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Perhaps by accident the UK ended up with very strong impartiality rules for TV. You can be as opinionated as you like in newspapers - but TV must be impartial:

Perhaps by accident the UK ended up with very strong impartiality rules for TV. You can be as opinionated as you like in newspapers - but TV must be impartial: two people being interviewed with contrasting views or the interviewer has to take a counter argument. No politicians reading the news or giving views unquestioned without someone else with a different view later etc. There are always arguments about if the stations are going too far or not enough - there were lots of complaints that climate change deniers have been given a platform when the vast majority (of public and scientists) accepted it as true. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-codes/broadcast-code/section-five-due-impartiality-accuracy https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-co... Perhaps the US should have a channel that shows alternate 15 minutes of Fox and CNN?

spzb 5y ago
Although GB News are having a bash at changing that (or they would do if anyone watched) and RT did until they went too far and got shut down.
- helsinkiandrew 5y ago
  I've never watched GB News (only seen clips) and don't quite understand how they can get away with it, but I believe its because they read out/play/show viewers comments.
0des 5y ago
That explains so much. I was watching a show once discussing the obesity epidemic and a member of the crowd related her support for healthy obesity, which the announcer straight away refuted and then asked a diverse panel for their opinions. I was a little surprised at first, where in contrast in north american television you might not see someone get challenged on a subject like "healthy obesity" as a concept, and especially not to an actively obese persons face on broadcast. Part of me wondered if GB was more direct customarily but this makes sense. Disclaimer: I do not believe in obesity being healthy but generally respect peoples choices and agency. I felt the need to add this because putting quotes on the term and not putting quotes on the term felt like lending support one way or the other outside of my personal opinion.

spzb 5y ago

Although GB News are having a bash at changing that (or they would do if anyone watched) and RT did until they went too far and got shut down.

helsinkiandrew 5y ago
I've never watched GB News (only seen clips) and don't quite understand how they can get away with it, but I believe its because they read out/play/show viewers comments.

0des 5y ago

That explains so much. I was watching a show once discussing the obesity epidemic and a member of the crowd related her support for healthy obesity, which the announcer straight away refuted and then asked a diverse panel for their opinions. I was a little surprised at first, where in contrast in north american television you might not see someone get challenged on a subject like "healthy obesity" as a concept, and especially not to an actively obese persons face on broadcast. Part of me wondered if GB was more direct customarily but this makes sense. Disclaimer: I do not believe in obesity being healthy but generally respect peoples choices and agency. I felt the need to add this because putting quotes on the term and not putting quotes on the term felt like lending support one way or the other outside of my personal opinion.