Their call comes after a series of alleged breaches of editorial rules by the controversial news channel.
GB News recently faced scrutiny when the Mark Steyn Show aired episodes that allowed guests to make outrageous claims about COVID-19 vaccines without proper debate, violating editorial guidelines not once, but twice. This prompted Ofcom to summon GB News for a meeting to address these concerns. However, it is the actions of Jacob Rees-Mogg, a senior Tory, that have now intensified the criticism.
During a recent episode of his current affairs program, Rees-Mogg presided over a segment that was heavily biased in favor of former US President Donald Trump, who was recently embroiled in a legal battle. Rees-Mogg and his panel were accused of cheerleading for Trump and failing to provide a balanced perspective on the case.
One of the show’s guests, Kari Lake, a prominent Republican and a known denier of the 2020 election results, was joined by Trump supporter Nigel Farage. Rees-Mogg emphasised Trump’s acquittal on rape charges while downplaying the charges that were upheld. Claims of “political witch-hunts” and “media bias” went unchallenged during the segment.
The former US president was found liable for sexually abusing magazine writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s and defaming her by calling her a liar. The court ordered Trump to pay $5 million in damages to Carroll.
Scott Cato and Lenox of the Green Party have condemned the biased coverage and called it “disgusting” and a “grotesque abuse of broadcasting regulations.” They have made their letter to Ofcom public, urging the regulatory body to consider last night’s unbalanced discussions as a third strike against GB News. The Green Party representatives are actively campaigning for the revocation of GB News’ broadcasting license.
