U.K.’s Media Regulator Investigates News Outlet Over Softball Interview of Trump

The United Kingdom’s communications regulator says it is investigating a conservative network, GB News, over an interview with President Trump that the regulator, Ofcom, says did not push back hard enough against the president’s remarks on climate change.The investigation stems from an interview that Mr. Trump gave to GB News last November. During the interview, Mr. Trump said it was a “hoax” that humans contribute to climate change, and there are parts of London “where police don’t even want to go.” He also said, “You have Sharia law where they don’t even want to obey the laws of … your country.” The host, Bev Turner, did not challenge his claims. The interview received several complaints, including one from a climate researcher, Bob Ward, who claimed it was a “blatant example of a British media organisation collaborating with the Trump administration to undermine British democracy with this misinformation.”The interview aired twice on the network, once at 12 :00 p.m. local time on November 15th on a show called “The Weekend.” It then aired a second time 12 hours later on “The Late Show Live.” In February, Ofcom said it would not launch an investigation into the interview. However, this week, the regulator reversed course, saying the second airing may have “breached our rules on due impartiality and material misleadingness.”Ofcom did not explain why it was investigating the second airing of the interview and not the first. However, in a statement it said that when it weighs whether to launch an investigation, it considers the content that aired before and after an interview, such as a panel discussion.Ofcom requires that licensed broadcasters show “due impartiality,” which it says can vary based on the type of program. “‘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’s website states. “The approach to due impartiality may vary according to the nature of the subject, the type of programme and channel, the likely expectation of the audience as to content, and the extent to which the content and approach is signalled to the audience.”In a statement, GB News said it was “surprised and concerned by Ofcom’s delayed decision to investigate.”“Ofcom’s U-turn over the repeat of the interview with US President Donald Trump follows adverse commentary around its original decision by prominent critics of both Ofcom and GB News,” the network said. “The sequence of events inevitably raises questions around the rationale for reopening the matter at this stage. It also raises serious concerns around regulatory certainty, procedural fairness and the consistency of Ofcom’s processes.”Ofcom has previously investigated GB News. In 2024, the regulator fined the network roughly $136,000 after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took part in an hour-long special. Ofcom said that the prime minister was provided an “uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government in a period preceding the UK General Election.”The CEO of GB News, Angelos Frangopoulos, called the fine an attack on free speech and journalism.

U.K.’s Media Regulator Investigates News Outlet Over Softball Interview of Trump

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