Yesterday, Guardian journalist Owen Jones made headlines for storming out of Sky News‘ paper review segment, after host Mark Longhurst refused to acknowledged the Orlando shooting as a homophobic attack.
The video – which has since gone viral – is nine of the most excruciating minutes you’ll ever watch. It essentially consists of Jones attempting to describe the massacre of 50 people inside a gay nightclub as motivated by homophobia, and Longhurst talking over him to say that it was attack against all people.
e.g.
Jones: “It is one of the worst atrocities committed against LGBT people in the Western world for generations.”
Longhurst: “It’s something that’s carried out against human beings.”
“As the presenter responsible for chairing the conversation, I regret that the segment ended as it did,” he said. “I absolutely accept the atrocity in Florida was, of course, an attack on LGBT people, but I was also trying to reflect what was on the newspaper front pages.
So essentially: sorry you got stroppy, not sorry I talked over you.
The definition of non-apology here from Sky News’ Mark Longhurst https://t.co/ZtTR0spryd
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) June 13, 2016
Writing about the incident in The Guardian, Jones explained his decision to walk out as “an instinctive reaction to an unpleasant and untenable situation”.
“He [Longhurst] not only refused to accept it as an attack on LGBT people, but was increasingly agitated that I – as a gay man – would claim it as such.”
He also addressed co-host Julia Hartley-Brewer‘s retort that he didn’t “have ownership of horror of the crime” simply for being gay.
“This isn’t about LGBT people taking ownership of the pain and anguish,” he said. “People of all sexual orientations have wept over this massacre, and all communities should unite in grief.”
Hartley-Brewer spent most of the night after the broadcast copping abuse from people calling her homophobic, bemoaning to talkRADIO the following morning that even though she’s “stated repeatedly” that this was a homophobic attack, she was copping it sweet for not using “exactly the right form of words”.
“I will continue to say whatever I darn well want to say and what I believe as long as I have breath in my body and I’m not going to be told by anybody that I’m not allowed to say what I want to say because I’m the wrong sexuality, the wrong sex, the wrong colour, whatever,” she said.
Fair point – but maybe to avoid it in the future don’t be a patronising dick about it.
And please lay off @JuliaHB1 – none of the abuse directed at her is in my name.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) June 13, 2016
Ofcom said it would assess the complaints against Sky News before deciding whether or not to launch an investigation.
In more uplifting news, Jones placed a call-out at the end of his piece for LGBT and straight people alike to join in vigils for those affected by Orlando.
“Just as they lost here 17 years ago,” he said, “these murderers are going to lose all over again. The determination and love of LGBT people all over this planet will burn even brighter because of what he did. And that will be his final and eternal legacy.”
The love of LGBT people will overcome the hatred of any terrorist. Powerful message from @OwenJones84 #lovewins pic.twitter.com/7fIOsJp7Gb
— The Guardian (@guardian) June 13, 2016
Source: The Guardian.
