Surfpolitik Where Ghouls Rush In

In: Surfpolitik by Stu Nettle 74 Comments Thu 4th Nov '10

Tags: georgina robinson , Andy Irons , Billabong , sydney morning herald

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Take a bow Georgina Robinson...

...for the most tawdry, insensitive and down-right unethical reporting the surfing world has ever had to endure. Robinson, who reports for the Sydney Morning Herald, must've thought she won the pools when the tragic news of Andy Irons first broke yesterday morning. Because for the last 24 hours she has milked the story - the raw emotion and the baseless speculation - for all it's worth and done her best to turn it into another tasteless expose.

Congratulations Georgina Robinson...

...for reading the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's unsubstantiated report of methadone in Irons' hotel room and copying the story. Rather than research the rumour before giving it more oxygen, Robinson rushed to reprint the gratuitous article. In fact, she was in such a rush that the word 'overdose' was incorrectly spelt in the headline. But up it went on the Sydney Morning Herald website: wrong spelling, wrong facts.

You must be proud Georgina Robinson...

...that your SMH article - the one you ripped off from the Honolulu Advertiser, and that contained false information about a dead person - was the highest rating story yesterday. For you bragged on your Twitter feed: '"Surfer Andy Irons dead" by far our best-read story on smh.com.au yesterday, topping john w's shooting death & banks'. How does it feel to feed off the dead, Georgina?

Just 24 hours after his death - body still not home, funeral yet to be arranged - and there are people circulating completely false rumours and getting away with it unchecked. You sense that there are people just willing this to be something more than it currently is: a tragic death of a young man and a father-to-be.

At this stage there are no other facts. I believe people should deal with the death now and then deal with the reasons later. Hopefully, in the interim, the truth will be uncovered and dealt with respectfully. After all, and perhaps most importantly, Irons has an unborn child that will learn much about his father via the legacy created and perpetuated in the media.

If you admired Andy Irons on any level then ignore the media ghouls and take charge of his legacy: go for a surf and try a layback snap like those he pulls in Still Filthy, plan a trip to Desert Point and try and get a barrel like the one he did in his last Billabong clip, or if you've got kids go home and hug them.

Rest In Peace Andy Irons.

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