Sky News suspends producer over Sarah Hanson-Young broadcast
Sky News has apologised to politician Sarah Hanson-Young over comments broadcast about her on the channel’s controversial right-wing Sunday morning show Outsiders.
The show, hosted by Rowan Dean and Ross Cameron, invited eccentric senator David Leyonhjelm onto the program days after he had shouted abusive comments at Hanson-Young on Parliament, telling her to “stop shagging men”.
During the broadcast he made further comments about her, which were also repeated in an on-screen caption.
Co-presenter Rowan Dean smirked as Leyonhjelm stated: “This is not a criticism but Sarah is known for liking men. The rumours about her in Parliament House are well known, so I just said ‘Well stop shagging men then, Sarah. It doesn’t make sense if you think they’re all rapists, why would you shag them?’ She took great offence at that, which is her problem, not my problem. In retrospect she has a right to shag as many men as she likes, I don’t care.”
Dean grinned as Leyonhjelm discussed Hanson-Young’s sex life
Unlike comments made in Parliament, broadcasters could be subject to legal proceedings over the broadcasting of libellous allegations.
The caption was repeated throughout the 17 minute interviewing, alternating with another in which Leyonhjelm called on “us alpha males” to stand up for themselves.
Another caption highlighted Leyonhjelm’s call for alpha males to stand up for themselves
Within a few hours, the news channel, which is owned by News Corp, apologised for broadcasting the comments and said that a producer had been suspended.
Sky News wishes to apologise to Senator @sarahinthesen8 for broadcasting appalling comments by Senator @DavidLeyonhjelm earlier today, and for highlighting them in an on-screen strap. A producer has been suspended pending an internal investigation.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) July 1, 2018
It is not the first controversy to hit the show, which saw former co-host Mark Latham fired by the station last year over his comments about Kristina Keneally.
The controversy was first called out by Amazon journalist Shannon Molloy, who saw the show as it aired in a Qantas lounge.
This is not OK. Please sign the petition to get this garbage off @Qantas screens. It’s only a start but it’s something. https://t.co/bQv8gSgG3Y pic.twitter.com/i96u2z5GGi
— Shannon Molloy (@sleemol) July 1, 2018
Molloy, who was himself a News Corp journalist before becoming content editor for Amazon’s Alexa late last year, has also created a Change.org petition calling on Qantas to ditch Sky News from its lounges. At the time of writing, the petition has already received more than 1000 signatures.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
Linkedin
Not quite sure what the offence is here. She is accused of liking men. As a heterosexual man I like women. Nothing new in that. Wouldn’t it have been worse if he had accused her of liking women ?
User ID not verified.
Watching SKY NEWS panel shows is akin to the worst of America’s FOX NEWS….where do they get some of these off-the-planet right-wing commentators?
Rowan Dean and Ross Cameron are virtually unwatchable … and they have plenty of mates in the SKY stable which is full of ultra-conservative bias.
User ID not verified.
What happened to free speech?
User ID not verified.
at least it’s not taxpayer funded.
User ID not verified.
This is an interesting one.
He/She (the producer) was just summarising what was said by the Senator, presumably.
Surely it is not up to the producer to “censor” or editorialise on what the Senator – an _elected_ official currently serving in the parliament – does or doesn’t say.
So I actually feel a lot of sympathy for the producer in this case. Unless they took the Senator’s argument well out of context (I haven’t actually seen the original footage, but I can believe this is what the Senator is saying).
Surely it is not the producer’s responsibility to declare the argument is obscene and hurtful. Surely it is not the producer who paid for the broadcast license of Sky News, invited the guest, and created a show premised on a for right-wing free-speech free-for-all?
User ID not verified.
Absolutely nothing Phillip. But ‘free speech’ must be viewed through the prism of the law of the land. Look up the word ‘libel’. Also consider the phrase ‘utter bullshit’.
User ID not verified.
Ah yes Phillip, the bogus free speech argument.
Sadly, bigots, racists and generally objectionable people have hijacked the principle to justify being obnoxious.
Free speech is, or at least should be, the ability to debate any point of view if rational, civilized, respectful and hopefully somewhat intellectual manner.
What went on on Sunday morning on Sky News was not that.
At this point I fully expect Phillip and others to start frothing at the mouth… have at it.
User ID not verified.
Australia doesn’t have too much to worry about if Sky News continues to let right-wing rat-bags like this lot spruce their inanities. As a nation we are a centre of the road nation politically. The Lib and Nat far right just doesn’t get this. And these Sky News wannabes think they are pleasing their master. They make ABC-TV’s political analysis look rational.
User ID not verified.
What’s wrong with liking men? We’re great.
User ID not verified.
very true
User ID not verified.
Did she really say that all men are rapists? Then try to take the high moral ground. I don’t condone what Leyjeholm said but lets hear what SHY said
User ID not verified.
The squeals of that Molloy person are just like the “Hollow Wood” lot -talk free speech – don’t practise it !!
User ID not verified.
Sounds as if we are all becoming very precious and both sides are using the new PC agenda to take a swipe at opposing views.
The apology has been made lets move on to more interesting topics.
User ID not verified.
Ah Bacon Boy, it IS the producer’s job to know the libel laws and act quickly if the content of the programme they are supervising veers across that legal line.
That applies especially if the two idiots hosting the show (one a supposed journalist and the other a long-ago MP) don’t seem to know anything about the law and don’t take quick action themselves by overriding or contradicting such comments.
If the producer isn’t there for that, what are they doing?
User ID not verified.
Nope. Slut shaming is not OK. Move over dinosaur, cos the kids are coming!
User ID not verified.
Hi Tim. With all the brouhaha about these comments, isn’t the story about Siobhan McKenna taking over broadcasting for News and from Miller? Lachie loves Fox for some reason and his number one lieutenant in Oz is trying to intro the same stuff here, presumably at his command. Worked at Ten. No wait! And she has a lot of corporate gigs. Are those companies (Woolies) cool with having her on the board?
https://mumbrella.com.au/siobhan-mckenna-exits-ten-board-joins-news-corp-tv-role-433014
User ID not verified.
Sure Pete, you can move on to something more interesting to you. However, the 51% of Australians – women – find it very, very interesting that a woman in her workplace, whilst giving a speech on violence against women, has a grown man shout a sexist slur at her. We find it even more interesting still, that the same man, has an interview with 2 other men on live TV, where he continues to defame her with sexual slurs that she can’t defend because she’s not there. If our interest in this topic makes us 51% “precious” then I’m happy to be so.
User ID not verified.
The producer must always be responsible for every show. So should be the presenters. Management should base decisions on the experience of all players. Her gender here is not relevant but my suspicion is that she should be counselled/given further training and the presenters given the flick.
User ID not verified.
“eccentric senator”? Seriously? Is that a let off or what. There are plenty of people who are eccentric who aren’t also f*cking pr*cks. Maybe we can do better than to call him eccentric as if it’s some sort of let off for his despicable behaviour.
User ID not verified.
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing the full video so we can see senator Leyonhjelm’s comments in the full context. Now I know that (although of course he was being deliberately provocative) his comments were actually a reasonable response to the claim that all men are rapists. Thanks again for sharing – I wouldn’t have found it otherwise. Great to see you’re letting the full video speak for itself – when viewed impartially and within context, I found there really was nothing in there with which a reasonable person could find fault.
User ID not verified.
He said “(to paraphrase) if you think all men are rapists, why don’t you stop having sex with them”. Is it because he asked her to stop having sex with men, or because Sarahinthesen8 just hunts for comments that could be deemed sexist. Was it because he used the word ‘shagging’.
I’m still searching for the offensive part. WE are all adults here. Nothing was sexist about the comment whatsoever. The only sexist comment was to imply that ALL men are rapists. That’s the real sexism here, but women can’t be sexist, can they !
User ID not verified.
Anyone at Facebook, Google, YouTube
or an algorithm lost their jobs for facilitating tens of thousands of inappropriate content feeds? Anyone in Australia calling for heads to roll because of it? A TV producer is stood down…but all fine with SillyCon Valley. Mumbrella equally guilty – defends Facebook, gleefully pursues local media. Hit them all I say.
User ID not verified.
The white only policy was only a few decades ago?! Dutton is still at it today and is elected and in government. This country has always been right os centre.
Central would be wonderful!
User ID not verified.
There is a differences between intent and accident. Facebook, Google and YouTube are working hard to stop just matters. Where as NewsCorp intentionally stir hate and push a right wing agenda.
User ID not verified.
Well said Vanessa. SHY has been bullied and harassed in Parliament for years, basically because she is a young woman who is outspoken. . Her children read about this stuff. I bet every person who says, ‘let’s move on” or “PC gone to far” have not undergone the shit she has.
If Leyonhjelm or Dean acted towards a man like they do to her (and go back and look at what Dean said about Gillard) their chances of getting punched in the head would increase dramatically.
These guys represent the rich privileged elitists they pretend not to be.
* fact check: SHY never said ‘all men are rapists’.
User ID not verified.