Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for the government to investigate Sky News Australia for spreading misinformation
Youtube suspended News Corp’s Sky News TV network for seven days for spreading misinformation. Now, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young is calling for a investigation into the network.
“This is a commercial broadcaster so why isn’t the government regulator holding it to account?” she wrote.
“As Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Media Diversity, I will call the tech giant, Sky and ACMA to front the inquiry to investigate”.
“If the spread of misinformation is dangerous on the internet why is it on television?”
Youtube suspends Sky News
“Sky News Australia acknowledges YouTube’s right to enforce its policies and looks forward to continuing to publish its popular news and analysis content to its subscribers shortly,” Sky News said in a statement.
The 24-hour cable channel has grown its audience to 1.85 million YouTube subscribers. The channel has a strong focus on alternative opinions against Donald Trump, Joe Biden and coronavirus.
Controversial right wing talkshow host Alan Jones.
YouTube confirms the suspension
“We apply our policies equally for everyone and in accordance with these policies and our long-standing strikes system, removed videos from and issued a strike to Sky News Australia’s channel,” a YouTube spokesperson said.
The one-week suspension was issued on Thursday and came after a review of Sky News Australia’s content. Youtube has reportedly removed several videos from Sky News Australia.
Youbue believe they either denied the existence of Covid-19 or encouraged people to use hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin to treat the coronavirus, without providing countervailing context.
Sky News Australia hosts Nicholas Reece, Rita Panahi and Peta Credlin
“Sky News Australia has been temporarily suspended from posting on the Google-owned platform YouTube for publishing opinion content the tech giant disagrees with,” Houghton says.
“Among the videos deemed unpalatable for societal consumption were debates around whether masks were effective and whether lockdowns were justified when considering their adverse health outcomes.”
Sky News Australia Digital Editor Jack Houghton
“The stance taken by some commentators at this network was that masks are not effective in containing outbreaks, particularly when mandated outside in the fresh air. Some also took issue with the frequency and mechanisms of locking down Australians.
“Other commentators vehemently disagreed, and their views were also published.”
“The science is certainly not clear on either of these two points,” Houghton says.
Fox News coverage
In the US, Fox News has been criticised for its coverage of coronavirus. Now the hosts are pushing the vaccine.
Last week, a pair of Fox News hosts urged viewers of the network to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, dismissing conspiracy theories about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
“Well, here’s the thing. And one of the CDC officials said yesterday, look, the pandemic right now is really just with people who have not been vaccinated. Ninety-nine percent of the people who died have not been vaccinated. What they are trying to do is make sure that all of the people who have not been vaccinated get vaccinated,” Steve Doocy said Monday on “Fox & Friends.”
The comments from the Fox News personalities come amid criticism the network has been hit with over controversial comments some hosts have made about local lockdown measures, face mask mandates, vaccine science and the pandemic as a whole.
Last week, The New York Times published a story detailing a litany comments made by prime-time hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingrahamthat the outlet said ran “at odds with the recommendations of health experts” relative to vaccines.
In Short:
– Trump gives Hamas three to four days to accept a U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan, warning of consequences.
– Hamas calls the plan biased and insists on a complete Israeli withdrawal before considering any agreement.
U.S. President Donald Trump has given Hamas three to four days to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan for Gaza, warning of severe consequences if they reject it.The plan, shared by mediators Qatar and Egypt, emerged after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed it during a visit to the White House. Hamas, which was not part of the talks, is expected to review the proposal that calls for disarmament, a previously rejected demand.
Trump stated that support for the plan came from both Israeli and Arab leaders, and he emphasised the need for Hamas to respond promptly. The proposal includes a ceasefire, hostage exchanges, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and disarmament of Hamas, along with a transitional government.
A Hamas source described the plan as biased towards Israel and containing unacceptable conditions.
The group maintains that a complete Israeli withdrawal is a prerequisite for their agreement to any deal, while they are unwilling to disarm.
Pressure Mounts
Hamas faces significant pressure as foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt have supported the initiative. Turkey’s intelligence head is also set to join discussions in Doha, marking a new level of mediation.
Despite expressing initial support, Netanyahu is cautious about the plan’s implications for Palestinian statehood and faces pressure from his coalition. Public sentiment in Gaza reflects a desire for peace, albeit with scepticism about the sincerity of both Trump and Netanyahu’s commitments.