Ofcom probe finds GB News breached impartiality rules with ‘don’t kill cash’ campaign
An Ofcom investigation has found that GB News broke due impartiality rules during a summer episode of the channel’s weekday news show.
The communications watchdog said on Monday that, in promoting a campaign called ‘Don’t Kill Cash’, the programme “failed to preserve due impartiality in its coverage of this matter, with only limited references to different perspectives.”
Ofcom said GB News “clearly endorsed the campaign” across its programming, including with a QR code that encouraged audiences to sign a petition.
The ‘Don’t Kill Cash’ campaign urged viewers to sign a petition calling on the government to legislate to protect cash as a legal tender until 2050.
But the regulator said it received “a number of complaints”, leading it to open six investigations into the channel in relation to the campaign, with this one being the first to close.
In a statement today, Ofcom said: “We found that, at the time of broadcast, preserving access to cash – including whether to mandate its acceptance – was a matter of political controversy and a matter of current public policy.
“As a result, we have recorded a breach of Rules 5.4 and 5.5 of the Broadcasting Code against GB News.
“We expect GB News to take careful account of this decision in its future programming.”
Under Ofcom’s due impartiality rules, broadcasters have the freedom to discuss any topic so long as they avoid expressing any personal views on political or public policy matters.
GB News responded to the ruling, saying it was “disappointed” and that Ofcom has previously neglected to censure other UK broadcasters for their campaigns.
It said: “We disagree with Ofcom’s assertion that because the campaign was under the GB News banner, it represented the personal or self-interested view of anyone within the company. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“We maintain our campaign was not political and so did not consider it invoked due impartiality rules requiring substantially different views. The campaign received widespread support across the political spectrum.
“We noted that Ofcom took no issue with the BBC television and radio campaign to fundraise for the NHS nor the Sky News campaign to change the way general elections are debated.
“Ofcom repeatedly states that editorial decisions like these are matters for each broadcaster. We agree. We believe Ofcom has interpreted its rules extremely narrowly in this instance.”
The former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced he is set to join GB News as a presenter and commentator.