Ofcom warns broadcasters they must stay impartial during vote

BROADCASTERS reporting on the continuing crisis over Theresa May’s premiership will have to ensure they abide by strict election rules on impartiality, balance and what they can cover during Euro election D-day today.

From when voting opens today, the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom requires that “discussion and analysis of election and referendum issues must finish”. Also, any opinion polls are banned until after voting comes to an end throughout Europe, which is not until Sunday.

During the election campaign, impartiality requires giving balanced and factual accounts which also ensure “due weight” is given to the coverage of parties and of independent candidates. This is based on their past electoral support and/or their current backing. If there was to be the unprecedented situation of a Prime Minister resigning on the day of the election, broadcasters will therefore have to be “mindful that they cover it in a way that didn’t sway the vote”, said a source.

“For example, it would be risky to say that this is going to mean ‘X’ for polling day but if they are reporting in a very factual way the resignation of the Prime Minister, they could do that.”

Similarly, broadcasters may also have to edit comments by a politician saying for example: “This is going to make it all the more catastrophic for our results in the polls.”

This is echoed in the BBC’S own code of practice: “Content producers need to comply with the general requirement of due accuracy and due impartiality, aware of the possible influence of any other political coverage on the election campaign. This applies to reportage of Westminster which will also continue during the election period. These should continue to be covered in the normal way, though any issues relating to any of the elections in England or Northern Ireland which are discussed must be reported with care to maintain due impartiality.”

Ofcom has a range of sanctions from a warning, which might be issued if an error was quickly corrected, and the publication of a judgment, which can be damaging to a broadcaster’s reputation, to fines or the removal of a broadcaster’s licence.

Last year Ofcom publicly reprimanded Radio Exe, a station in Exeter, after it published two news items which included statements on the likely outcome of the local elections taking place on May 3.

The watchdog ruled that they constituted a breach of the bar on “discussion and analysis” of election issues.