Controversial conservative commentator Alan Jones has had his weekly columns for The Daily Telegraph scrapped. Allegedly, it is because of his beliefs about COVID-19
Jones usually publishes one column for The Daily Telegraph and writes a separate column for The Australian’s sports pages but he will no longer be writing for either publication.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that this change allegedly comes because Jones’ columns no longer resonate.
The news of Jones’ columns being ceased comes after Jones has continually aired his distaste for COVID-19 Australian lockdowns, which aim to stop the spread of the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus.
The last column Jones wrote for The Daily Telegraph was titled: “Why we can’t believe the Premier”
Jones wrote: “There is no scientific proof offered for anything that these health officers and politicians demand of us.”
Jonas has continually shared controversial opinions about COVID-19 both in newspapers and on television.
Recently, Jones spread misinformation about the Delta Strain of COVID-19 on Sky News.
Jones said: “If Berejiklian and Morrison know this they are to be condemned for not telling us. If our bureaucrats don’t know it they should be sacked. If they know it but are not informing Berejiklian and Morrison they should be sacked.
“But there it is, isn’t it, in black and white: the case fatality rate is 10 times lower for Delta than for the original strain.”
Sky News later had to post a correction –“The presentation failed to fully include further context from the technical briefing that noted “case fatality is not comparable across variants.”
Jones also famously said on Sky News, that the one thing you won’t get from the daily press conferences about COVID-19 in NSW is “the truth”.
Jones also shared on Sky News, that New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has: “lost the right to govern and to be believed” after she announced the extension of the Greater Sydney lockdown due to rising COVID-19 case numbers.
Jones also called her “gutless”.
Jones’ status on COVID-19 has even caused conservative commenter and former coworker Ray Hadley, to call him out.
The Daily Telegraph, reported that Hadley, said: “Now this pandemic and his performance during this has allowed conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers like his old mate Pete Evans.
“Who he does podcasts with occasionally, to gain support from a minority in the community who think the virus is nothing more than a flu.”
Despite his strong remarks about the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jones did denounce the recent lockdown protests on Sky News, “Don’t march, don’t protest, don’t promote violence, don’t defy the police.”
However, this was seemingly not enough to sway The Daily Telegraph’s decision.
Peter FitzSimons, who is a columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald has been continually calling out Jones commentary on COVID-19 and took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Jones’ recent dismissal.
I wrote this last year “Alan Jones is a malignant tumour on the body politic of this city, this state and this country and the sooner he is excised the better.” Today, a great surgical strike! #JonesGone
https://t.co/vG3T5eGCww— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) July 29, 2021
SMH, also reported that Jones said: “If the argument has been it’s not resonating, I don’t have to defend myself.
“Have a look at Sky News Youtube, Sky News Facebook and Alan Jones’ Facebook and you can see. The same column that I write for The Tele goes up on my Facebook page.
“The public can check it for themselves. 35 years at top of the radio – and I don’t resonate with the public? Honestly?”
News Corp has yet to comment.
