- Overall, we rate GB News Right Biased and Questionable based on a lack of transparency with ownership and funding, numerous failed fact checks, and the promotion of conspiracy theories and pseudoscience.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, Propaganda, Lack of Transparency, Failed Fact ChecksBias Rating: RIGHTFactual Reporting: MIXEDCountry: United KingdomMBFC’s Country Freedom Rank:** MOSTLY FREE**Media Type: TV StationTraffic/Popularity: High TrafficMBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Launched in June 2021, GB News is a conservative-leaning TV News station based in the United Kingdom. They set up the station to compete with News Corp-owned Sky Newsand model the popular USA-based Fox News Channel. The website offers an editorial charter, lacking transparency as they do not disclose their conservative bias. GB News also lacks transparency as they do not indicate ownership.
Upon launching the station, some advertisers such as IKEA pulled ads due to GB News not upholding “humanistic values.” Many other advertisers joined the boycott, which can be seen here.
Read our profile on UK media and government.
Funded by / Ownership
GB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. Advertising generates revenue.
Analysis / Bias
GB News features significant opinion programming from a right-leaning perspective. Notable commentators are former leader of the conservative United Kingdom Independence Party Nigel Farage, former Brexit Party member Alexandra Phillips and former editor of The Sun newspaper Dan Wooten. The website features news reporting that uses moderately loaded language but is reasonably balanced such as this The Prime Minister admitted he has known about the UK haulage problems for months. This story is sourced correctly through direct quotes, while other stories are sourced through hyperlinks to usually credible sources such as the BBC.
Editorially, the news is reported with reasonable balance; however, we calculated that more stories favor the right such as this ‘Previous generations of Labour leaders, activists and voters would look in dismay at what Labour has become,’ says Oliver Dowden. The website features opinion pieces under the “GB Views” tag, demonstrating significant right-leaning bias.
Many opinion stories oppose cancel culture and are often critical of the so-called “woke” movement Nana Akua on ‘ridiculous’ number of gender pronouns. Op-eds also display negative views toward immigration, such as this Patrick Christys: There’s a magic money tree for illegal immigration, but not for social care. Finally, they frequently make false and misleading claims regarding Covid-19 and vaccines; see failed fact checks below. In general, GB News reports news mixed factually, while editorial views align strongly with the right.
Failed Fact Checks
- In September 2021, there was a three-week period when renewables produced between 2% and 3% of the country’s electricity. – False
- The CDC said that immunity from a prior Covid-19 infection is “paramount.” – False
- The Covid-19 vaccines are not safe because people are dying and getting seriously ill as a result of receiving them. – False
- UKHSA data shows that people who receive a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine are more likely to be infected with the disease. – False
- Receiving a Covid-19 vaccine makes you more likely to be admitted to hospital with the disease. – False
- “While the media talks a lot of the 150,000 deaths, perhaps they should have been talking about the number of people who died ‘of Covid’ not ‘with Covid.’ That was just 17,371 up to the end of quarter three 2021.” – False
- Official UKHSA data shows booster vaccines are ineffective. – False
- The first asylum seeker flight from the UK to Rwanda was stopped by an EU court. – False
- Vaccine trial data shows you’re more likely to get serious adverse effects from the vaccine than be hospitalised with Covid-19. – False
Overall, we rate GB News Right Biased and Questionable based on a lack of transparency with ownership and funding, numerous failed fact checks, and the promotion of conspiracy theories and pseudoscience. (D. Van Zandt 10/4/2021) Updated (07/24/2023)