Ofcom has ruled Fox News to be in breach of its programming code after an item in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks claimed there were areas of Paris which were “no-go zones” and that Birmingham was an example of a city “where non-Muslims just simply don’t go”.
Section 2.2 of Ofcom’s programming code states “Factual programmes or items or portrayal of factual matters must not materially mislead the audience”.
Although a US news channel, Fox News Network LLC holds an Ofcom licence, and sells within dedicated advertising windows.
Ofcom said the assertions on Justice with Jeanine Pirro, a weekly current affairs show, on 11 January 2015 were incorrect and not supported by credible evidence.
Fox News had made two on-air apologies a week after the original broadcast, but given the extremely sensitive timing and a controversial subject, Ofcom said the apologies and corrections sufficiently mitigated the materially misleading statements and the potential harm and offence caused to viewers of the Programme.