Cancel Culture, 1880s Style

In February, two talkback hosts at Magic Radio lost their jobs. John Banks was sacked after an exchange with a caller who said Māori were “genetically” predisposed to crime and academic failure. After the episode spread on social media, protesters contacted companies that advertise on Magic Radio, threatening to boycott their products and services. Cam Wallace, the CEO of Mediaworks, which owns Magic Radio, condemned and dismissed Banks.

A week later, Sean Plunket announced he was leaving his job as a talkback host on Magic Radio. Like Banks, Plunket is a political conservative, known for his caustic words. In 2017, he upset many people by tweeting his sympathy for disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who had been accused of multiple rapes. Last year, the Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled that Plunket had conducted an “offensive and harmful” interview with a representative of the iwi