Jonestown: The Power and the Myth of Alan Jones

517 Pages·2006·2.94 MB·English

by  Chris Masters

‘… a textbook example of how to write a biography of a public
figure and a fascinating, compulsively readable account of not
just a man but also a city.’
Herald Sun

‘Jonestown is a sad, often empathetic, portrait of a successful
but deeply flawed individual.’
Bridget Griffen-Foley, Sydney Morning Herald

‘The aim of Jonestown is to take Jones seriously as a person
and as a broadcaster, so as to begin a serious debate about the
nexus between politics and the media in Australia … [it] is an
important contribution to that debate.’
Matthew Ricketson, The Age

‘Jonestown is a fascinating account of a man who, by rights,
should not play such a prominent role in NSW and turns the
spotlight on those who wrongly thought they could use him
when all the while he was using them.’
Sun Herald

‘Masters’ account of the abuse of political power is startling.’
Mike Carlton, Sydney Morning Herald

‘Chris Masters has done extensive research and the result is a
compelling story of the rise and rise of Alan Jones.’
Newcastle Herald
‘… an extraordinarily well-written, well-researched biography.’
Illawarra Mercury
CHRIS MASTERS
JONES
TOWN
THE POWER AND THE MYTH OF ALAN JONES
First published in 2006
This paperback edition published in 2007

Copyright © Chris Masters 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one
chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be
photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes
provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has
given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under
the Act.

Allen & Unwin
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Masters, Chris, 1948– .
Jonestown: the power and the myth of Alan Jones.

Includes index.
ISBN 978 1 74175 156 7 (hb).
ISBN 978 1 74175 320 3 (pb).

1. Jones, Alan, 1943–. 2. Radio broadcasters – New South
Wales – Sydney – Biography. 3. Rugby football coaches –
Australia – Biography. 4. Speechwriters – Australia –
Biography. I. Title.

791.443

Set in 10 on 12.5pt Sabon Printed by Griffin Press, Adelaide
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my father Charlie (1914–1988)
Teaching us still
CONTENTS

Reporting on Alan

PART 1 THE MAGIC
1 Son of the Earth
2 ‘Big Al’
3 The Birthday Boy
4 Riding in Cars with Boys
5 Among Kings
6 Citizen Jones
7 Wearing the Green and Gold
8 My Team
9 Watershed

PART 2 THE MYTH
10 From Pedagogue to Demagogue
11 Dictators and Tigers
12 Runs on the Board
13 The Godfather
14 Pick and Stick
15 A Veritable Tsunami
16 Money for Nothing
17 The Emperor’s New Clothes
18 The Misinformation Revolution

Afterword: The Cringe Factor
Endnotes
Acknowledgements
Index
REPORTING ON ALAN

I STILL THINK OF THE UNOFFICIAL ‘swearing in’ of prospective New South Wales
Police Minister Michael Costa at Alan Jones’ home in November 2001 as
dumbfounding. New South Wales Premier Bob Carr must have known it was
stupid. Carr had scant respect for Jones, and Carr’s advisors had even less
respect for the broadcaster’s advisors, also assembled.
Successive administrations in New South Wales had learned to treat policing
as an unexploded bomb, so for Carr to surrender reason and bargain with a
sensitive portfolio says a lot about the power of Alan Jones. The episode is even
more remarkable when you consider the timing and Jones’ reputation. The
preceding year Australian Broadcasting Authority findings had seriously
challenged Jones’ honesty and integrity.
The episode raises important questions. What does it say about my own
industry that a man succeeds despite—or even because of—dishonesty? And
what does it say about the rest of us who allow him so much power? In
November 2001, with a future Four Corners program in mind, I began asking
questions about Alan Jones. Within days his own question bounced back to me
through the canyons of Sydney: ‘Does he think I’m a cunt?’
Above the din of Australia’s largest city the tattle lifts and settles. The rules of
all jungles require reliable intelligence on the disposition of the enemy. In
Jonestown Alan has constructed his own world, where particular attention is paid
to understanding boundaries between allies and enemies. When he asked ‘Does
he think I’m a cunt?’ he wanted to know where I stood.
At the time I knew he had been a teacher, a political speechwriter and rugby
coach before becoming a famous broadcaster. I had heard some of the whispers
that had been circulating for decades about his ongoing bachelor status. But
before 2001 I had no particular interest in Alan Jones, which makes the last few
years of intensive investigation surprising, even to me.
From the start, listening to his radio program, I understood there was a lot
worth learning. Alan Jones breaches many conventions about what works on
radio. He does not run away from ‘feel bad’ subjects, championing causes such
as care for the disabled and respect for victims of mental illness. While the
national attention span ever narrows, Alan runs uninterrupted interviews in
prime time for 15 minutes and more. In Australia’s largest radio market he has
dominated ratings for 15 years. His power, whether real or perceived, has all
manner of princes and premiers bowing before him.
The more telephone calls I made the more his power intrigued and worried
me. While I was not going to waste concern on quivering politicians, it seemed
unhealthy for ordinary people, even his friends, to be so frightened of Alan. As
they routinely sought permission before speaking to me, I saw that Jones was not
just powerful, but controlling. And this was even more disturbing. Whereas I
accept that people commonly feel discomfort about lack of control over their
reputation, a world where reputations are controlled is far more frightening.
Two weeks after the notorious ‘swearing in’ of Michael Costa, I sat down with
Alan Jones at the same address. My brother Roy had brokered the meeting at
Jones’ request. The two former football coaches were well acquainted. Indeed,
Roy was one to pass on Jones’ crudely expressed query about what I thought of
him. The Alan Jones I sat down with on 30 November 2001 was courteous and
composed. Conversation proceeded as through quicksand, his composure
slipping just once, shifted by a short circuit spark of anger when I tried to make a
point about police reform. Alan is not used to disagreement. The meeting trailed
away and I slumped off, even more bothered.
My next engagement that day was a Friends of the ABC Christmas party. I am
sure part of my unease stemmed from my sense that I was about to be drafted
into a kind of Left versus Right, commercial versus public, culture war. When I
mentioned at the gathering that I had just spoken to Alan Jones there was a rasp
of scoffing, which brought no comfort. The ABC is supposed to exist for all
Australians. The idea that my friends are Alan’s enemies would be worrying if it
were true.
I view the new ideological boundaries, like Jones’ politics, as more
complicated—indeed, all over the place. I came to understand that the politicians
who most appeased him were from the New South Wales Labor Party and that
while his strongest political allies are certainly Liberal, his strongest political
enemies are also Liberal.
There was already too much ground to cover when I put my Four Corners
television profile of Jones to air in 2002. In 20 years of making such programs I