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Watch: GB News broadcast says climate change and “transgenderism” are a “social mania”

Read our complaint on GB News

On 5 April 2024, GB News’s Patrick Christys Tonight programme interviewed guest Lionel Shriver. During this segment, the guest made unsubstantiated accusations that “transgenderism” and climate change are a “social mania” that has “seized hold of our entire society”, alongside a range of offensive and harmful remarks about transgender people and children. Far from challenging these views, the programme’s host joined in on the commentary with further supportive statements.
Together, Stop Funding Heat supporters will argue this program made ‘offensive and harmful remarks’ and failed to present with ‘due impartiality and due accuracy’ — both of which are required under Rules 2.3 and 5.1 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code.

Submit your complaint to Ofcom using this form and by following the guidance below.

Programme details

Programme title: Patrick Christys Tonight
Date of broadcast: 5 April 2024
Time of broadcast (24 hour clock): 22:21
Channel / station: GB News

Your complaint

Subject: GB News’s Patrick Christys Tonight programme on 5 April 2024 breached Ofcom’s broadcasting rules 2.3 and 5.1 — due to offensive and inaccurate discussion around ‘transgenderism’ and climate change as a ‘social mania’

Description:

Here’s a few bullet points to include:

  • The host interviewed guest Lionel Shriver, who said that “transgenderism” and climate change are an “ideological cult” and “social mania” that has “seized hold of our entire society”. These terms are derogatory and the claims are not based on factual accuracy
  • GB News broke Rule 2.3, by breaching accepted standards in making offensive and harmful remarks. According to Rule 2.3, “offensive material (including offensive language) must be justified by the context.”
    • In this instance, the remarks fail to meet this standard: the offensive terms were employed within the context of a news segment, where the guest was portrayed as an authoritative figure describing a marginalised community.
    • The Cambridge Dictionary states that the term ‘transgenderism’ “is now considered offensive by many people.”
  • GB News also broke Rule 5.1, by failing to report with due accuracy and impartiality.
    • The guest labelled climate change a “social mania” — saying that you can’t “disagree with the premise of climate change or you are socially ostracised”.
    • Climate change is backed by well-established scientific evidence supporting its severity and urgency. Presenting climate change as a ‘mania’ is a deeply inaccurate assertion to be made on a news programme.
    • Further, the host failed to provide any opposing viewpoints or clarification on the inaccurate information and offensive language, thereby violating the impartiality rule.

This page includes all the information you need to lodge a complaint to Ofcom. 

Deadline for complaints: May 3, 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.