Swearing’s OK but ‘snowflake’ is not: what Ofcom’s latest ruling says to Christians
by Tim Farron MP, Premier:
The media regulator say people are less offended by swearing on TV but care more about discriminatory language. But do we need to legislate against insults like ’snowflake’ and ‘gammon’ asks MP Tim Farron, or do we just need to disagree better?
This week, media regulator Ofcom has published its latest research into what viewers and listeners find offensive. It found that people are less likely to be concerned about swearing on TV but are more opposed to language that is seen as discriminatory. But the term ‘discriminatory’ casts a wide net and various newspapers have had fun railing against the potential ban on words such as ‘snowflake’ and ‘gammon’ when used as insults.
Ofcom emphasises that freedom of expression is important but that audiences should also be protected from “unjustified offence”, based upon what people tell them they find offensive. This research reflects a trend in our public discourse, where people use their feelings of offence as a basis to make personal attacks on others for their views and where, in some situations, people may actually feel physically unsafe because of the words of others.
Read also: Victimhood is now a source of power, spiked
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