‘No other political party appears to be receiving this special treatment’
Campaign group Best for Britain has welcomed what it says are changes made by Sky News when it comes to its coverage of Reform UK, after the broadcaster received thousands of complaints over a ‘lack of balance’.
Last week, Sky News broadcast two press conferences organised by Reform UK on two consecutive days. One of these broadcasts saw Sky News cut away from the Lionesses’ victory parade through London for coverage of Nigel Farage being interviewed by former Reform UK party Chairman Zia Yusuf.
Best for Britain set up an email tool which was used by thousands of people to complain to the news channel over its decision to carry out a live stream of Reform UK, with the campaign group highlighting how Reform’s new ‘briefing room’ is effectively a TV studio of its own, and ‘if broadcasters carry the livestream they are outsourcing editorial content – and editorial control – to one political party’.
No other political party appears to be receiving this special treatment, says Best for Britain.
After more than 5,000 people used Best for Britain’s online tool to write to Sky News and make a formal complaint in just three days, the anti-Brexit campaign group says that the channel has made some changes in their coverage after another Reform UK press conference. It states that the channel retained ‘editorial control by not taking the live stream directly from Reform UK, and providing more balanced coverage with a government minister responding to claims made at the press conference shortly afterwards.’
Cal Roscow, director of campaigns at Best for Britain, said: “The changes made by Sky News today to reclaim some degree of editorial control and add balance are welcome and we thank our supporters for taking action on this issue.
“With their new in-house studio, Reform UK looks determined to host a press conference as often as they can get away with and so broadcasters should reflect on the newsworthiness of such blatant political campaigning, and the real world consequences of platforming Farage’s brand of hyper-divisive politics.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn’t have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.
