A spokesperson has addressed the complaints made against the outlet by the Muslim Council of Britain’s Centre for Media Monitoring.
The British News Channel, which launched in 2021, was criticised for its “inaccurate and defamatory” coverage of the daily news agenda.
The Centre for Media Monitoring has released a report into the journalism of the People’s Channel and says the channel’s “negative” focus on Islam borders on an “obsession”.
The two-year analysis found that GB News mentioned Muslims or Islam more than 17,000 times in its output, which they say accounted for almost 50% of total mentions on UK news channels. and accounted for 32% and 21% respectively.
In response, a GB News spokesperson said: “This inaccurate and defamatory report is nothing more than a cynical, self-serving attempt to silence free speech.
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GB News came under fire for their reports on Islam (Image: GB News )
“It proves exactly why a news organisation like GB News needs to exist and why it is succeeding.
“We are concerned that at no point did this project of the Muslim Council of Britain contact GB News or its presenters to allow them to respond to these highly defamatory allegations.”
Researchers alleged the stories about Islam are “overwhelmingly negative” and fail to understand the diverse nature of Muslim communities in the UK.
They added that the coverage could fuel community tensions and contribute to civil unrest.
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MP Sayeeda Warsi addressed the reports (Image: Getty)
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi described the research as “shocking.”
The MP said: “The consistent stereotyping and stigmatisation of British Muslim communities as the enemy or the problem by a platform with millions of viewers is deliberate, dangerous and has real-life consequences.
“Seeing the impact of far-right radicalisation with the alarming year-on-year rise in anti-Muslim hatred, culminating in this summer’s riots where mosques and Muslim communities were openly targeted, should have been a wakeup call for all.”
While the former ITN executive and Ofcom regulator, Stewart Purvis, said the findings raised vital questions for the broadcasting regulator.