Ross Cameron Has Been Sacked By Sky News Over His Incredibly Racist Comments

Wow.

by Rob Stott 2 November 2018

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UPDATE: Sky News has sacked presenter Ross Cameron after he described Asian people as “black-haired, slanty eyed [and] yellow skinned”.

“I have today advised Ross Cameron that his contract with Sky News has been terminated,” the station’s new Chief Executive, Paul Whittaker said in a statement.

“Sky News is committed to robust discussion and debate however this language is totally unacceptable and has no place on any of our platforms, nor in modern Australian society.”

All content from the episode dated 30 October has been removed from all Sky News platforms.

“We apologise for any hurt or offence caused by the remarks made by Ross Cameron on the program.”

EARLIER: Sky News is under fire after it was caught out being extremely racist, yet again.

This week’s episode of Sky News Racism was brought to you by Outsiders host Ross Cameron, who described Asian people as “black-haired, slanty eyed [and] yellow skinned”.

The comments were made during a discussion on Tuesday’s edition of Outsiders, about Australia’s relationship with China and its potential economic benefits.

“If you go to the Disneyland in Shanghai on any typical morning of the week, you’ll see 20,000 black haired, slanty eyed, yellow skinned Chinese desperate to get into Disneyland because they like and enjoy and are embracing many aspects of Western culture,” Cameron said in the middle of a long speech praising China’s culture and history, and defending it from allegations that it interferes in universities.

Podcasts of the episode appear to have been removed from Sky’s website and iTunes, but not before activist group Sleeping Giants, which campaigns to have advertisers pull their funding from Sky News, was able to take a recording.

Please listen 2 the attached audio to hear what your ads on Sky News are paying for Page 1@AmexAU @AudiOfficial @BCAcomau @bhp @Boehringer @bookingcom @BoRhapMovie /@20thcenturyfox @BoyErased /@FocusFeatures @CadburyAU @CareSuper @CashrewardsAU @CelebrityCruise #Auspol #AdShame pic.twitter.com/oBXLEDsfkg

— Sleeping Giants Oz ? (@slpng_giants_oz) October 31, 2018

Former Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane slammed the comments on Twitter on Friday.

Part of me doesn’t want to give this any attention, but this is nasty even by the low standards of Sky News and Outsiders. Ross Cameron and Rowan Dean: don’t complain if you’re called racist and bigoted. That describes your program accurately https://t.co/tozHGAjsUx

— Tim Soutphommasane (@timsout) November 1, 2018

As did writer Benjamin Law, whose show, The Family Law, explores the difficulties and comlexities of growing up Asian in Australia.

What does it say about Australian media where I can hear my race described as “black haired, slanty eyed, yellow skinned Chinese” on national TV and feel zero shock?

All-white TV panels already discuss black people like specimens and our broadcasters use the “N” word regularly.

— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) November 2, 2018

It’s not the first time Outsiders has caused controversy. A producer was suspended earlier this year over a broadcast in which Senator David Leyonhjelm and the hosts, Ross Cameron and Rowan Dean, appeared to slut-shame Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

Cameron and Dean apologised to Hanson-Young in a subsequent episode of Outsiders, but Leyonhjelm refused, prompting Hanson-Young to sue him for defamation. That case is ongoing.

In another incident earlier this year, Sky News hosted far-right extremist Blair Cottrell. That decision led to an apology from the channel following a huge public backlash.