Owen Jones Leaves News Cast After Fellow Anchors Play Down Anti-Gay Nature Of Orlando Massacre.

In our blog " Today's Horror Reminds Us Of Another Gay Club Tragedy " we saw how our media overlooked one of the LGBT community's and the nation's most horrific tragedies in 1973.  My, how times have changed.  I have been very happy with the coverage here in the United States of this tragic event.  I wish it never happened, of course, but the fact that, in my opinion, the big three (NBC, CBS, ABC) have not shied away from acknowledging that this is a HATE crime and an act of TERRORISM.  Even the president has said it is both Hate and Terror and there is no line of demarcation.   

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The support has been pouring in from across the globe.  And we as well get to see the news and media from other nations.  But how is their media handling the event?  Thanks to Attitude.co.uk, we get a glimpse of one troubling encounter on Sky News where the coverage was not so smooth.

 

During the discussion for Sky News, Jones was joined by Mark Longhurst and Julia Hartley-Brewer for the Sky News discussion where the three of them discussed the day’s papers, but soon clashed over Mateen’s motivations.

During the interview, Jones, who is openly gay, stressed that the attack was motivated by homophobia, as Longhurst and Hartley-Brewer seemingly played down the anti-gay nature of the horrific crime.

Jones argued, “People rationalise their hatred. People know this, who are gay, that there are people out there who are sickened and repulsed by our very existence and this guy, however he dresses up his bigotry and hatred is somebody who hates gays.

“At the end of the day, this is a homophobic hate crime, as well as terrorism, and we have to call it out for what it is.”

Jones continued, saying that it was “one of the worst atrocities committed against LGBT people in the Western world for generations” before Longhurst interrupted to say  it was “carried out against human beings.” – Attitude.co.uk

 

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“You cannot say this is a worse attack than what was carried out in Paris,” Longhurst continued, saying the shooting was an attack “on the freedom of all people out to enjoy themselves, like Bataclan was.”

The debate quickly got heated, with Jones eventually declaring, “I’ve had enough of this, I’m going home.”

Hartley-Brewer attempted to calm him down by saying, “We’re trying to have a civilised conversation. I know you’re upset and you’re very angry, everyone’s upset and angry about this but storming off a TV set…”

Jones ignores her and storms off, leaving Brewer and Longhurst to carry on without him.  – Attitude.co.uk

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Do you agree with Jones' interpretation of what the other newscasters were saying?

Have you seen people downplaying this as an attack on America and not so much an attack on the LGBT community?

How do you feel the U.S. or your nation's media have been covering this horrific incident?

 

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Jones took to Twitter this morning to address the incident.

 

h/t: Attitude.co.uk

8 thoughts on “Owen Jones Leaves News Cast After Fellow Anchors Play Down Anti-Gay Nature Of Orlando Massacre.”

  1. Those two people were so

    Those two people were so heartless! It's hard to see. Stirs a lot of difficult emotions. …Please, we need to start being kinder to each other, even when we do not understand or agree with each other. Please, let's be kinder. 

    Reply
  2. It was downplayed and like

    It was downplayed and like Owen I would have walked away from a conversation such as this when you have to closed minded people not willing to speak the words of fact this was an attack on LGBT people in a venue where they could be easily targeted and like Marteen's Father stated he was outraged at the sight of two men kissing his ex wife stated he was abusive as well as friends and co -workers stated his rage and homophobia  it's happening on other broadcast as well even here in my local area they won't address this aas a hate and act of terror but focus on that last minute call Marteen made to promote ISIS and give them credit when they had nothing to actually do with the situation and we all know from fact and history ISIS can claim yes we planned it when they had nothing to do with it

    Reply
  3. Ur all dumb liberals. I’m gay

    Ur all dumb liberals. I'm gay and accept this was a hate crime BUT also a terrorist attack by radical Islam. Cmon ppl, wake up!

    Reply
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  5. No, I don’t know why people

    No, I don't know why people are refusing to call it what it is. The fact that this guy chose pride month to go into a gay club and kill gay people. It's a HATE CRIME committed against gay peoples. Just say it, trying to erase the fact that these victims were part of the gay community, is trying to erase their identity. It shows you have no baring on the actual atrocity that it was.

    Then to sit there and call this one man a lunatic, like he is the fringe of some society that no one would accept as rational. That's just trying to dust the entire issue of homophobia under the rug. The systemic hate and intolerance that is prevalent at almost every level of gay people's lives. Do you know how many people praised and Vindicated this man's actions simply because of the victims were gay? A sickening amount! 

    So let me recap,

    One, don't try and say it was an attack on all people. It was an attack on the LGBT community, it's fantastic if then then go to say and an attack on that community is also an attack on me, or us. Don't try to erase the identity of the victims. 

    Second, don't pass over the still very real systemic problem of homophobia in todays culture by just calling this man a lunatic.. 

    Reply
  6. He was right to walk off,

    He was right to walk off, when dealing with str8 people they will never admit their part in homophobia ever, so they always have to minimize any homophobia. When you insist that it was homophobia st8s get very defensive and or violent.  

    Reply
  7. No they weren’t on the same

    No they weren't on the same side. The other two did not want to accept the fact that the gunman specifically attacked the LGBT community. That was his point.

    Reply
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  9. He needs to calm down. They

    He needs to calm down. They were on the same side as him. He's emotional and it came through. This was dumb and made him look bad.

    Reply

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