March 6th 2023.
For the first time since its launch in June 2021, GB News has breached Ofcom’s broadcasting rules, with the announcement being made by the media watchdog on Monday March 6. This came from an episode of the Mark Steyn programme which aired on the channel on April 21 2022 and the presenter recently explained why he would not be returning to GB News. Ofcom claimed that the programme was 'materially misleading' as it incorrectly claimed that official UKHSA data provided definitive evidence of a causal link between receiving a third Covid-19 vaccine and higher infection, hospitalisation and death rates. The firm added that the presentation of the data did not take account of the significant differences in age or health of people in the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups studied, and that the programme failed to reflect the UKHSA reports which made clear that the raw data should not be used to draw conclusions. As such, GB News said they were 'disappointed' by the decision, emphasising their role to ask tough questions and point out inconsistencies.
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For the first time since its launch in June 2021, GB News has breached Ofcom’s broadcasting rules. This was revealed by the media watchdog on Monday March 6, and involved an episode of the Mark Steyn programme, which aired on the channel on April 21 2022. The presenter recently stepped down from the show. Ofcom noted that while it is permissible to air programmes which question official sources, there is an obligation to ensure the audience is not misled. The statement continued: ‘In this case, our investigation found that an episode of the Mark Steyn programme fell short of these standards – not because it exercised its editorial freedom to challenge mainstream narratives around Covid-19 vaccination – but because, in doing so, it presented a materially misleading interpretation of official data without sufficient challenge or counterweight, risking harm to viewers.’
GB News is nearing its two-year anniversary and this is the first time it has breached Ofcom's broadcasting rules. The ruling noted that the programme ‘incorrectly claimed that official UKHSA data provided definitive evidence of a causal link between receiving a third Covid-19 vaccine and higher infection, hospitalisation and death rates’, and the way it was presented was ‘materially misleading’. It also failed to reflect that the UKHSA reports made clear that the raw data should not be used to draw conclusions. As such, the episode could have influenced viewers to make ‘important decisions about their own health’.
Mark recently explained why he would not be returning to GB News, and Ofcom concluded that the programme was potentially harmful and in breach of Rule 2.2 of the Broadcasting Code. Since 2021, they have received more than 3,400 complaints about GB News, 1,600 of which were related to the Covid-19 pandemic. GB News responded to the ruling by emphasising the importance of examining ‘the small but evident risks of the third Covid booster’, although Ofcom noted that the evidence had to be presented in a balanced and appropriate way.
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