the remaining advertisers boycott the program. On 7 October Jones' employer, the Macquarie Radio Network, announced that it would suspend all advertising on the Alan Jones show on 2GB to protect its advertisers from pressure being applied through social media activism. Jones called the campaign "cyber bullying". More than 80 sponsors boycotted Jones' program, including Telstra, Woolworths, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Coles. Macquarie Radio estimated the boycott cost the station between $1 million and $1.5 million, and some advertisers said they will never return.
Read more about this topic: Alan Jones (radio Broadcaster)
Famous quotes containing the words died, shame and/or controversy:
“He weren’t no saint—but at Jedgment
I’d run my chance with Jim,
‘Longside of some pious gentlemen
That wouldn’t shook hands with him.
He seen his duty, a dead-sure thing,—
And went for it, thar an’ then:
And Christ ain’t a-goin’ to be too hard
On a man that died for me.”
—John Milton Hay (1838–1905)
“But some who this blithe mood present,
As on in lightsome files they fare,
Shall die experienced ere three days be spent—
Perish, enlightened by the vollied glare;
Or shame survive, and, like to adamant,
Thy after shock, Manassas, share.”
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“Ours was a highly activist administration, with a lot of controversy involved ... but I’m not sure that it would be inconsistent with my own political nature to do it differently if I had it to do all over again.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)