Alan Jones – who for those of you outside of the Sydney bubble, is a 79-year-old radio host who was handed millions of dollars throughout his career for being increasingly wrong, which is an achievable career goal in Sydney – is currently enjoying the gentle caress of fawning media types falling over themselves to wish him well following his retirement announcement this morning.
Jones is currently enjoying the usual level of pandering only ever afforded to conservative agitators upon either their death or, sadly in this case, mere retirement. And chief among those racing to give their eternal undying thanks to the man who played a leading hand in inciting one of Australia’s ugliest race-related incidents in modern history, is Media Watch.
Staggeringly enough, the ABC’s media industry police dog could scarcely wait this morning before offering its sincere prostrating itself before the might of Jones’ soon-to-be-closed career.
Taking to Twitter a short time ago, the official Media Watch account asserted that Jones’ “commitment to listeners,” “tireless work ethic,” and “ratings success” is to be “congratulated,” even despite “many stoushes,” which is a real civil way of saying “repeated defamation cases, rampant misogynistic statements, and a full-blown race riot.”
There’s been many stoushes but Jones’ commitment to his listeners, his tireless work ethic and ratings success, is to be congratulated. https://t.co/3hpGyyF4QA
— Media Watch (@ABCmediawatch) May 11, 2020
For an institution that holds itself above the broader media industry as its supposed overseer and accountability holder, this is a hell of a take.
And it’s one that is – and believe us when we say – not it, chief.
