Ofcom to gauge public opinion on politicians presenting TV and radio programmes
M
edia regulator Ofcom has stated that it’s going to look to gauge public opinion on politicians presenting TV and radio programmes.
Research shall be carried out because of the “rise in the number of current affairs programmes presented by sitting politicians” and the “recent public interest” within the problem.
The present guidelines relating to politicians presenting programmes have been first launched in 2005, Ofcom added, explaining additional that “it’s important for us to understand first-hand what people think and feel about the TV and radio content they consume”.
Three sitting Conservative MPs at the moment have their very own segments on the GB News TV channel: Jacob Rees-Mogg hosts a weekly State Of The Nation section on Thursdays, whereas Esther McVey and Philip Davies host Friday Morning With Esther And Phillip.
MP Dehenna Davidson had hosted a section known as The Political Correction on GB News till she was made a junior minister on the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities final yr, whereas Nadine Dorries, who resigned her seat on Friday, hosts Friday Nights With Nadine on TalkTV.
Labour’s shadow international secretary David Lammy additionally has a Sunday section on LBC radio.
Currently, Ofcom’s broadcasting code states that no politician can be utilized as a “newsreader, interviewer or reporter” with the intention to protect impartiality.
However, politicians are allowed to current present affairs programmes, as long as they ensure quite a lot of views are represented and that the programmes are hosted outdoors of election intervals.
The regulator introduced in April that it was investigating GB News over whether or not Friday Morning With Esther And Philip had damaged impartiality guidelines in an interview with Jeremy Hunt.
“Our investigation will look at the programme’s compliance with our rules on politicians presenting programmes, and whether it included an appropriately wide range of significant views relating to a matter of major political controversy or current public policy,” the organisation stated on the time.
Ofcom additionally obtained 40 complaints after Ms Dorries interviewed Boris Johnson on her TalkTV present, however stated that it might not examine in that occasion as “the combination of prerecorded interview, in-depth studio analysis and panel discussion” was “consistent with a current affairs format”, and “Ms Dorries was not standing in an election taking place, or about to take place”.
“A range of alternative viewpoints, providing challenge and context to those of Mr Johnson, his government and the Conservative party more generally, were reflected in the studio panel discussions, which were interspersed between each segment of the interview with the former prime minister,” a spokesperson added.