Courier Mail assistant editor tweeted London bus bomb picture with #illridewithyou hashtag
The Courier Mail’s assistant editor Des Houghton tweeted a picture of a London bus destroyed in the 7/7 terrorist attacks in 2005 along with the hashtag #illridewithyou.
Houghton posted then deleted the tweet on the social networking site on Wednesday evening, using a picture of a bus destroyed by terrorists. It read: “I’ll walk thanks. #illridewithyou #sydneysiege #terrorism.”
The #illridewithyou hashtag came to international prominence following Monday’s attack on Sydney’s Lindt Cafe which left two hostages dead, and was started to engender a sense of unity around Australia.
The 7/7 suicide attacks on London’s transport network by Islamist terrorists killed 52 people and left 700 injured.
On the same evening as posting the picture Houghton took to Twitter to criticise the ABC for refusing to call gunman Man Haron Monis “a Muslim terrorist”.
Houghton also retweeted messages criticising the #illridewithyou movement, as well as the much-maligned message from News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch which praised his newspapers for capturing the “bloody outcome” of the siege.
Houghton could not be reached for comment at the time of publication, and News Corp has declined to comment.
Miranda Ward & Alex Hayes
‘Was started to engender a sense of unity around Australia.’ Thanks Mumbrella, that sums it up perfectly. The fact that a number of News Corp editors and contributors are so troubled by it, speaks volumes about the kind of people they are, and the kind of culture the organisation fosters.
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Like some of the best humour, it’s dangerous.
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the way News Ltd are going, he’ll probably get a raise
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Wow, News Corp honcos are really kicking some goals lately. They’ve been own-goals, but goals none the less…
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So what.
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Been a year since the last exodus at news, you can see why people don’t stick around too long in that hole.
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News Corp not available for comment?
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Most newsroom jokes should stay in the newsroom – and off Twitter.#illridewithyou
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Good to know #illridewithyou has got positive local and international coverage for the reason Mumbrella states. Houghton, Christensen, et al are the (mature) white conservative males who insist on retrofitting Australia as it was at some time in their imagination, not as the evolving diverse place it is – and always was. Imagine: these guys see #illridewithyou as a lefty plot!!!!
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Some people really should stay away from Twitter as it risks giving us too much of an insight into the true state of their mind. Ignorance is bliss.
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My hubby is a blue collar, shop floor worker (in Queensland), and his comment to me the other day was illuminating. His said the guys at work are sick and tired of The Courier Mail and no longer buy it, because they find the headlines infantile, obviously biased and an insult to their intelligence. Murdoch et al assumes his working class readers are unsophisticated, uneducated hicks who will swallow any old reactionary crap he chooses to serve up. Not so, the social media has made a huge difference to people’s attitudes and thinking. For instance (maybe unrelated, but it illustrates the shift), hubby used to volunteer as a rural firefighter in Queensland, a quite blokey and working class activity – but the guys were hugely supportive of two openly lesbian members and even arranged an informal “Wedding” for them, with the women’s participation in the planning (and their approval). Society is changing fast. Murdoch et al are dinosaurs from the 50’s who refuse to catch up, because their terminally hooked on grand delusions of the corporate media’s power, which is melting like candle wax.
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The small minded reactions to an big hearted tweet tell us much about their posters. Pond life springs to mind.
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It is interesting the loyalty that money buys. Stick to the company line or go home. The community are getting stronger by the day in their unity and love for humanity. Our patience with the cheap tricks of shock media is waning. Nothing kicks as hard as the dying struggle to survive of draconian and obsolete mandates. Time to choose clarity unity and integrity as we are all human we are all one. Crazy people come in all colours and faiths. Love is the only way forward and it is the only thing that will heal us all.
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You just know if an employee of Fairfax or the ABC had posted something that disgraceful News Corp’s “journalists” would have been calling for them to be fired.
Different rules for those inside the asylum though.
What an utter clown. I’d say this is seriously damaging for their brand but its already so damaged there’s little any employee could do to make them look worse.
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Actually, I thought it was a very valid comment by Des Houghton.
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Dear No, In what way was it valid? Do tell.
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What if it was you in that coffee shop? …I completely agree with Des Houghton. Trust has to be earned and Australia needs to wake up to the reality that it is no longer shielded from radicalism.
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The fact that he’s unsure whether ABCNewsIntern is a parody account also speaks volumes.
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It’s funny that all of the supporters of his post are anonymous.
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