OFCOM has ruled that a GB News programme featuring Rishi Sunak broke due impartiality rules and the broadcaster is facing the threat of a statutory sanction.
The watchdog received more than 500 complaints about the live programme People’s Forum: The Prime Minister which featured Sunak in a question-and-answer session with a studio audience.
Although Ofcom said it has “no issue with the programme’s editorial format in principle,” it added that it was “incumbent on GB News, given the major matters under discussion, to ensure that an appropriately wide range of significant views was given due weight in the programme or in other clearly linked and timely programmes”.
The investigation concluded the following:
- While some of the audience’s questions provided some challenge to, and criticism of, the Government’s policies and performance, audience members were not able to challenge the Prime Minister’s responses and the presenter did not do this to any meaningful extent.
- The Prime Minister was able to set out future policies that his Government planned to implement, if re-elected in the forthcoming UK General Election. Neither the audience nor the presenter challenged or otherwise referred to significant alternative views on these.
- The Prime Minister criticised aspects of the Labour Party’s policies and performance. While politicians are of course able to do this in programmes, broadcasters must ensure that due impartiality is preserved. Neither the Labour Party’s views or positions on those issues, or any other significant views on those issues were included in the programme or given due weight.
- GB News did not, and was not able to, include a reference in the programme to an agreed future programme in which an appropriately wide range of significant views on the major matter would be presented and given due weight.
Ofcom said it found “GB News’s approach to be compliance to be wholly insufficient, and consider it could have, and should have, taken additional steps to mitigate these risks”.
“We found that an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints were not presented and given due weight in the People’s Forum: The Prime Minister,” the watchdog said.
It found that GB News had breached rules 5.11 and 5.12 in relation to due impartiality and accuracy in the Broadcasting Code.
These rules state:
- 5. 11 - In addition to the rules above, due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy by the person providing a service in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes.
- 5. 12: In dealing with matters of major political and industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme or in clearly linked and timely programmes. Views and facts must not be misrepresented.
Ofcom added that the broadcaster could face sanctions although GB News has reacted with fury to the news.
Ofcom has ruled against GB News for giving Rishi Sunak an "uncontested" platform. Make up your own mind... Don't let them silence you: https://t.co/mNsRsGC8ef pic.twitter.com/qJcdsnpwtg
— GB News (@GBNEWS) May 20, 2024
A spokesperson for GB News said: “Ofcom’s findings against GB News today is an alarming development in its attempt to silence us by standing in the way of a forum that allows the public to question politicians directly.
“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own Prime Minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital.
“GB News is the people’s channel. That is why we created a new broadcasting format, the People’s Forum, which placed the public – not journalists – firmly in charge of questioning Rishi Sunak. “Our live programme gave an independently selected group of undecided voters the freedom to challenge the Prime Minister without interference.”
GB News added that it had not seen the 15 questions which were presented to Sunak before the show aired.
It says it maintains the programme was “in line with the Broadcasting Code” and added that “we cannot fathom how Ofcom can claim this programme lacked the ‘appropriately wide range of significant views’ required to uphold due impartiality”.
The spokesperson added: "Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of speech and not to interfere with the right of all news organisations to make their own editorial decisions within the law.
"Its finding today is a watershed moment that should terrify anyone who believes, as we do, that the media’s role is to give a voice to the people of the United Kingdom, especially those who all too often feel unheard or ignored by their politicians.
"We are proud to be the People’s Channel and we will never stop fighting for the right of everyone in the UK, whatever their political persuasion, to have their perspective heard."
