triple j‘s Tom Tilley is being heavily criticised after he interviewed a white nationalist on the radio station’s current affairs program Hack yesterday afternoon.
Tilley spoke to Eli Mosley, one of the organisers of the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” protest, over the phone on the show.
The program focussed on an incident that occurred in the Virginia city over the weekend that left one dead and several injured after a white supremacist drove his car into a group of people protesting a White Nationalist rally.
The driver has been charged with second-degree murder and has sparked an FBI-led investigation into domestic terrorism.
As Fairfax report, on Hack, Mosley defended the man’s actions saying they were, “forced into violence,” and strongly denied claims that the attack was, “premeditated terrorism.”
“Anybody who’s pro-white in this country – or any country that’s historically white – has been labelled KKK and Nazi no matter what we do,” he said.
Tilley and triple j have since been heavily criticised for giving Mosley a platform with Dvir Abramovich, the chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, telling Fairfax that the interview was, “clearly poor judgement.”
There was also a strong backlash online as the interview aired.
https://twitter.com/marrowing/status/897236008063782912
https://twitter.com/lonelydandruff/status/897023079439777793
Me: 'I very firmly don't want to be exterminated by Nazis.'
Tom Tilley: 'THATS JUST UR OPINION LETS TALK TO BOTH SIDES.' https://t.co/zuSsfLxy3f— David Lo Pun-ch Nazis (@helpmeskeletor) August 15, 2017
Despite this, the ABC has come to the defence of its youth network in a statement writing, “The program included perspectives from all sides involved.”
“Hack believes it is important to hear all viewpoints to fully understand the events that developed in Charlottesville over the weekend and will continue the Charlottesville conversation in today’s edition,” the ABC further wrote.
“This is in keeping with the ABC’s commitment to fundamental democratic principles including freedom of speech.”
This afternoon on the program, Tilley will interview a counter-protester. The host is yet to address the criticism.
