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December 14, 2005
The tabloid media in Australia has acted to create a fear of Islam that is then clinically exploited by Australia's leaders (eg., the Howard Government) for their own political gain. As Michelle Grattin observes much of what has been done this year in the name of the fight against terrorism has made minority communities feel more besieged and isolated, and has not contributed to a better feeling of belonging. This politics of fear has often resulted in white wing violence against Arab Australians.
John Spooner
How then do we make the media accountaible? Consider a classic example of the above kind of media poiltics, that of Alan Jones, the conservative tabloid journalist, around Cronulla. This guy has form. What the track record shows is more than media bias and lap-dog support for the Howard Government. The significance of Jone's record, and his actions in the Cronulla event, indicate that Jones is a player; just like the Romper Stompers and the Lebanese-Australian gangs . He is a powerful political player wearing the mask of a journalist.
I mentioned earlier that Alan Jones, should not be allowed to get away with his incitement to racial hatred and violence at Cronulla. Here's the case against Jones that points to the need for media accountability.
Jones said on 2GB:
"I'm the person that's led this charge here. Nobody wanted to know about North Cronulla, now it's gathered to this,” as listener after listener phoned to declare war on Muslims in general and Lebanese in particular. “ A community show of force!”.
This is not to suggest that Jones caused the violence at Cronulla. He didn't. Jones helped simmering the tensions that ignited the fire of racist violence, and he helped to fan the flames of that fire.
Alan Jones also broadcasted, and to repeated, the SMS phone message calling for violence on public radio:
“Come to Cronulla this weekend to take revenge. This Sunday every Aussie in the shire get down to North Cronulla to support the leb and wog bashing day."
This is sedition as defined by the Anti-Terrorism Bill (2) 2005, passed by parliament in the last sitting fortnight.It reads:
A person commits an offence [of sedition] if:
(a) the person urges a group or groups (whether distinguished by race, religion, nationality or political opinion) to use force or violence against another group or other groups (as so distinguished); and,
(b) the use of the force or violence would threaten the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 7 years.
Now Jones should be charged with sedition. The case is solid. It was also made by Mike Carlton, the 2UE broadcaster, on todays Crikey Daily. Shouldn't ASIO start watching and listening to Jones? He's a threat to the social order stirring up racial hatred.
However, Carlton makes no call for media accountability in general; an accountability that subjects the media to checks and balances to ensure they are accountable and responsible for their content? John Quggin says that 2GB should be stripped of its license by the Australian Broadcasting Authority for broadcasting people like Jones. The ABA is now defunct. So it will have to be its replacement. Will the replacement for Australian Broadcasting Authority investigate Jones? The codes of conduct for commerical radio have been clearly broken.
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Just to clarify, did he give his support to the message's contents? If a case can't be made that he did, then does repeating the message without giving support to it still constitute sedition?