News Corp journalist quits gay rights lobby after copping ‘abuse’
NEWS Corp journalist Shannon Molloy recently left his position on the board of the New South Wales Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (NSW GLRL) after being targeted for his involvement in the group because of his employer.
The criticism took aim at Molloy’s News Corp employment, a media corporation that has commonly come under fire for publishing anti-LGBTI content.
“How can NSW GLRL call out the trans hate from News Corp when one of its national journos sits on the board?” Rodney Chiang-Cruise wrote on Twitter.
“News Corp pay people to destroy Safe Schools and make the lives of trans kids unbearable. Working for them is unethical,” Michael Barnett wrote on Twitter.
However, many advocates and allies in the LGBTI community have expressed their dismay at Molloy’s resignation and the online criticism he received, citing him as one of the community’s greatest advocates.
LGBTI reporter and former Age journalist Jill Stark took to social media to vent her frustration.
Thread: Something happened yesterday that I find deeply troubling so bear with me. It concerns LGBTI "activists" targeting their own.
— Jill Stark (@jillastark) May 22, 2017
“The Lobby and Shannon have been inundated with emails, FB, and Twitter messages saying that having a News Corp staffer on the board was a conflict due to some reporting in News Corp papers about queer kids – none written by Shannon, a gay man and passionate advocate for his community,” she tweeted.
“Last night Shannon quit the board and Twitter due to the distress this campaign has caused. He told me – they win, I’m done.
“My question to these “activists” is who does this serve? What has been achieved for LGBTI equality by leaving a gay man feeling broken?”
Many other LGBTI advocates came out in support of Molloy online as well.
I'm a gay journo. I work at News Corp Aus and that ppl in my own community could tear down fellow LGBTI journo Shannon Molloy is shameful.
— Benedict Brook (@BenedictBrook) May 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/JB_AU/status/866802663567917056
https://twitter.com/Jesse_Matheson/status/866903864624029697
In a statement by the NSW GLRL, the co-convenors said Molloy had been on the receiving end of behaviour that was “completely unacceptable”.
“The unwarranted abuse has to stop,” they wrote.
“People within the LGBTI community should only want the absolute best for their peers, their friends, their loved ones, their community.
“There should only be one priority – achieving equality, not stopping until the day that arrives, and supporting each other to make that happen every single day.”
They went on to say that if Molloy wished to return to the lobby, he would be welcomed with open arms.
“Attacking and criticising one volunteer purely because of their employer, one which afforded them the opportunity to speak of their discrimination and victimisation they have personally experienced, is unacceptable,” they wrote.
“Volunteers speak for and represent themselves, not their entire place of employment.
“To use the actions of others as justification to abuse people is wrong. It is not acceptable, and it never will be.”
Shannon Molloy was contacted for comment.
How many people have changed employment or career because their personal belieds conflicted with corporate position? Are there no other employment opportunities for journalists in this nation except with biased media? If we expect change in the community it must begin with ourselves. If we allow ourselves to turn a blund eye to what happens at work how can we expect to fight against it when it happens elsewhere.
Conflict of interest is as much about perception as it is about actual behaviour. We must not only do the right thing but be seen to be doing the right thing. Putting yourself in a position that invites challenge is at best, folly
“Are there no other employment opportunities for journalists in this nation except with biased media?”
You need to read a newspaper occasionally. Fairfax has announced its cutting newsroom staff by 25%. This is after total Australian newsroom staff have decreased by about 60% in the last decade. Any journalist with a paid gig is doing better than many.
Your broader point is also troubling. You have mistaken “turning a blind eye” to poor behaviour behind closed doors with News Corp very publicly printing its editorials for all to see. If we disagree with the editorials, and I certainly often do, I enjoy responding with a letter to the editor or going with some comments on the website. There’s absolutely no need to harass good people who have nothing to do with the editorial position and who may well be campaigning for change from the inside.
It’s not like this is a new problem. In the scheme of things, I’m even more troubled by News Corp’s contribution to starting the second Iraq war in 2004 than I am with their dodgy positions on marriage equality and safe schools. I’m sure a great many of their reporters were troubled by that too, but it’s how Rupert rolls.
So we can target Catholic schools employees in the same way?
Wrong Anthony – Shannon Molloy was not “challenged” by these goons – he was bullied on-line.
How about these idiots go and target who actually are working against us, rather than a person who is one of us?
Yep, it keeps happening. It’s not news that News Corp editorial positions are pretty regressive a lot of the time, but the assumption that “activists” make about these massive organisations and their idea that everyone in them has signed up to the editorial position is plain wrong. We see it in this case, we see it with comments on a recent article where “activists” want to blame Penny Wong for everything they’ve ever disliked about the ALP, we see knee-jerk reactions like the decision not to invite Malcolm Turnbull to Mardi Gras despite his years of being on the correct side of the issues within the Liberal Party.
Same sex marriage and safe schools are issues. Win the argument with positive statements. Take the personality out of it unless the person you’re criticising is wholly signed up to the regressive position (eg Cory Bernardi or Peter Dutton). Or, to put it another way, just grow the eff up.