The first investigation concerns an episode of Friday Morning with Esther and Phil, which aired on May, 12th 2023. During the programme, there was discussion about a range of issues including relating to a teenager who was being sentenced for terrorism offences.
Specifically, the television regulator’s investigation will determine whether the programme broke Rule 5.3 of the Broadcasting Code. This prevents politicians from acting as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.
GB News currently employ several Tory MPs including Jacob Rees-Mogg who is also being investigated.
Possibly falling foul of the Ofcom ‘politicians as presenters’ rule – Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation from the 13th of June 2023 covered a stabbing incident in Nottingham, and Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, 13th of 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. We are 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.
Finally, Ofcom are investigating an episode of Laurence Fox which aired on June, 16th 2023,which was guest presented by Martin Daubney in Laurence 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.
Specifically the television body is investigating this 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.
In May Ofcom found GB News in breach of broadcasting rules for a second time. The ‘debate channel’ which describes itself as ‘Britain’s News Channel‘ despite having no full news programming, other than short bulletins, is also under fire for continuing to broadcast tabloid gossip Dan Wootton, who has been accused of serious allegations which has seen him suspended from The Daily Mail. Wootton who was swift to demand the departure of Philip Schofield from ITV and Huw Edwards from the BBC hasn’t been so keen to depart screens despite similar sordid accusations.
