COLUMNIST Mike Carlton has parted ways with Fairfax after he sent abusive and anti-Semitic emails and tweets to readers.
Fairfax’s news and business publisher Sean Aylmer told Sydney radio 2UE today that after being confronted with extensive evidence of Carlton’s abusive emails yesterday afternoon, Fairfax moved to suspend the columnist. Carlton then resigned on the spot.
Aylmer said Carlton “used language just not acceptable in the workplace ... You just can’t do that.”
“As more emails emerged we figured we needed to suspend him. No one has the right to treat readers that way,” Aylmer added.
GRAPHIC: Carlton emails and tweets
Carlton was not disciplined for the content of his July 26 column on the Israel-Hamas conflict, Aylmer stressed, but for the disrespectful way he treated readers in his correspondence with them when they wrote to complain about the column and an accompanying cartoon.
“The column was fine. The issue wasn’t the printing of the column,” Aylmer told 2UE.
“What sort of got him into trouble was the way he responded to those readers, and it was totally inappropriate, using very inappropriate language.”
Aylmer said The Sydney Morning Herald’s editor-in-chief Darren Goodsir rang Carlton yesterday and demanded he apologise for the comments, which included telling several critics to “f*** off” and calling one a “Jewish bigot”. After being told he would be suspended over the issue, Carlton immediately resigned.
“He was apologetic. He accepted he had gone too far,” Aylmer said.
After his exit was revealed on 2UE by Aylmer, Carlton tweeted: “Confirming I have quit the SMH, sad that a once great newspaper has buckled to the bullies. Thanks for your support ... maintain the rage.” Overnight, Carlton had tweeted his thanks to supporters.
Yesterday afternoon The Australian sent Goodsir at least 15 examples of inappropriate, abusive and at times anti-Semitic language Carlton has used in his emails and tweets to readers.
The Australian asked Goodsir if he was aware his readers were being treated in such a disrespectful way and if he condoned it. In response, Goodsir last night released a statement describing Carlton’s actions as completely unacceptable.
“I have asked Mike to apologise for these actions. Mike regrets his behaviour and will be contacting affected readers to apologise,” he wrote. “On behalf of the Herald, I too apologise for any offence caused.”
At least one board member has also complained to Fairfax chief executive Greg Hywood about Carlton.
On Monday, Fairfax apologised for an anti-Semitic cartoon, created by illustrator Glen Le Lievre, that ran in the print edition of The Sydney Morning Herald and on The Age’s website alongside Carlton’s July 26 column. The cartoon showed a elderly Jewish man with a hooked nose casually destroying Gaza while reclining on a chair marked with a Star of David.
Carlton’s accompanying column was headlined ‘Israel’s rank and rotten fruit is being called fascism.’
On Monday, under the headline, ‘We apologise: publishing cartoon in original form was wrong’, the SMH said a “strong view” had been expressed in letters to the paper and public commentary that the cartoon “resembled illustrations that had circulated in Nazi Germany”.
Acknowledging “widespread reader and community reaction”, the SMH said it deeply regretted the upset the image had caused. However, it felt that no racial vilification had occurred.
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