GB News shouldn’t have used politicians as news presenters, the regulator Ofcom has said, ruling that the right-wing broadcaster broke impartiality rules on five separate occasions.
Two episodes of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation, two episodes of Friday Morning with Esther and Phil, and one episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, broadcast during May and June 2023, failed to comply with Rules 5.1 and 5.3 of the Broadcasting Code.
According to Ofcom, all five programmes in question contained a mix of news and current affairs content. We found that host politicians acted as newsreaders, news interviewers or news reporters in sequences which clearly constituted news – including reporting breaking news events – without exceptional justification. News was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality.
Under the Code, news, in whatever form, must be presented with due impartiality. Additionally, a politician cannot be a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter unless, exceptionally, there is editorial justification.
As part of the right to freedom of expression, broadcasters can feature politicians as a presenter in current affairs or other non-news programmes. However, of a broadcaster is offering a mixed format with news and non-news content it must take steps to ensure they do not act as a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter in that programme.
A separate episode of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation did not raise issues warranting investigation. On this occasion, Rees Mogg was used as an eye-witness reporter, following an unforeseen security incident at Buckingham Palace.
Ofcom has come under criticism for its handling of complaints against GB News. Last week, former Ofcom content partner Stewart Purvis and its founding director of standards Chris Banatvala warned Ofcom’s approach to GB News will dilute trust in media.
