Regulator Accused of Failing to Curb Climate Misinformation on UK TV and Radio

According to a recent report, the UK's media regulator Ofcom has been accused of failing to curb the spread of climate misinformation on television and radio. Since January 2020, Ofcom has received 1,221 complaints related to the coverage of the climate crisis, but has not found a single breach of its broadcasting code.

In contrast, the French regulator Arcom has found four breaches of its code related to climate change in the last two years, including fining a right-wing channel €20,000 for a segment in which a speaker claimed climate change was "a lie, a scam." Campaigners say Ofcom is "effectively suspending its accuracy rules on this life-and-death issue," allowing broadcasters like GB News to "flout" the rules and air climate change denial.

The article cites several examples of climate misinformation aired on GB News, including a host describing global heating as "the climate scam" and a guest claiming "climate change is not a real thing." Ofcom has assessed but not pursued any of the complaints made by the campaign group Reliable Media about these segments.

Experts warn that the spread of climate denial on UK airwaves is not only inaccurate but also endangers efforts to address the climate crisis. As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated, the burning of fossil fuels has "unequivocally caused global warming," and rapid cuts in carbon emissions are required to secure a livable future.