Monkey nearly choked on a lunchtime banana after reading the word “nutjob” in a Telegraph headline on Monday. Assistant editor Jeremy Warner’s piece on Labour’s John McDonnell, titled “Corbyn has just appointed a nutjob as shadow chancellor”, seemed out of character for the usually demure Telegraph – and apparently offended some readers.
Warner himself took to Twitter to say that he was “getting lots of abuse” for the headline, with complaints that it could be seen as being “derogatory of mentally ill”.
Getting lots of abuse for using the term "nutjob" about new shadow Chancellor. Not sure why anyone would think it derogatory of mentally ill
— jeremy warner (@JeremyWarnerUK) September 14, 2015
Lots of offence about my use of "nutjob". Mental illness didn't even cross my mind. U have to a bit sensitive to think that's what I meant
— jeremy warner (@JeremyWarnerUK) September 14, 2015
He apologised to those who had been offended by the headline, adding: “Wow! This is my first full on twitter trolling. Possibly deserved but awesome unpleasantness, none the less.”
OK, OK, I apologise to all those who found it offensive. Obviously it was if so many found it so.
— jeremy warner (@JeremyWarnerUK) September 14, 2015
Wow! This is my first full on twitter trolling. Possibly deserved but awesome unpleasantness, none the less
— jeremy warner (@JeremyWarnerUK) September 14, 2015
Eventually the headline was changed to “Corbyn has just appointed a man from cloud cuckoo land as shadow chancellor”. A big bunch of bananas to Warner for admitting he got it wrong – and to the website for rectifying the error.
