from CitizenGo
Free speech in Britain is on the line: Ofcom is investigating GB News over lawful comments made by Caroline Farrow during a debate about Pride.
Caroline had been invited onto Alex Armstrong Tonight to discuss a question many parents are asking: are events promoted as family-friendly always suitable for children?
She drew a clear distinction between equal rights for gay people and the sexualised or fetish-themed material increasingly seen at Pride events.
She was clear that she was questioning the event, not the people attending. In fact, she agreed with the presenter that the overwhelming majority go to Pride for good reasons. Her concern was a safeguarding one: what is appropriate around children at an event marketed as family-friendly?
That made both Caroline and GB News targets.
At first, very few people complained: the broadcast drew just 254 complaints.
However, that all changed when the Good Law Project launched a coordinated pressure campaign. It circulated a template complaint based on a ten-second clip stripped of the surrounding debate, with the total rocketing past 12,000.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski then added further political pressure, demanding that Ofcom take action against GB News.
Ofcom capitulated, turning an activist campaign to silence Caroline into an official regulatory investigation of the broadcaster that gave her a platform.
As such, Caroline is being targeted for expressing her beliefs. GB News is being targeted for allowing them to be heard.
If Ofcom finds GB News in breach, the consequences could go far beyond a ruling on paper. The broadcaster could face financial penalties or action against its broadcasting licence.