2GB guilty of failing to ensure Alan Jones was accurate on climate change; but cleared over PM ‘chaff bag’ comment
Alan Jones faces closer supervision of his 2GB radio show after the media watchdog found the station failed to try hard enough to ensure his statements on climate change were accurate. However, he has been cleared over comments that Julia Gillard should be put in a chaff bag and thrown out to sea.
The rulings from the Australian Communications and Media Authority come after “wide ranging and unusually complex investigations” into several complaints against Jones and fellow 2GB presenter Chris Smith.
2GB was unable to demonstrate to ACMA that reasonable steps had been taken to ensure the accuracy of Jones’ statement in March last year that “human beings produce 0.001% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere”.
His claim – presented as a statement rather than opinion – was highly controversial because it conflicts with the majority of scientific opinion on the causes of climate change which puts the figure closer to 30%.
ACMA did not, however, rule on whether or not that the claim was inaccurate – it focused on the fact that the station could not demonstrate that it had made proper efforts to ensure it was correct.
ACMA has few immediate sanctions available to it, with legislation giving it the ability to add conditions to licence ownership which could in time see a licence revoked but not, for instance, the ability to impose immediate fines or have somebody taken off air.
As part of today’s ruling, 2GB owner Harbour Radio will review its procedures and must agree with ACMA a plan that will see closer supervision of its production teams to ensure what is broadcast is accurate. The move is a potentially uncomfortable one for Jones, who personally drives the content of his show.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said: “‘Reasonable efforts’ is more than merely providing production resources, researchers and writers.”
Jones insists that he is a commentator and should not be held to journalistic standards. Last year he told Mumbrella editor Tim Burrowes: “It’s called the Alan Jones Show for one very special reason – this is what Alan Jones thinks. I’m a broadcaster – I don’t pretend to be a journalist.”
ACMA also examined Jones’ comments in June last year that Sydney mayor Clover Moore and PM Julia Gillard should be put in a chaff bag “and throw them both out to sea”.
However, although the authority said that Jones’ comments were “very disrespectful and disparaging”, they did not breach guidelines because they would not be taken literally so did not amount to incitement. In 2007, ACMA ruled that Jones’ comments in the lead up to the Cronulla riots did incite violence.
ACMA also found faults in 2GB’s complaint-handling process including failures to respond in time and failing to tell complainants that they could take the matter to ACMA. The station has changed its complaint handling systems as a result.
ACMA also looked into complaints against the Chris Smith Afternoon Show giving airtime to climate change sceptics, and whether listeners had been presented with significant alternative viewpoints from “real climate change scientists”. ACMA ruled that 2GB had done enough, so there was no breach.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Alan Jones has damaged the Office of the Prime Minister and has incited his listeners to unacceptable expressions of violence
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The whole station is an elaborate ultra right-wing prank on Sydney. But not much point talking about it here.
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2GBullshiting the battlers.
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@billie the main damage to the Office of the Prime Minister has been done by Julia and the Labor Party
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He’s the Sandilands of talk radio.
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Yes Billie, he does continue to lower the level of political debate, down to toilet levels; the public type of which are, I understand, a speciality of his.
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How did he damage the Office of the Prime Minister? Did he throw a brick or swing an axe in there? what?
In my absolutely unqualified opinion, I think the Prime Minister has damaged the Office of Prime Minister, I thought the chaff bag comment sounded, in part, like a good idea.
How can any comment upon Climate Change, be any more inaccurate than those bandied about by scientists? they seem to be in a number of different camps, depending upon how eager they are to be published, or depending upon who is funding the opinion from the wings.
I say throw the climate change theories out to sea in a chaff bag, and get some accuracy into the Office of Prime Minister that would be a good start.
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Hey billie, I think The Office of the Prime Minister has itself caused unacceptable damage to The Office……and the country……oh and The Labor Party. I think you are giving Alan too much credit.
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This is unfair! So grossly unfair! There needs to be an inquiry into the inquiry. I’m suggesting Gina, Clive and Christopher Pyne-O-Clean.
Jones was only out by a factor of 30,000 with the climate change data. That’s one of his closer-to-the-truth ‘opinions’.
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So GetUp! and The Greens with their ultra leftist phone trees and email writers in conjunction with Media Watch have managed to throttle a dissenting voice on the climate change hoax. Good to see that their efforts on the chaff bag comments were in vain and thrown out.
I can’t wait until the election when Labor, The Greens, GetUp! and the rest of the Left will be totally obliterated from the political scene, a-la Qld. When that happens, let’s hope we will never be put into a situation ever again when the nanny state, bleeding heart Left are able to call the shots and decide how we live our lives and what we can see and hear via the media.
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Very concerned in fact.
If radio hosts are going to be required to talk about actual facts and not their own inflated opinions and hyperbole there’s going to be an awful lot of dead air on talk channels!
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ACMA Chariman Chris Thompsan *really* said “What’s the point its not like my tiger has any teeth anyway”
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How can anybody say to put the Prime Minister into a chaff bag and throw them out to sea no matter what your political views are is acceptable or a good idea we have a political system in this country that allows us to vote out a incapable Government and its not by violence or threats of violence.His words are a incitement to violence and is totally unexceptable.
Whether you believe in man made climate change or not you have to believe the earths climates change through history IE ice age etc .
This man is a right wing nutter and you would think that because of his closetness he wouldn`t be so right wing.
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Listening to Alan Jones is like being told off every morning by the teacher you used to hate back in grade three – who listens to this guy? Or Hadley? Or Smith? Or any of them for that matter? Can’t people think for themselves any more and reach a considered opinion? Apparently not.
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Everyone seems to forget that there are a limited number of radio station and TV licenses available. The airwaves are owned by all Australians. Some people win the right to broadcast on them, and in the process make a large amount of money. This means they also have an exclusive opportunity to widely broadcast information to the Australian people, an opportunity that the person in the street does not have. They have a responsibility to avoid denigration of other Australians, and a responsibility not to feed us lies. When Jones issues alleged facts, he is not delivering an opinion as he clams, he is taking on the mantle of a journalist, and in this case getting it very wrong. The broadcast act seeks to prevent us from being delivered deliberate falsehoods on the airwaves we all jointly own. Also, regardless of whether you like the Prime Minister, the office deserves respect, and without this, why bother having elections at all? Sometimes the voters get it wrong – so live with it. It’s only a few years before an election comes around again.
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Hoin, isn’t that what they said in Germany just before the 1932 elections? Gees that went well didn’t it.
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Hey Richard, I say there’s plenty of evidence of climate change and meaningless threats by Alan Jones are still threats…unacceptable behaviour, he should have been pulled off the air years ago
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What drivel! Alan Jones or Alan anyone can say what they damned well like whenever they damned well like. This is not North Korea – yet.
If he wants to question or even ridicule the quasi-religious nonsense of the Green Taliban, then it’s all our job to defend his right to do so.
“Climate change” is ideology masquerading as science and its propagators – the Greens – are no different to the religious right in the US who preach the “science” of Adam & Eve.
The idea of using ACMA or any other quango to silence dissent is offensive to all Australians.
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You have to remember, of course, that no-one at any ABC station, or any Fairfax newspaper, or any comedy festival, or any taxpayer funded arts festival ever said anything remotely nasty about John Howard.
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Thanks Mike.
I was wondering how long it would take someone to lob the “This is not Korea – yet” meaningless catch-phrase. You didn’t let me down, though I thought you might have thrown in Cuba as well. Eighteenth post is a bit slower than I expected – but don’t worry, that socialist-inspired NBN will speed up you internet connection soon.
By the way, good work on the ‘Green Taliban’ line. Meaningless of course, but a good brand name for a weed-killer I would think.
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So, if anyone disagrees with climate change they get shackled in chains and called a sinner? Sounds like a Labor lead Inquisition.
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Politics has been brought to it’s knees in Australia, of recent, in my humble opinion, by one person; Tony “NO, NO, NO” Abbott.
When the government is polling as low as it is and for Gillard to still out rank Abbott (the opposition’s leader) then that really is saying something about Abbott’s leadership skills.
Abbott is quite simply unelectable. I will cast my vote to an independent. Labor are shot ducks, however the cretins of the current Liberal Party are not exactly polished themselves.
Should Turnball run instead of Abbott.
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And in more bad news, Gina Rinehart has lifted her stake IN Fairfax to almost 19%. If we don’t silence this bid to gag democracy and free speech by a jackbooted earth-raper who doesn’t give a stuff about the world our kids inherit, we deserve everything we get.
Is someone at Fairfax organising a resistance movement? They should be, even to mass resignations on principle.
Someone, do something. I couldn’t face life without my dose of Leunig. Please save fairfax from this woman.
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2GB’s Alan Jones has spent many hours on-air exposing the lies and propaganda from the Greens and Labor mob regarding climate change.
The ACMA ruling has found Alan Jones guilty for making just ONE error. Free speech is under attack in Australia. The left are a bunch of hypocrites. They openly abuse Mr Jones on this blog, but at the same time wish to silence all opposing opinions.
When the climate science fails them, the results don’t match the alarmist predictions made two decades ago, the socialist left attack the man or woman with comments on this blog like “right wing nutter” or “jackbooted earth raper” A clear sign they have lost the debate.
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Leunig Lover is spot on. We’ve already got Singo’s 2GBullshiters, the Australian and the Telegraph blatantly bullshitting away and talking down the economy for big business mates and the Coalition. None of them gives a rats about twisting the truth in the name of regime change. And 2GBullshitter Ross Greenwood is doing his bit on breakfast tv. What’s breathtaking is to hear these guys justify this rubbish by saying it’s what their readers /listeners want to hear. The Roman citizenry wanted to see lions chew people’s heads off. So they gave it to them.
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Fck Labor. Fck Liberal (“liberal’ they are not) The Nationals – h’mmm?
Bring back the Biff!!!!! We need a leader (either side) just one party? Somebody get a leader to head up their effort and lead this country forward!!!
One gripe = we are too expensive at the moment!
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Listen to some FACTS about the Global Warming Hoax. They are indeed accurate, its time for the media to check the satellite data, latest sea levels, and question politicians why a 22% increase in man made C02 levels since the year 2000 hasn’t caused global temperatures to rise and why are sea levels falling?
http://www.2gb.com/index2.phpo.....7JD4.gmail
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I’m not sure which planet you live on Johnno, but it’s not the same one as me.
Climate change is about MUCH more than just ‘global warming’ as anyone with a scintilla of knowledge about the subject attests to. Though if you have to clutch at straws you may as well clutch at that one.
I would love to have checked out your link to that impeccable source of scientific research … http://www.2gb.com … but your link doesn’t work.
I suspect that you’ve fallen for the old trick of the deniers of comparing all data to 1998 – the hottest year ever recorded. In fact the 13-year period between 1995 and 2007 (I’ll try and get the following years data) had the 11 warmest years ever recorded. Albeit, those annual records only go back to 1850 – around the start of the industrialisation of the planet. Oh, and sea levels rose on average 0.3mm per annum over that period as well.
By the way, have you noticed the increased incidence in extreme weather events? The variation around the average in temperatures, rainfall, wind speed are all increasing. Again, chance or coincidence?
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http://www.2gb.com/index2.php?.....7JD4.gmail
The link from my last comment needs fixing to direct to the above audio file
Thanks
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Before the industrial revolution, the level of Co2 measured in ice cores was 270 parts per million. (ppm) By the year 2000 it had risen 100 ppm to 370 ppm.
The current Co2 level in the atmosphere (as a result of mankind burning fossil fuels) is 393 ppm, or a massive Co2 increase of 23% since the year 2000.
What’s happened to the global temperature since the year 2000? Three satellites have been circling the earth 24 / 7 for the last 30 years. They measure the earth’s temperature to tenths of a degree accuracy …….the National Climate Data Centre satellite, (NCDC) Geographic Information System Satellite, (GISS) and the Hadley Centre Satellite. (HadCRUT3)
The data from these satellites shows zero or negative trends for the last 5 and 10 years periods. Global warming stopped 12 years ago.
So back in 2007 the government paid scientists, Greens and politicians had a big problem. The satellite data showed over 5 years had passed without any global warming. It was then it was decided to use the term “climate change” to ensure they could continue to tax the population with the excuse of “saving the planet.”
This massive fraud still continues today as Australia braces itself for a carbon tax. Taxing the 500 most productive companies in Australia, sending billions overseas to buy worthless carbon credits from 3rd world countries. Making Australians poorer……..global socialism disguised as environmentalism.
Alan Jones therefore has every right to question science that is corrupted by politics and green propaganda.
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So since prior to the industrial revolution CO2 levels rose 37% by the year 2000. Since 2000 it has risen from 370 ppm to 393 pm (6.2% not a massive 23%). And since 1998 average temperatures HAVE dropped. Not EVERY year is a new record average temperature. But 11 of 13 were the 11 hottest recorded.
The pleasing thing from your post is that something that grew steadily and perceptibly over hundreds of years (albeit in a stop-start mode on a short-term basis) miraculously ended as “global warming stopped 12 years ago”. Not slowed, not abated. But stopped. Remember that one swallow does not make a summer – even an Indian summer.
It’s sure nice to know that no matter how much more shit we pump into our atmosphere that global warming has stopped for ever.
As I said, what planet are you from … LaLa Land?
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The man made content of the C02 in the atmosphere C02 has risen 23% since the year 2000. Even 6.2% overall from a figure of zero C02 is a big increase.
Does an increase of C02 in the atmosphere cause catastrophic global warming?
Lets check the results from the Worlds most viewed website on global warming and climate change;
http://wattsupwiththat.com/200.....st-decade/
The satellite data from the worlds best climate scientists, one from the University of Alabama, Huntsville (UAH) Dr. John Christy: From the UAH satellite; a positive 0.028 degrees C in ten years.
Or from the RSS satellite; shows minus 0.01 degrees for the last ten years.
Or U.K.’s Hadley Climate Research Unit Temperature anomaly (HadCRUT) Dr. Phil Jones: ( the Climate Gate scientist who has his emails hacked)
Well even Doctor Phil Jones data ( a warmist) shows a mere positive 0.017 degrees C over ten years.
Finally we have the NASA GISS land-ocean anomaly data showing a ten year trend of 0.151°C, which is about 5 times larger than the largest of the three metrics above, which is UAH at 0.028°C /ten years.
Where is the catastrophic warming?
And that “shit” you claim we are pumping into the atmosphere just happens to make plants grow.
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“The man made content of the C02 in the atmosphere C02 has risen 23% since the year 2000. Even 6.2% overall from a figure of zero C02 is a big increase.”
Using your own data 2000 was 370 ppm. And currently it is 393 ppm. How do you get 23% increase? Which is it 393 ppm (+6.3%) or a 23% increase? (By the way, I happen to know the answer).
Now back to the point. All the data you quote is “last 10 years”. As I have said, yes since the 1998 peak global temperatures have plateaued and by some measures may have even shown a slight decline (e.g. the RSS data). But the salient point is that up to 2007 11 of the hottest ever recorded years occurred in the prior 13 years. Given your data quoted shows more slight increases than decreases in the past decade, then it’s probably more like 15 of the hottest years on record in the past 17 years.
Do you dispute this fact?
You seem to have confused the rate of increase in temperature with the absolute temperature, so let me paint you a picture.
Remember those old politically incorrect cartoons of the hunter being boiled in the pot by the natives. The temperature gets to just below boiling point , then they take the heat out of the fire – yet the hunter says he feels fine because the water is getting no hotter.
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I’m freezing in this warming Carbon Dioxide. – Scientists can sure be one-sided, especially when one considers where and with whom they work and from where – directly and indirectly – they obtain their pay, especially presently, where they have to lean far left not to be left broke. Even CSIRO is Semi-Government. And Universities require financial support. Guess wherefrom??
Don’t forget (as even those Scientists and too many Politicians do) that Green Gases also come from some of Australia’s Primary Products, such as Australian Cattle. Why don’t we all become Vegetarians? That would really make us Methane producers.If some Vesuvius blows up somewhere and winds send gas from there over our country, we’ll probably have to pay tax for Sulphurchemicalcombinations.
By the way: Which Sea did he say?
Have any of you realised how many Trees and other Plants are continuously destroyed by too many, everywhere; who winge that CO2 warms us? Leave plants alive which require more Carbon Dioxide to give us life, and most would realise the crap so many rave about.
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Alan was right about man-made emissions of CO2 in fact he was actually generous. Natural emissions of CO2 world wide average 210 gt per year. This varies by about 50gt to 80gt in any given year. Ross Garnaut told us that man-made emissions of CO2 vary between 3gt and 7gt per year world wide and Australia’s share is 1% Using the higher number this is actually 0.0003%. These are verifiable facts NOT opinion.
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Mr Jones cannot make death threats against a head of state . That is SEDITION
For an unelected ill informed ignorant little nobody grub like him to urge , inspire or cajole others to murder the countrys’ elected Head of State is sedition . Make no mistake about it is about as serious a charge as it gets . Our pussy cat country has let him off the hook but he shouldn’t get off the hook . He should be visited this very night by rather large policemen of an ill disposition. What if the PM had been murdered by someone out there as a result of his urgings ? In just about every country I can think of there would dire personal consequences for anyone suggesting that the head of state be murdered . Mr Jones won’t be hearing the last of this here either. His days as a ratbag broadcaster and free man are numbered . He has crossed the limits of free speech.
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Dear oh dear Dan.
I’d like to provide you with a quote. One from today’s anti carbon tax rally in Victoria (massive turnout of 150 people I see). See if you can guess who said it …
“Common sense will tell you it’s rubbish; 97 per cent of all carbon dioxide occurs naturally … three per cent around the world is created by human beings.”
Give up?
Well try this as well. ‘…carbon pollution was a “scandalous piece of propaganda”, and Labor was “putting a stake through the heart of the nation’s economic wellbeing”. “The notion of global warming is a hoax. This is witchcraft”.
Well it was Alan Jones
Apparently you and your font of all knowledge are now at a major point of disagreement. Which of you is right, and which of you is wrong?
Just maybe Jones, having been officially caught out, is now using the “right” data some 30,000 times higher that his now recanted assertation. (And frankly the majority of climate scientists put 3% as the absolute base figure – some put it 10 times higher. The true figure, should it be known is probably about the mid-point,)
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