OLIVIA LEEMING: There has been controversy on the sidelines of the summit after Sydney radio host, Alan Jones said on air that Scott Morrison should shove a sock down the throat of New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern ... Scott Morrison says he was way out of line while Malcolm Turnbull has described these comments as misogynistic and that they deserve an apology. - Sunrise, Channel Seven, 16 August, 2019

Hello, I’m Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

And radio’s $4 million shock jock Alan Jones is in disgrace again, after he spat the dummy at New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her views on climate change.

And while Jones claims he was misrepresented and wishes her no harm, it’s worth listening to his tirade, which started within minutes of him going on air last Thursday:

ALAN JONES: She’s now struggling to live up to all her self-generated hype ... … this lightweight New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, is challenging Scott Morrison over climate change ... Now I hope Scott Morrison gets tough here with a few backhanders. … hasn’t got a clue, this woman. - The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 2GB, 15 August, 2019

Yes, a few backhanders. Just what a woman needs.

So, that was Alan’s opening salvo. And around 30 minutes later came the main attack:

ALAN JONES: She’s a clown, Jacinda Ardern, a complete clown … I just wonder whether Scott Morrison’s going to be fully briefed to shove a sock down her throat. I mean she is a joke this woman. An absolute and utter lightweight. - The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 2GB, 15 August, 2019

And 15 minutes after that he was back for another blast:

ALAN JONES: Why the hell are we listening to Jacinda Ardern? If I see her once more on the TV, I’ll puke. - The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 2GB, 15 August, 2019

Some viewers of Media Watch may have a similar reaction listening to Alan Jones.

But love him or loathe him, you have to admire his energy. Three full-on rants by 25 past six in the morning.

And with the hashtag #sackAlanJones trending on Twitter, the headlines soon followed.

Whereupon Scott Morrison, who once called himself the minister for 2GB, called him out:

SCOTT MORRISON: The comment has been relayed to me and I must say on what's been reported to me I find that very disappointing. And of course that’s way out of line. - ABC News Breakfast, 16 August, 2019

And before long our former prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, was also condemning him even more strongly:

MALCOLM TURNBULL: … his pattern of using abusive and violent language against women, particularly women politicians, is disgraceful. He is an appalling misogynist in the way he talks about women. - RN Drive, 16 August, 2019

But according to Alan, he hadn’t meant any harm:

ALAN JONES: What I meant to say was that Scott Morrison should tell Ms Ardern to put a sock in it. There are many people who would relish the opportunity to misinterpret anything that I say, and we saw some of that online yesterday. I would never wish any harm to any politician male or female ... - The Alan Jones Breakfast Show, 2GB, 16 August, 2019

Well, maybe not. But Australia’s top-rating talkback host has already attacked Ardern again, calling her “gormless”, “duplicitous” and a hypocrite.

And he then crossed to national radio in New Zealand to tell the Kiwis:

ALAN JONES: Someone’s gotta tell this woman to keep quiet, put a sock in it, I said, as a metaphorical way of saying shut up. I wish she would shut up. - Mike Hosking Breakfast, Newstalk ZB, 16 August, 2019

But then, late on Friday afternoon, the fighting spirit suddenly vanished and gave way to complete surrender, as Jones dropped any pretence about being misinterpreted and called into Ben Fordham’s show on 2GB to say he’d written to Ms Ardern to apologise:

ALAN JONES: My comments nonetheless were careless, and they should have been, I think, more clearly thought, and to that extent I have erred and made a mistake. Now when you do that you’ve got to be man enough to simply say I was wrong, and I apologise, I have done that to her several hours ago ... And in this game you’ve got to be, you’ve got to choose your words carefully and I didn’t do that, so ... … I do regret that there are some people who have been offended by the comments … - Ben Fordham - Sydney Live, 2GB, 16 August, 2019

Never before have we heard Alan Jones eat his words so humbly.

We’re not sure what made him change his mind. But maybe Scott Morrison, the former minister for 2GB, told him to do the decent thing.

Or, with several big advertisers pulling their business, perhaps Macquarie Media management instructed him to say sorry.

Certainly, its chairman has now warned they’ll tear up his contract if he sins again.





Read the statement from Russell Tate, Chairman of Macquarie Media, here.