Shock jock breaches decency rules

An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation has found The John Laws Morning Show breached the rules around decency and the treatment of suicide during a segment in March 2020.

On the show Mr Laws referred to a regular contributor as 'mentally deficient' and made the remark 'for goodness sake, say something constructive, like you're going to kill yourself.'

The investigation found Mr Laws' comments breached the Commercial Radio Code of Practice 2017.

Under the code, broadcasters are required to take care around references to suicide and not depict suicide favourably or present it as a means of achieving a desired result.

“We expect licensees to take far more care in the content they broadcast around the very sensitive topic of suicide,” ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.

“The comments showed a lack of care about how they would impact the public. They trivialised what is a serious issue for Australians.”

The ACMA also found that the licensee, 2HD, breached the rules on complaints-handling, which require a broadcaster to use best endeavours to respond to a complaint in a substantive manner within 30 business days.

The complaint was lodged on 30 March 2020, but the complainant did not receive a substantive response until 29 June 2020.

If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Do you think John Laws still belongs on Australian radio? Or is it time he gave the game away?

1 comments

"Do you think John Laws still belongs on Australian radio? Or is it time he gave the game away?"


What I think doesn't really matter. Commercial media is paid for by advertisers who will support a popular program so if a program becomes unpopular then the program is cancelled. If Laws continues to draw listeners, advertisers will support him. I am not a listener.

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