Ofcom warns breaches could result in ‘statutory sanctions’.
Media regulator Ofcom has issued a warning to broadcasters about using politicians as presenters, ahead of the general election.
The media regulator issued a statement in which it said it was putting ‘broadcasters on notice that they must maintain the highest editorial standards ahead of a General Election’ and that breaches could result in ‘statutory sanctions’.
It comes after Ofcom found GB News in breach of broadcasting rules when three Conservative MPs acted as newsreaders across five different episodes of its programmes.
Ofcom found that two episodes of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation, two episodes of Friday Morning with Esther and Phil, and one episode of Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, broadcast during May and June 2023 had broken impartiality rules. These episodes broke the part of the Ofcom code that says, “News, in whatever form, must be… presented with due impartiality” and “No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified.”
The media watchdog cited research showing that viewers and listeners place significant value on due impartiality and that audiences ‘feel strongly that all politicians have a partisan viewpoint that would call into question the due impartiality of news if it was presented by them.’
Ofcom said in a statement: “In particular, broadcasters are reminded that Rule 6.6 of the Code prohibits candidates in UK elections from acting as news presenters, interviewers or presenters of any type of programme during the election period. Politicians who are not standing as candidates in a UK election can present non-news programmes – including current affairs – during election periods, provided that programme complies with all relevant Code rules.
“We expect all broadcasters who use politicians as presenters to pay particular attention to our new audience research findings, our updated guidance and recent standards decisions to inform their editorial decision-making and help ensure their programmes are compliant. In light of these publications, we are likely to view breaches of the due impartiality rules in election programming presented by non-standing politicians as serious, and we may consider imposing statutory sanctions.”
GB News will do well to heed Ofcom’s advice.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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