Ofcom: GB News’ cash campaign broke impartiality rules

Ofcom’s HQ (Source: Ofcom)

UK media regulator Ofcom has found that an episode of The Live Desk, which aired on right-wing news channel GB News on July  7 2023, broke broadcasting due impartiality rules.

The programme promoted a GB News branded campaign, “Don’t Kill Cash”. The campaign called on viewers to sign a petition for Government to introduce legislation to protect the status of cash as legal tender and as a widely accepted means of payment in the UK until at least 2050.

Ofcom received a number of complaints about the campaign and earlier this year opened six investigations into various programmes on GB News related to this content. The current ruling relates to the first of these investigations to conclude.

Ofcom said that broadcasters must comply with the due impartiality requirements in Section Five of the Broadcasting Code.

Rule 5.4 of the code requires that all broadcasters’ programmes exclude all expressions of the views and opinions of the person providing the service on matters of political or industrial controversy or current public policy.

The purpose of this restriction is to safeguard against licensed broadcasters using their channels and stations to advance their own views on matters of political controversy or current public policy.

Broadcasters are also required under Rule 5.5 to preserve due impartiality on matters of political or industrial controversy and matters of current public policy.

Ofcom said that the stated aim of GB News’s campaign and petition was to call for legislative change, representing an attempt to influence Government policy, and an expression of the views and opinions of GB News Ltd itself.

It said that GB News clearly endorsed the campaign, with a QR code and messaging shown on-screen that encouraged viewers to sign a petition calling for legislative change.

Ofcom said it expected GB News to take careful account of this decision in its future programming.

The watchdog will publish the outcome of its investigations into five other GB News programmes relating to this campaign in due course.