In the second live, cringey blunder for this week, Veteran rugby league caller David Morrow has gone and made some distasteful comments about Aboriginals, threatening his longstanding position.
At Monday night’s Dragons-Sea Eagles clash, Morrow was apparently put to air prematurely when he joked with fellow sideliner commentator Shannon Byrne about some goings on in Darwin. HE THEN feigned a (deplorable) Aboriginal tone and made a cheap play at skin colour/ inability to see Indigenous people unless they smile.
Tacky as hell, David Morrow. Perhaps if you or I made those same comments, say, at some casual soiree, the consequences might be no consequences, or at least deserved of a small-scale social outcast sort of status. Something about power bringing with it great responsibilty, something about ethics. Oh, there’s something in the Australian Media Alliance Code of Ethics about reporting with utmost accuracy on the truth without discrimination.
Here it is! Point number two in the document reads:
Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.
Do not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.
Oh my God we are not even boring twatty sticklers for the rules over here but we do know that being racist on air is saa not going to fly well. It’s the aural equivalent of contracting herpes and then blogging about it.
Anyway, have a listen yourself:
Morrow has been involved with the sport on ABC TV and radio since 1980. Regrettably (regret belongs to him), he has been suspended until an investigation is completed.
