Politicians as Presenters: Ofcom Warns Broadcasters of Due Impartiality During Elections

Ofcom, the UK’s broadcast regulator, has issued a warning to broadcasters regarding the use of politicians as presenters during election periods. The updated guidance emphasizes the requirement for the highest level of due impartiality and warns of statutory sanctions for breaches. The regulator’s probe found GB News in violation of broadcasting rules when three Conservative MPs acted as newsreaders in several episodes of its programs. Ofcom’s guidance underscores that politicians cannot act as news presenters during election periods, and reinforces the prohibition on them presenting news content, as it could potentially undermine the integrity of broadcast news due to perceived bias.

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