Read the nasty text messages from James Ashby that led to a bitter war between two of News24’s biggest stars Peta Credlin and Andrew Clennell
Text messages between One Nation national director James Ashby and News24 political editor Andrew Clennell have emerged, exposing a public dispute after Clennell criticised the party’s political cartoons as “unhelpful”. The exchange escalated on air, where Clennell challenged Ashby’s remarks and Peta Credlin reprimanded Clennell for interrupting the order of her programme.
Ashby told Clennell that Pauline Hanson thought he was a “dickhead” and did not want to speak to him, while Clennell denied saying the cartoons incited violence and questioned whether they would be removed. The cartoons include scenes of politicians stabbing one another and buses running people over. Ashby later repeated the insult on Credlin’s programme; Clennell said he felt defamed and objected to being intimidated, while Credlin said the issue would be addressed later in the show.
In short
- Ashby and Clennell exchanged hostile messages after criticism of One Nation cartoons.
- Clennell said the videos were “not helpful”; Ashby said Hanson called him a “dickhead”.
- Credlin rebuked Clennell after he raised the dispute on her programme.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ashby and Hanson’s defenders could argue that Clennell’s criticism of the cartoons was unfair or overstated, particularly if he suggested they incited violence when he says he did not. They may also see Ashby’s blunt message as conveying Hanson’s unwillingness to engage, while Credlin was entitled to keep her programme orderly and defer the dispute to a later segment.
The case against
Clennell’s defenders could argue that questioning the cartoons’ violent imagery and asking whether they would be removed were legitimate scrutiny of a political party’s messaging. They may view Ashby’s personal insult and repetition of it on air as an attempt to intimidate or undermine a journalist, and Credlin’s reprimand as an unfair interruption of his opportunity to respond.
Explained simply
One Nation is an Australian political party led by Pauline Hanson. James Ashby is its national director, while Andrew Clennell is a political journalist at News24 and Peta Credlin hosts a programme on the network.
The dispute centres on political cartoons published by One Nation, which depict politicians in violent scenes. Clennell called the cartoons “unhelpful”; Ashby challenged his criticism, and the disagreement played out both in text messages and on air.
The exchange has drawn attention to how journalists and political parties contest criticism, and to the way presenters manage disagreements on their programmes.