Alan Jones in Hot Water

Alan Jones has come under great scrutiny recently for his comments relating to Prime Minister Julia Gillard. An article by The Age writes, the 2GB talkback host made extremely careless comments in a Liberal Party function, claiming:

“Every person in the caucus of the Labour Party knows that Julia Gillard is a liar, everybody. I will come to that in a moment. The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think that he has a daughter who told lies every time she stood for Parliament.”

The article goes on to say ‘in a tape recording of the dinner, laughter can be heard in the background as Jones makes his remarks’. Unbeknown to Jones, his remarks were captured by a journalist present at the function and later released to the media.

In hot water: 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones

Comments from rival broadcaster John Laws in an ABC 7:30 Report interview, described Jones’ statements as “out of line… exceedingly cruel and exceedingly hasty”. When questioned about whether he thought advertisers would pull their quota on Jones’ 2GB show, Laws said it was not necessarily a matter for the station. While they were said off air, the comments had in fact ended up on air and Jones’ is known for his on air presence.

Rival 2SM broadcaster John Laws

So how does off air conduct affect on air presence? In the media industry, and particularly radio and television, personalities are recognised not only for their broadcast but for their personal lives also. This applies to anyone in the public spotlight for that matter, as human nature feels the need to connect with these personalities on a personal level in an attempt to relate. Really, these celebrities are selling not only their radio or television segments but also themselves and their image as an entity.

Therefore obviously Jones’ comments are a matter for the station because while they are not directed related, it is the image they are selling that has been affected. This may very possibly have a flow on affect with advertising for the show, but as a new scandal surfaces and this week’s news becomes old news, who knows if Jones has enough of a fan base to survive the heat?

Image Sources:

<http://www.news.com.au/national/alan-jones-women-are-destroying-the-joint/story-fndo4eg9-1226462326339>

<http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/30/2105932.htm?site=news>