The Swamp logo

GB News offers plenty of angry opinion, but where are the facts? 

A new 24-hour TV channel has just launched in the UK. It hopes to rival Sky News and the BBC, yet GB News does very little proper journalism.

By Steve HillPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
Like
GB News studio (CC -www.flickr.com/photos/hmtreasury/)

What would C. P. Scott make of the launch this month of GB News? It is a free-to-air cable and satellite ‘news’ TV channel, with a conservative and anti 'woke' bias.

I have a feeling he wouldn't be impressed. The legendary editor of the Manchester Guardian (now The Guardian), who died in 1932, was passionate about independent and truthful journalism.

Back in 1921, he wrote the role of journalism is “the gathering of news.” He continued: “At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted.”

C. P. Scott famously noted: “Comment is free, but facts are sacred."

If you want plenty of comment and biased opinion, it is fair to say that GB News is the channel for you. It claims to be patriotic, anti-EU and is very anti ‘woke’. There are no news bulletins like on BBC News; instead, its schedule comprises of back-to-back ‘presenter-led opinion shows’, such as - Tonight Live with Dan Wootton.

The host, a New Zealand-born former tabloid journalist, rants about ‘culture war’ topics that tend to divide, rather than unite viewers. He has attacked footballers who oppose racism by taking the knee, for example.  

Of course, this will sound very familiar to cable news watchers in the US. GB News has drawn early comparisons with Fox News, except the latter doesn't emerge from what appears to be a dimly lit dungeon, which gives it a rather sinister feel.

The GB News 'dungeon' set (CC -www.flickr.com/photos/hmtreasury/))

Let’s start a war. A culture war.  

Each weeknight at 9pm, Wootton appears to be doing his best Sean Hannity impression. During a lengthy monologue delivered straight to camera and unchallenged, he blasted the UK's Covid lockdown and told viewers last week:

“It’s increasingly clear now that there is a move among some public health officials and politicians to create an ultra-cautious biosecurity state, copying the likes of China.” 

Scary stuff. He then urged viewers to “fight back” against “doomsday scientists” and claimed, without evidence, that Covid scientists were “taking control” and were “addicted to the power.” 

He then accused the government of running a Covid “scare campaign” which had “terrified the public into supporting lockdowns”. 

He wasn't done. In a subsequent episode, Wootton encouraged viewers to mail their used Covid masks to Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a protest, at a time when it was still the law to wear them. This is ignorant and dangerous stuff during a pandemic, although the host appears oblivious to such public health concerns.

Within the first two weeks, broadcaster India Willoughby has quit the show and accused it of the “demonisation” of trans people.

Hello, Mr Regulator  

While angry 'comment' may not be entirely ‘free’, as C.P Scott famously wrote, it certainly makes for cheap TV. In this respect, is hard to understate the impact GB News could have on the UK media landscape, which is used to, mostly, trustworthy news that is untainted by biased opinion.

Ofcom, which regulates the sector, can fine channels for breaches of its rules. For example, its code prevents broadcasters from employing politicians as journalists. But this hasn’t stopped it from hiring Michelle Dewberry who recently stood for election for the anti-European, Brexit Party.

There are also rules on what Ofcom calls ‘due impartiality’ and accuracy and viewers have already complained about Wootton’s debut show. But these rules are not as robust as some believe.

Crucially, the rules state:

Due impartiality does not mean an equal division of time has to be given to every view, or that every argument and every facet of every argument has to be represented.”

Ofcom insists alternative views to those of the presenters must be: “..represented either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole.”

So as long as they find someone to present an alternative opinion in the future, GB News has a lot of room to continue to rant away unchallenged.  

“Legitimise disinformation” 

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan repealed the Fairness Doctrine that removed the mandate for US broadcast channels to give equal time to opposing political views.

This repeal eventually led to the rise of Fox News. Walking away from the business in 2020, James Murdoch (yes, the son of owner, Rupert) said that the network was used to “legitimise disinformation”.

He said:

“I think at great news organisations, the mission really should be to introduce fact to disperse doubt — not to sow doubt..”

Those who still care about broadcasting in the UK must reflect upon these words from Murdoch junior.

Boris Johnson and his ruling Conservative government could try the same trick as Reagan. Currently it is working out the best way to defund or sell off the two main public service broadcasters - the BBC and Channel 4.

GB News (CC -www.flickr.com/photos/hmtreasury/)

Many on the Conservative Party right wing despise the BBC and Channel 4, which they regard as statist and biased against them. They would much rather privatise the lot of them.

Sir David Attenborough recently warned that the government is pursuing “short-sighted political and financial attacks” on these public service broadcasters.

Attenborough said that Channel 4 and the BBC play a key role in promoting: “quality, diversity, innovation, respectful debate and trust."

I could't agree more.  

Sadly, we know from the US that there is a market for conservative news channels that tell viewers what they want to hear. It has taken a few years, but the Foxification of British broadcasting is well underway.

Can anyone stop it? We can only hope Ofcom still has the resources and the powers to regulate GB News effectively, although it too is being undermined by the current government.

However, it is very easy for viewers to complain to Ofcom if they see broadcasters breaking its rules.

The opposition Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats must also act now to resit the Foxification and to defend the BBC, which is respected around the world for its quality and independent journalism.

It is clear that once the ‘disinformation genie’ is out of the bottle, it is impossible to stick it back in. We only need to look at the polarised world of cable news in the US to realise this.

So let’s join C. P. Scott and, once again, make the case for the importance of facts and truthful reporting, rather than ignorant comment and fear.

Steve Hill is a senior lecturer in journalism at Westminster University, London. 

legislation
Like

About the Creator

Steve Hill

Freelance writer about technology, business and politics based in London, UK.

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

Top insight

  1. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.