Product has been added to your basket.

TELL OFCOM: Fossil fuels are… real

Watch: Guest panellist Lewis Schaffer claimed on GB News that “there’s no such thing as a fossil fuel” — in a complete denial of the facts. 

Read our complaint on GB News

On 6 June 2024, Guest panellist Lewis Schaffer claimed on GB News that “there’s no such thing as a fossil fuel”, that it “doesn’t come from animal or plant life” and that “Net Zero is completely, 100% rubbish, just like COVID was”. This latter claim was not challenged at all by the host or any of the other panellists or highlighted to be an opinion as opposed to a fact.

In doing so, this program breached Ofcom rule 5.7 which forbids misrepresenting facts and requires giving views due weight. Submit your complaint to Ofcom using this form and by following the guidance below.

Programme details:

Programme title: Headliners
Date of broadcast: 6 June 2024
Time of broadcast: 23:21
Channel / station: GB News

Your complaint:

Subject: GB News’ Headliners breached Ofcom rule 5.7 which forbids misrepresenting facts and requires giving views due weight.

Description:

Here’s a few bullet points to include:

  • Guest panellist Lewis Schaffer claimed on GB News that “there’s no such thing as a fossil fuel”, that it “doesn’t come from animal or plant life” and that “Net Zero is completely, 100% rubbish, just like COVID was”. This latter claim was not challenged at all by the host or any of the other panellists or highlighted to be an opinion as opposed to a fact. 
  • The existence of fossil fuels formed from the remains of living organisms is a scientific fact. The idea that they do not exist, or are not formed from “animal or plant life”, is a highly fringe perspective. Describing COVID-19 as “rubbish” is equally an unscientific opinion that is not rooted in fact. 
  • These opinions notably came from a comedian with no scientific background. As such it is particularly important that the host should have made an effort to highlight that Schaffer’s opinion on both climate and COVID-19 has no basis in established scientific fact and is instead the opinion of someone outside of mainstream science.
Deadline for complaints: July 4, 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.