It will be money, not morality, that finally turns the tide on Alan Jones
Alan Jones’ seemingly untouchable power can only be tamed when his bosses at 2GB believe he has outlived his profitability, argues Denis Muller in this crossposting from The Conversation, but when will that be?
Alan Jones’s political power is to a large extent based on a self-fulfilling prophecy: politicians believe he can shift votes, so they pay homage to him, which adds to the impression that he can shift votes.
This perception of power, in turn, gives him actual power.
Yet the author and social researcher Rebecca Huntley is reported as saying: “Fifteen years of research and I haven’t found Alan Jones to be that much more influential with voters than ABC Radio or The SMH. He is only powerful because politicians think he is.”
So if evidence that he actually shifts votes is hard to find, how did this phenomenon develop?
CommBank & Harvey Norman are large and regular advertisers on Jones’ program. Neither have abandoned him. Those that have are mainly casual advertisers.
Mercedes-Benz Corporate may have pulled the plug on advertising – and Jones’ sponsored car – back in 2012. But, clearly the MB dealers needed him as they’ve been back supporting the program regularly ever since.
What the author above fails to recognise is that the average Australian doesn’t spend hours analysing Jones commentary like the media does. He’s maintained a loyal audience of actual listeners who are resilient to efforts at marginalising him. That’s the influence overlooked here.
Assumptive journalism at it’s best. Show us some research that says, this is all of Jones’ audience …
“This listener is typically in the autumn of life and living in the western suburbs of Sydney, where a tough life has bred cynicism about politicians, bureaucrats and big companies.”
Solid points, well articulated. Thanks Denis
THere is no way in the world Jones will go before Singleton gets his money out of the 9 deal. Singleton, a seller for years, desperately needed Jones to stay the extra 2 years so he could extract as much as he could from a sale. Short and simple.
this paragraph seems very apt
‘He was a pioneer in what has become known as the outrage industry. He rants and raves in extraordinarily fluent broadsides, captivating in their aural power and – to a listener of a certain type – intoxicatingly persuasive’
the ‘outrage industry’ lined up against him on social media also can seem ‘intoxicatingly persuasive’ and powerful too but perhaps like the research from Rebecca Huntley quoted in the article about Jones’ influence on voters…it will also be found to be powerless.
Leftist outrage makes a huge noise within it’s own echo chambers but not much outside of it. I expect Jones’ audience to remain relatively untouched and untroubled by this.
Well, western suburban folks in their autumn years are not the only ones who are right to be at least a little cynical about politicians, bureaucrats, and big companies.
The facts are there for perusal, and this has been covered already by the excellent points made by Painfully academic.
The definition of boring could be summed up in fashionable public platitudes and slavish adherence to PC. The excitement of debate requires a wide and multi-armed view, not strict adherence to the code of respectable and generally held middle-class morality.
I was at the Lincon Centre when the retired general manager and current ( at that time) archivist was explaining the Metropolitan opera’s stance on the public opinion regarding Maria Callas, who was considered by many to be too temperamental. He smiled as he replied to the supporter “Of course she is temperamental, she would be no good to us if she weren’t, you don’t pay Met prices to see the girl next door”
Reads like the blue-print for a recidivist’s rap sheet.
Jones isn’t powerful because politicians ‘pay homage’ to him. He’s powerful because he has a large and loyal audience who agree with what he says more often than not. I don’t think he preaches to them – he just tells them what he thinks. Does he twist their views based on the content he pumps out? I don’t think so, because most of them already agree. So if Nine – as his potential ultimate new ‘master’ wants to punt him because of what he says – that’s fine – but don’t think for a minute that his entire audience (and the ad dollars that go with it) won’t follow him out the door, making their new purchase look much less economic than it once did).
One day media planners will consider quality of audience as well as quantity. Then Jones numbers will look quite different.
SINGLTO IS NW NO LONGER A SHARE HOODER ON MACQYARUE MEDIA DUE TI LAST MONDAYS DEAL TAT HE AND OTHER MINOR SHAREHOLDERS INCLUDING AALAN JONES SOLD THEIR SHEARES IN MACQUARUE NEDIA TI NNE ENTERTAINMENT NOW WE CA SAY ISNGO AID GIID-BYE TI HIS RADIO NETWOERK.
any idea how much they got for their Sheares?
Giid question
Let’s be honest. Jones’ outburst regarding Jacinda Ardhern’s comments that demeaned Australia’s efforts regarding climate change contributions was as much about patriotism as anything else. Jacinda’s Ardhern’s continued criticism of Australia’s carbon emissions, totally ignoring NZ’s emissions caused by their massive reliance on animal agriculture i.e. cattle and sheep, would make many people react, especially a political radio commentator. So let’s stop vilifying someone for their overreaction to a fairly hypocritical accusation from across the ditch.
Let’s see if there is a significant loss of income once the dust settles.
Like others, one suspects, without data, that many middle aged, eastern suburban and financially comfortable punters are part of Jones’s audience.
Further, as evidenced by commenters here and on other related articles, Australian media is very conservative, mono cultural, neo liberal, attracted to fame and deferential to power.