Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is under pressure to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump after complaints that it contained misleading and inaccurate claims that the network failed to challenge.
The rightwing channel claimed a “world exclusive sit-down interview” with the US president in November, in which Trump asserted that human-induced climate change was “a hoax” and that London had no-go areas for police and that the capital had “sharia law”.
Trump made other claims about law and order and immigration that critics said were either left unchallenged or effectively endorsed by the GB News interviewer Bev Turner, the host of its US-based nightly show.
Among those calling for an investigation is Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding director of standards. He told the Guardian he had “never seen anything comparable on a UK-established domestic broadcaster”.
Ofcom officials have spent the last few weeks examining at least three detailed complaints co-signed by tens of thousands of people, but have not yet decided whether to launch a formal investigation. The regulator is facing increasing accusations that it is reluctant to intervene over politically difficult issues of impartiality.
The complaints point to rules stating broadcasters must not “materially mislead the audience” and rules around due impartiality.
A complaint from Bob Ward, from the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, focused on Trump’s claims about human-induced climate change. Trump stated: “The whole thing is a hoax … but your country is one of the worst.”
Trump also made disputed claims about the red tape and taxes related to drilling in the North Sea, as well as stating that wind power was “the most expensive energy you can get”. This is contradicted by recent research.
limeflavoured on
GBNews know that OFCOM won’t do anything, so I doubt they care.
Hellstorm901 on
Ofcom haven’t even managed to make 4Chan comply with the OSA so why would anyone think they are going to actually demand Reform Party News comply with anything?
markedasred on
is gb news (sic) effectively the mouthpiece of reform?.
Ok_Gur_8059 on
I’m sure people will react the same way they did with the BBC. We hold everyone to the same standards.
wkavinsky on
I mean, if they want to get ofcom involved because of BBC misrepresentation, it’s only fair that it should be involved in all such things.
Not that that’s actually what the right wants – they want free speech for them, and none for you.
ClassicFlavour on
> The rightwing channel claimed a “world exclusive sit-down interview” with the US president in November, in which Trump asserted that human-induced climate change was “a hoax” and that London had no-go areas for police and that the capital had “sharia law”.
These are all Fox news talking points. We know Trump watches an insane amount of Fox news day and night. That’s where he got the *’they’re eating the dogs and cats’* rubbish from.
It’s wild to think he’ll watch Fox News one night and then represent it the next day as truth. It’s your uncle at the Christmas meal who will drop some wildly shitty opinion or joke from reading dribble, except he’s the president.
draxenato on
B’b’but wut about my fwee speech ?? help me unca Elon
Cheese_Ly on
I think some should investigate kier for what he said and helping a person come back to the country who said what they said on twitter
pajamakitten on
Which Trump will love and most likely pay off any fines GB News incurs, claiming it a disgraceful attack on the First Amendment. He will then give them more interviews and spread more lies. Trump has no interest in going on the likes of the BBC (even if the Panorama controversy never happened), Channel 4 or Sky News. GB News is our version of Fox and he likes that because he gets an easy ride and he can say whatever he wants to. Annoyingly, this might only embolden him.
10 Comments
Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is under pressure to investigate a GB News interview with Donald Trump after complaints that it contained misleading and inaccurate claims that the network failed to challenge.
The rightwing channel claimed a “world exclusive sit-down interview” with the US president in November, in which Trump asserted that human-induced climate change was “a hoax” and that London had no-go areas for police and that the capital had “sharia law”.
Trump made other claims about law and order and immigration that critics said were either left unchallenged or effectively endorsed by the GB News interviewer Bev Turner, the host of its US-based nightly show.
Among those calling for an investigation is Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding director of standards. He told the Guardian he had “never seen anything comparable on a UK-established domestic broadcaster”.
Ofcom officials have spent the last few weeks examining at least three detailed complaints co-signed by tens of thousands of people, but have not yet decided whether to launch a formal investigation. The regulator is facing increasing accusations that it is reluctant to intervene over politically difficult issues of impartiality.
The complaints point to rules stating broadcasters must not “materially mislead the audience” and rules around due impartiality.
A complaint from Bob Ward, from the LSE’s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, focused on Trump’s claims about human-induced climate change. Trump stated: “The whole thing is a hoax … but your country is one of the worst.”
Trump also made disputed claims about the red tape and taxes related to drilling in the North Sea, as well as stating that wind power was “the most expensive energy you can get”. This is contradicted by recent research.
GBNews know that OFCOM won’t do anything, so I doubt they care.
Ofcom haven’t even managed to make 4Chan comply with the OSA so why would anyone think they are going to actually demand Reform Party News comply with anything?
is gb news (sic) effectively the mouthpiece of reform?.
I’m sure people will react the same way they did with the BBC. We hold everyone to the same standards.
I mean, if they want to get ofcom involved because of BBC misrepresentation, it’s only fair that it should be involved in all such things.
Not that that’s actually what the right wants – they want free speech for them, and none for you.
> The rightwing channel claimed a “world exclusive sit-down interview” with the US president in November, in which Trump asserted that human-induced climate change was “a hoax” and that London had no-go areas for police and that the capital had “sharia law”.
These are all Fox news talking points. We know Trump watches an insane amount of Fox news day and night. That’s where he got the *’they’re eating the dogs and cats’* rubbish from.
It’s wild to think he’ll watch Fox News one night and then represent it the next day as truth. It’s your uncle at the Christmas meal who will drop some wildly shitty opinion or joke from reading dribble, except he’s the president.
B’b’but wut about my fwee speech ?? help me unca Elon
I think some should investigate kier for what he said and helping a person come back to the country who said what they said on twitter
Which Trump will love and most likely pay off any fines GB News incurs, claiming it a disgraceful attack on the First Amendment. He will then give them more interviews and spread more lies. Trump has no interest in going on the likes of the BBC (even if the Panorama controversy never happened), Channel 4 or Sky News. GB News is our version of Fox and he likes that because he gets an easy ride and he can say whatever he wants to. Annoyingly, this might only embolden him.