Ofcom has ruled that former GB News host, Mark Steyn broke broadcasting rules during a programme about Covid-19 vaccines. Following the ruling and the production of a 20-page document that explains the breach and Ofcom's decision, the news channel was found to have made 'potentially harmful and materially misleading" claims.
In the programme, broadcast on April 21, 2022, presenter, Mark Steyn, used official data from the UK HealthSecurity Agency (UKHSA) to draw conclusions about Covid-19 vaccinations. Specifically, the programme incorrectly claimed that official UKHSA data provided definitive evidence of a causal link between receiving a third Covid-19 vaccine and higher infection, hospitalisation and death rates.
Ofcom said that: "We have been consistently clear that, under our rules, broadcasters are free to transmit programmes which may be considered controversial and challenging, or which question statistics or other evidence produced by governments or other official sources. It can clearly be in the public interest to do so. However, with this editorial freedom comes an obligation to ensure that, when portraying factual matters, audiences are not materially misled.
