C4 faces probe over host’s ‘white people’ Brexit slur
OFCOM is considering a formal probe into Channel 4, after more than 2,000 people complained about Jon Snow’s controversial ‘white people’ remark.
The famously liberal news anchor came under fire after he said that he had ‘never seen so many white people in one place’ as at a pro-Brexit rally in London on Friday.
Viewers quickly accused him of bias, noting that he had failed to make any observations about the ethnic make-up of the crowd at the anti-Brexit demonstration a few days earlier. Channel 4 quickly apologised for the ‘unscripted observation’, saying that it ‘regrets’ any offence Mr Snow’s live comment has caused.
A spokesman said: ‘This was an unscripted observation at the very end of a long week of fast-moving Brexit developments.
‘Jon has covered major events such as this over a long career and this was a spontaneous comment reflecting his observation that in a London demonstration of that size, ethnic minorities seemed to be significantly under-represented.’ However, this was not enough to stem the number of complaints to the broadcasting watchdog. The figure had reached 2,025 by yesterday morning, Ofcom said, adding that it is considering whether to launch a formal investigation into whether the broadcast broke impartiality rules.
‘We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate,’ a spokesman said. Mr Snow, 71, made the remarks as he wrapped up the Channel 4 news bulletin on Friday evening. Commenting on the pro-Brexit demonstration which brought Westminster to a standstill, he said: ‘It’s been the most extraordinary day. A day which has seen... I have never seen so many white people in one place, it’s an extraordinary story. There are people everywhere, there are crowds everywhere.’
His comments were met with a furious backlash from viewers, who branded him a ‘disgrace’ and said it was time to ‘put him out to pasture’. TalkRadio host Julia Hartley-Brewer posted a series of pictures of the nearly all-white crowds at the pro-Remain march and the 2017 Glastonbury festival – where Mr Snow was present – pointing out his inconsistency. It is not the first time Mr Snow has come under fire for left-wing bias.
Channel 4 bosses also rapped him on the knuckles in 2017 after he was accused of chanting ‘f*** the Tories’ at the Glastonbury festival. The newsreader allegedly told the fellow revellers at the music event: ‘I’m supposed to be neutral’ after his comment about the Conservative Party. But he later claimed that he had no recollection of the episode.
Later that year, the veteran journalist admitted that he belongs to a ‘metropolitan elite’ that is out of touch with public feeling. In a speech to the television industry, he said that he had ‘got it wrong’ on Brexit, and that he was ‘comfortably with the elite’, with ‘little awareness’ of people who are not part of the same group.