What explains the influence of figures like Alan Jones in shaping public opinion and political debate in Australia?
His career reflects the ongoing debate about the role and responsibility of media personalities who wield significant power over their audiences.
Over the years, it has been unsettling to hear leaders, including Prime Ministers, offer such high praise to men like Alan Jones and George Pell. These figures have often been so divisive that they set Australians against each other. Jones, Murdoch, Hadley, and Bolt realised long ago that controversy can be profitable.
They promoted harsh and dishonest commentary, defending free speech because it gave their views legitimacy. By using free speech, these individuals tried to influence people in the community who were either vulnerable – such as the elderly, young listeners, migrants unfamiliar with media biases, or those feeling isolated and disempowered – or who already shared their views.
It reflects poorly on our society when people like Jones and Bolt want the legal right to insult others under the banner of free speech.
To succeed in NSW talkback radio, presenters often feel pressured to be more provocative, outrageous, and offensive than their competitors, aiming to maintain dominance.
That is what Jones did for 35 years. He likely would not have found the same success in Melbourne, where audiences are less receptive to such content.
Bolt had a small television audience for a short time, and without the Herald Sun and his syndications, he would not be widely known. Jones also did not find much success on television.
I often wonder how much better our society could be if people thought for themselves rather than being influenced by sensational commentary from the Murdoch media and figures like Jones.
They often seek relevance by aligning themselves with political interests.
The ACMA found that the broadcaster 2GB and Jones had broadcast material (specifically comments made by Jones between 5–9 December 2005) that were “…likely to encourage violence or brutality and to vilify people of Lebanese and Middle-Eastern backgrounds based on ethnicity.” They were talking about the Cronulla riots.
“The Australian broadcasting watchdog has found that 2GB and its prominent breakfast presenter Alan Jones breached the radio code of practice during broadcasts just before the infamous 2005 Cronulla riots.”
Yet then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison said this this of him:
“You’ve always spoken your mind to everyone, including me, and we’ve had one or two disagreements, but you’ve always done the right thing for your country.”
Jones was convicted of breaching the Children’s (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) by broadcasting the suppressed name of a juvenile witness in a murder trial.
Yet the Prime Minister of the time, Tony Abbott, had this to say, gushingly, no doubt:
“Our national conversation will be different and poorer without Alan Jones every morning.”
In 1998, Jones claimed on-air that rugby league referee Bill Harrigan was biased. Harrigan sued Jones for defamation and, in 2001, was awarded $90,000 in damages.
Yet Nine chairman Peter Costello said Jones had a “unique” place in Australian media.
He was guilty of lying about climate change: “… human beings produce 0.001 per cent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
Yet according to advertising guru John Singleton, Mr Jones is the “best broadcaster in the world”.
He claimed to retire due to ill health, but in reality, his advertisers had left him, leading to his departure.
“He was forced to apologise after telling a Sydney Young Liberal fundraiser in 2012 that Ms Gillard’s father “died of shame,” commentary which caused the broadcaster to temporarily suspend advertising after more than 70 companies walked away from the breakfast show.
A jacket made from chaff bags and signed by Mr Jones was also auctioned at the event. Mr Jones had previously said on air that Ms Gillard should be “put into a chaff bag and thrown into the sea.”
The comments made by Jones about New Zealand’s Prime Minister Ms Ardern last year when he said that Prime Minister Scott Morrison should “shove a sock down her throat” following Ms Ardern’s warning at a Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu that Australia “will have to answer to the Pacific” on climate change.
He also treated Opera House chief executive Louise Herron harshly, telling her she should resign. This behaviour could be seen as misogynistic.
He lies about climate change: “… human beings produce 0.001 per cent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
He made false claims about the Grantham floods, which led to defamation of several people, especially the Wagner family, who were awarded around $3.75 million in damages. Despite having more complaints upheld against him by the communications watchdog than any other radio presenter, his audience continued to grow.
He has made numerous false statements, including those about the NBN and those about the police blocking truck drivers.
Other than the 35 years he has spent in radio, he was a teacher. Allegations regarding his behaviour toward teenage boys have been reported in various media outlets over the years, most notably in the 1980s and 1990s, with some public records and investigative articles documenting the controversies, including the incident at a London public toilet in 1988 which resulted in his arrest and was covered by newspapers at the time (for example, The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 March 1988).
His gayness is well known. Stacy Farrar, of the Sydney Star Observer, wrote “His homosexuality has been widely known, in the gay community at least, for years.”
He has been a speechwriter for Malcolm Fraser. A political candidate and coach of the Australian national rugby team, for which he was awarded an Order of Australia in 1988.
The 1999 cash-for-comment scandal revealed that he sold his opinions for large sums of money. Despite this, he kept his job, supported by those who benefited from his work and by a loyal audience.
But what is it that occupies the minds of men that they need to be so malevolent in their thinking? That the power of persuasion with reasoned thought and debate no longer suffices.
What factors in people’s backgrounds might lead to narcissism or an inability to accept differences and equality?
Could inherited attitudes contribute to racism? In the media, is it a matter of loyalty to powerful figures?
Why does Alan Jones, despite his harsh language, attract such a large audience?
Why is there such a strong presence of right-wing views, neo-conservatism, and nationalism? Why do some people who feel unrepresented believe that figures like Jones will address their concerns?
The answer lies in materialism. We live in a society where the relentless pursuit of wealth and possessions is not only encouraged but celebrated, so, unsurprisingly, public figures who appeal to self-interest or financial success gain an audience. Entitlement has become a social phenomenon in which many people feel they deserve rewards or recognition regardless of broader consequences or others’ needs. When it comes to religion, certain interpretations of Christianity have embraced the so-called ‘gospel of wealth’, suggesting that prosperity is an indication of virtue or divine favour. This mindset encourages the belief that each individual has not just the right, but almost an obligation, to secure personal prosperity and cultural status – often at the expense of community responsibility or compassion. These attitudes collectively feed into an environment where figures like Alan Jones can thrive by appealing to these underlying values and anxieties.
Perhaps the deliberate assassination by the political and religious right of science has something to do with it. Maybe it’s the death of truth, as we know it. Jones thought climate change was a hoax.
Maybe it’s the preponderance of right-wing propaganda in our media. There are, to my knowledge, no left-wing shock jocks. Whatever it is, why are they so feral about it? Well, I’ll have a bit of a stab.
In the media, the drive for profit and the fear of losing influence may be factors. The rise of social media and bloggers now challenges their traditional power.
What remains puzzling is why people from middle- and lower-socioeconomic backgrounds believe their situation will improve by listening to Alan Jones’s views.
Hopefully, the current court case, in which Jones has been charged with 22 criminal charges relating to six male complainants – “comprising 20 counts of assault with an act of indecency and two counts of sexual touching without consent” – will bring some resolution. As of now, the case is ongoing, and no verdict has been reached.
My Thought for the Day
Time never diminishes the crime.
Note: Some AI was used in sourcing facts.
Also by John Lord
Letter to the Editor of ‘this rag’ on an important matter
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When the dairy company Norco pulled their advertising from Jones’ show in protest, I began buying their products and have stuck with them since.
I’ve often wondered if Norco’s action had an effect on their bottom line.
Perhaps it did, and it was positive.
This history of media and social corruption made a great read. Public gullibility seems to increase with the decline in education, but worry not, AI will fix all that.
Advertisers left mainly because a certain grassroots group ran a campaign against him. No threats, no bullying, just “do you really want to be associated with someone who says this?”. Ditto for Sandilands and Stefanovich.
His sexuality is irrelevant; what matters is he preyed on young, vulnerable people in pursuit of his desires, and that he was a lying, toxic, hate-filled misogynistic prick. I hope the jury gets this one right.
The media have been complicit in covering up Alan Jone’s (alleged) crimes going back to 1988 when, in London he was charged with “outraging public decency” and “committing an indecent act,” soliciting for sex in a public toilet. The charges were subsequently dropped after suggestions of high level interference yet some politicians and right-wing media continued to cover for him and treat him like royalty.
To see this old gay man now brought before the courts is very sad.
Jones was an unsocial media influencer before Facebook and the Xness of Twitter and the like emerged. His base eventually reflected his own lack of humanity. My wife and I listened to him in the early days but thankfully became tired of his arrogance. He presented himself always as highly intelligent with an opinion on everything, but what we saw in him we have seen clearly in some other narcissistic politicians and leaders since. Think the orange man. Truth is always the casualty when you worship yourself. His arrogance and cruelty was seen in various ways in some of the other charlatans you have named here too who have floated to the top of our public excrement.
Like a drunken pub test, his microphone spewed vomit at the bar of discontent. Anyone not prepared to think for themselves enjoyed his public whining, where the more hate and disgust aired the better. That Prime Ministers courted his affections became their disgrace and ours too. Pauline Hansen and others have always sung to the same tune.
I dream or our creating a new kindness culture in this country as others have done. Singapore an example, and some of the Nordic countries come to mind. Requiring a better standard, a national movement of kindness with something like a public audit or summit to hold governments, politicians, corporations and society to account would help us eventually shame those who use hatred as the fuel for winning supporters whilst virtually crucifying those who don’t love them enough.
That he made so much money and became so famous for his lies, vitriol and self adoring shamed us all.
A correction. leefe says “I hope the jury gets this one right.”
There is no jury in this case. It is a judge-only proceeding.
That aside, the media reporting of Jones’s behaviour over the years was sufficient for this scribbler to confess that he has never tuned into a Jones rant, ever. The whole idea of giving this narcissistic individual free space in my attention zone was anathema.
How Terry Mills comes to the conclusion he does is puzzling. A sexual predator, a known misogynist, a pulpit bully, a person who resorted to threats and who behaved like an infantile toddler, throwing tantrums when he didn’t get his own way… difficult to see what in this final comeuppance there is to be sad about. I would have thought that Schadenfreude instead would be the rule of the day… to see this tall irritable nasty poppy finally being cut down to size, and enjoy the spectacle. Justice seen to be done, and deservedly so.
Jones and his ilk are all vile people. They are not doing the right thing by the country as Morrison made out. We need politicians with backbone to stand up against these guys.
On CO2. What Jones continually spruiked was that CO2 was inconsequential because it is only 0.04% of the atmosphere. That is a fact. However, it is a truth being used to smuggle a lie.
It is the fact that adding a small amount to a small amount is proportionally significant. If it were nitrogen, which is 70% of the atmosphere, the man-generated amount would not make a difference to the overall proportion.
But for CO2, what we add is significant.
Too often I hear people leading with the question “Do you know how much C02 is in the atmosphere”. They are surprised that I know and then that I give them the above lecture on what it really means.
Thanks for all the comments. I had to in fact, taper most of my writing such was the damage he has done to many people.