Piers Morgan has taken aim at the UK television’s strict impartiality rules, saying that they are outdated and fallible to challenge from influential people with agendas.
The presenter, who is regulated by Ofcom on Rupert Murdoch’s British TV network TalkTV, told the RTS Cambridge Convention that due impartiality is “pretty anachronistic.”
He added that the way news networks apply impartiality rules “leaves a lot to be desired,” pointing to ITV’s decision to remove him from Good Morning Britain after he accused Meghan Markle of lying about her mental health. Ofcom later found that the show was balanced because he was challenged by co-hosts.
Morgan has accused Markle of influencing ITV’s decision by filing a formal complaint. “Broadcasters have to stand up to this stuff, whether it’s from Downing Street or some princess in Montecito,” he said.
The presenter added that the establishment of opinion-led UK networks like TalkTV and GB News shows that viewers want to hear “spirited” views as part of their diet of news.
Morgan, who was sharing a panel with Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, said the more significant issue for UK news networks is establishing what truth is in an era of fake news.
