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TELL OFCOM: Climate change isn’t ‘a bunch of lies’

Watch: GB News guest shares a range of conspiratorial accusations, which deny the proven existence of climate change. 

Read our complaint on GB News

On 14 June 2024, Lewis Schaffer on GB News’ Headliners described climate change as “a bunch of lies …  It’s a big lie.” This conspiratorial accusation, which denies the proven existence of climate change, is misleading and was also not counterbalanced by anyone on the show affirming the existence of climate change in response.

In doing so, this GB News segment violated Ofcom rules 5.1 and 5.7, which require due impartiality and views being given due weight over appropriate timeframes. Submit your complaint to Ofcom using this form and by following the guidance below. 

Programme details:

Programme title: Headliners
Date of broadcast: 14 June 2024
Time of broadcast (24 hour clock): 23:11
Channel / station*: GB News

Your complaint:

Subject: GB News’ Headliners breached Ofcom rules 5.1 and 5.7 by platforming inaccurate information, misrepresenting facts and misleading viewers about climate science, while not providing context or opposing views.

Description:

Here’s a few bullet points to include:

  • On 14 June 2024, Lewis Schaffer on GB News’ Headliners described climate change as “a bunch of lies …  It’s a big lie. What the powers want to do, they want you to not believe that it’s a lie, but they want to lie to you and get away with it. And that’s how they humiliate us. Climate change is a lie”. 
  • Ofcom rule 5.1 requires that “News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy”. Climate change is an established fact that has been proven by scientists across the globe, and so to describe it as a “lie” is a highly contentious accusation without basis in fact. This represents a breach of Ofcom rule 5.1’s requirement of due accuracy and Ofcom rule 5.7’s requirement of not misrepresenting “facts”. To accuse “the powers”, here presumably the UK Government and other governments internationally, of deliberately misleading the public about “climate change” in order to “humiliate us” is also concerning and warrants investigation.
  • This conspiratorial accusation, which denies the proven existence of climate change, is misleading and was also not counterbalanced by anyone on the show affirming the existence of climate change in response. Schaffer’s claims were not even described as ‘opinion’ or similar and were instead allowed to be expressed without challenge. This represents a violation of Ofcom rules 5.1 and 5.7, which require “due impartiality” and views being given “due weight over appropriate timeframes”. 
Deadline for complaints: July 12, 2024 11:59 pm

Submitting a complaint to Ofcom should take you less than 10 minutes and is completed via a form on their website.

Go straight to OFCOM
Read our guide

Submitting a complaint to Ofcom should take you less than 10 minutes and is completed via a form on their website.

  • Ofcom is the UK’s public regulator for communications services. Among other responsibilities, their job is to ensure that TV channels uphold the Broadcasting Code. This code requires broadcasters to protect the public from harmful and offensive material, avoid unjust or unfair treatment of individuals and organisations, and report the news with due accuracy and impartiality.
  • Ofcom has real power to yield. Sanctions they can issue include directions not to repeat content, fines — and crucially, the power to suspend or revoke a TV channel’s licence to broadcast.
  • Ofcom must carefully consider every single complaint to see if their rules have been broken. If the complaint is strong, Ofcom will launch a formal investigation process.
  • Ofcom will not reply to each specific complaint but instead publishes records of the complaints received, investigations underway and breaches on their website, every fortnight.
  • Complaints must be about a specific breach of the code and submitted within 20 days of the program going to air.