Alan Jones shame controversy

Alan Jones "died of shame" controversy

Jones, pictured in 2011
Date	23 September 2012 (2012-09-23)
Venue	Sydney University Liberal Club
First reporter	Jonathan Marshall, via News Limited agencies
Participants	Alan Jones Simon Berger Julia Gillard (collateral damage) Macquarie Radio Network (collateral damage)
Outcome	More than 80 companies withdrew advertising from the Alan Jones Show; reportedly cost 2GB up to A$80,000 per day.Macquarie Radio estimated the boycott cost between A$1 – 1.5 million; some advertisers said they will never return.

The Alan Jones "died of shame" controversy originated from a speech made by Australian radio broadcaster Alan Jones in September 2012, in which Jones suggested that then-Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's late father, John, "died of shame".

On 23 September 2012, Sydney University Liberal Club hosted its annual president's dinner with a keynote address by Sydney radio presenter Alan Jones. In his address, Jones was cited as saying, in reference to Prime Minister Julia Gillard's recently deceased father, John Gillard, "The old man recently died a few weeks ago of shame. To think that he had a daughter who told lies every time she stood for parliament". At the same event, the Club was auctioning a jacket made from chaff bags, autographed by Alan Jones, a reference to his previous comments on radio that Julia Gillard should be "put into a chaff bag and thrown into the sea".

Following this speech being made public by the media on 29 September 2012, there were calls for 2GB to dismiss Jones. Jones' speech was secretly recorded by a News Limited journalist. After the remarks were condemned across social media and the Australian media, Jones held a press conference and apologised. Jones also attempted to contact the Prime Minister to offer a personal apology, but was told she would not be returning his call. One academic linked the public reaction to the "bigger political and media context", citing the Leveson Inquiry in Britain, saying that it shows the "dark side of media power, including bullying by media owners and powerful media individuals who lobby politicians, demand favours, use their outlets as a bully pulpit and to seek revenge when they don't get their way."

Following the controversy over the comments made by Jones, on 7 October his employer, Macquarie Radio Network, announced that it would suspend all advertising on the Alan Jones breakfast show on 2GB to protect its advertisers from pressure being applied through social media activism.

Jones returned to the airwaves on 8 October 2012 without advertising.

Advertising resumed on the Jones' show on 16 October 2012 without many major advertisers.