The UK regulator Ofcom has confirmed its investigating a further four impartiality complaints against GB News.
In a statement, the communications regulator said it was investigating an edition of Friday Morning with Esther and Phil, which aired on 12 May 2023. The programme included a discussion on a teenager being sentenced for terrorism offences. Ofcom said its investigation would determine whether the programme broke Rule 5.3 of the Broadcasting Code, which prevents politicians from acting as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. Husband and wife presenters Esther McVey & Philip Davies are both serving MPs.
Ofcom is investigating two other programmes under its ‘politicians as presenters’ rule – Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation, 13 June 2023, which covered a stabbing incident in Nottingham, and Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, 13 May 2023, featuring an interview with Howard Cox – the Reform UK Party’s candidate for the London Mayoral Election – speaking live from an anti-Ultra Low Emission Zone demonstration. Ofcom is also assessing the latter programme’s compliance with Rule 5.1 of the Broadcasting Code which requires that news, in whatever form, must be presented with due impartiality.
In a fourth incident, Ofcom is investigating an episode of Laurence Fox which aired on 16 June 2023,which was guest presented by Martin Daubney in Fox’s absence. It included a discussion about immigration and asylum policy, particularly in relation to the issue of small boats crossing the English Channel, and featured an interview with the leader of the political party Reform UK, Richard Tice. The regulator is investigating the programme under Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code which require that due impartiality is preserved on matters of major political or industrial controversy, or those relating to current public policy, and that an appropriately wide range of significant views are included and given due weight.
GB News has a number of complaints against it being investigated by Ofcom; these include an earlier episode of An investigation into Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip; an edition of the Mark Steyn programme featuring author and journalist Dr Naomi Wolf about the coronavirus vaccine rollout, and the broadcaster’s recently launched Don’t Kill Cash campaign.
