Today apologises for ‘Smarter White’ slur

An Aboriginal activist has received an apology after Today ran a fake story about changing the name of Smarter White milk.

An Aboriginal activist has received an apology from Nine Entertainment after Today ran a fake story about changing the name of Smarter White milk because it was offensive to Aboriginal people.

The fake story was originally published in the Daily Mail which allegedly misquoted activist Stephen Hagan as calling for the change.

Hagan - who successfully campaigned to have Cheer Cheese renamed over racial connotations - now plans to take the Daily Mail to the federal court after it failed to apologise over the story, which ran in August, 2020.

The story was followed up on the Today show the following day.

Dr Hagan alleges he repeatedly asked both media companies to remove the “false claims” but no immediate action was taken.

One Nation is also now in Hagan’s sights over social media posts referring to the stories.

The Today show’s Facebook post on the fake story reached 48,000 likes, 132,000 comments and 19,000 shares before it was taken down - following contact from the Human Rights Commission.

“You are going to get a lot of ratbags and a lot of trolls with a post like that,” Hagan told news.com.au.

“I am quite relieved by the result. It is clear that they misrepresented me.”

He claims he was racially vilified and received death threats as a result of the stories.

Dr Hagan said he never made comments advocating for a name change, but only after repeated badgering from the Daily Mail on the campaign did he say he would advocate for a change if a “critical mass” of Aboriginal people were offended.

The new packet of rebranded coon cheese.

Dr Hagan was unable to comment directly on the Nine settlement due to a confidentiality agreement.

Conciliation with Daily Mail Australia and One Nation could not be reached, with both parties arguing Hagan’s claim does not have merit.

Hagan said organisations have a duty of care as responsible businesses to being impartial, objective, balanced, and unbiased with their publications.
“When they cross the line by inciting their followers with fake news, that is when they need to be accountable,” he said.

Dr Hagan says he received death threats following the story the furore. Picture: Shae Beplate

“I’ll always legally challenge those who wish to trample my inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness and I implore all First Nations people to do likewise.”

Dr Hagan has been active in the litigation stakes in recent years with successful outcomes including cases against Saputo (changing Coon cheese to Cheer Cheese); Coles Express Service Station (racial profiling at the petrol bowser); Mattel (use of offensive words in scrabble board game); Cunnamulla Shire Council (publication of racist funeral notice) as well as changing the N Word from a public sign at a sports complex in Toowoomba and golliwog dolls from Terry White Chemists.