Ofcom has issued new guidance to broadcasters about politicians presenting news, following our consultation on this issue.
The guidance, which comes into force from today, reflects the modern news landscape and sets guardrails for broadcasters who use politicians as presenters in programmes that include news.
Specifically, our revised guidance explains the interaction between our due accuracy and due impartiality in news rule (5.1 under the Broadcasting Code), and the rule which prevents politicians from presenting news programmes (5.3). It also updates the definition of ‘politician’ to provide greater clarity.
Our approach takes into account the responses to our consultation and reflects recent guidance from the High Court on this matter in a case brought by GB News.[1] We consider it provides the right protection for audiences while safeguarding rights to freedom of expression, and reflects the higher standards enshrined in law for news content.
This means that, following our consultation, we do not consider there is a need to change the wording of Rule 5.3 itself as we originally proposed. [2]
Exploring the debate
Access to duly accurate and duly impartial news on television and radio is fundamental to a democratic society. As such, broadcast news is afforded a higher level of protection under UK law compared to non-news content.
The news landscape has evolved in recent years. The distinction between news and current affairs content has become more blurred for audiences[3], and while politicians presenting current affairs programmes isn’t new, it has become a more established editorial practice.
To ensure our broadcasting rules keep pace with these changes, and following the High Court judgment earlier this year, we launched a consultation on the issue of politicians as presenters of news. This process has allowed us to explore the debate around this practice and to understand fully the views of a wide range of broadcasters, audiences, academics and other stakeholders.
Responses to our consultation were polarised, reflecting the broad range of views overall, and there was a high level of consensus amongst broadcasters in favour of retaining the wording of Rule 5.3. Many respondents were concerned that amending Rule 5.3 would introduce significant practical challenges and operational uncertainty for broadcasters, and that it would inadvertently result in a de facto ban on politicians presenting any kind of programmes.
Our decision in detail
The wording of Rule 5.3 will remain unchanged. Instead, we have decided that there is sufficient protection for audiences through the existing combination of Rules 5.1 and 5.3, but we have issued amended Guidance to make the relationship between them clearer, and more relevant to the modern news landscape. Specifically, we have decided to:
- update our Guidance to Rule 5.1, which states that news, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality.
Our amendments make explicit that if an MP presented news in a non-news programme, then their status as an MP would likely be a relevant factor in considering whether that news was presented with due impartiality. We explain that we would also take into account all other relevant factors – including, for example, the nature and subject of the news in question and the MP’s political position on that issue. The new guidance also signposts that where politicians present news in news programmes, Rule 5.3 applies.
- update our Guidance to Rule 5.3, which states that no politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.
Our amended guidance offers further clarification on the meaning of “exceptional circumstances” – defined as those which cannot be controlled or foreseen by the broadcaster. We also make clear that we would expect such situations to be rare, and for licensees who use politicians as presenters to put appropriate contingency arrangements in place to avoid these situations.
- update the definition of “politician” in our Guidance
The new definition now includes a reference to “members of the House of Lords” and “representatives” of political parties, while the reference to “activists” has been removed.
These changes to the Guidance come into force from today.
Politicians as presenters in non-news programmes, including current affairs programmes
There is no Ofcom rule that prevents a politician from presenting or appearing on a TV or radio programme – providing they aren’t standing in an election taking place, or about to take place, and that the programme otherwise complies with the Broadcasting Code.
Some respondents wanted us to extend our rules to prevent politicians from presenting non-news, including current affairs programmes, but this falls outside the scope of our consultation.
Our Broadcasting Code contains robust rules requiring broadcasters to preserve due impartiality on matters – and major matters - of political or industrial controversy and current public policy. These rules apply to any programme which covers such issues and topics including current affairs programmes presented by politicians. If a programme raises issues under these rules, we will not hesitate to investigate and take appropriate enforcement action, as we have done several times previously.
We recognise that this is an area where evolving audience expectations should be taken into account. We will explore conducting further research into audience attitudes towards news and current affairs on TV and radio.
Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Group Director for Broadcasting said: “We’ve listened carefully to the perspectives of audiences, broadcasters and other experts through our consultation.
“Our updated guidance provides the right protection for audiences, while also safeguarding freedom of expression and broadcasters’ editorial discretion to choose their presenting line up.”
Notes to editors:
- On 28 February 2025, the High Court issued its judgment - R (on the application of GB News Limited) v Ofcom [2025] EWHC 460 (Admin). The High Court found that, in law, a programme cannot be a news programme and a current affairs programme at the same time. It held that as currently worded, Rule 5.3 only applies to politicians acting as a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter in “news programmes”. The judgment confirmed that politicians acting as a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter in any other programmes, including current affairs programmes, fall outside Rule 5.3 and are regulated under Rule 5.1.
- We consulted on a proposal to change Rule 5.3 to: No politician may be used as a newsreader, news interviewer or news reporter in any type of programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.
- Audiences now regularly view and listen to news contained within programmes that also contain non-news content, such as daily magazine programmes. News may be included within a non-news programme without it being clearly demarcated from the rest of the programme as with a conventional news bulletin. For example, a news flash about a breaking news event or an update on a developing story could be included in a live current affairs programme. In the case of rolling news and current affairs output, broadcasters may move more or less seamlessly between these types of content. No definition of “news” is included in the Broadcasting Code. It is important to note that Parliament did not define “news” in the Act and it was clear that it was intended to be wide ranging and to apply to “news in whatever form”.