Five GB News programmes presented by Tory MPs broke broadcasting guidelines, Ofcom says

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Five episodes of GB News programmes that had been presented by Tory MPs had been discovered by Ofcom to have damaged broadcasting guidelines.

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 throughout May and June 2023, had been the episodes in query and broke broadcasting guidelines, Ofcom mentioned.

Rules below the Broadcasting Code state that information, in no matter type, should be presented with due impartiality. A politician can’t be a newsreader, information interviewer or information reporter until, exceptionally, there’s editorial justification.

Following its investigation on the 5 programmes on GB News, Ofcom mentioned: “We found that host politicians acted as newsreaders, news interviewers or news reporters in sequences which clearly constituted news – including reporting breaking news events – without exceptional justification.

“News was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality.”

It added: “In our view, the use of politicians to present the news risks undermining the integrity and credibility of regulated broadcast news.”

A sixth programme checked out – a separate episode of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation – didn’t elevate points to warrant an investigation, Ofcom mentioned.

More follows on this breaking information story….