Ofcom responds to Eamonn Holmes and David Icke's 5G coronavirus comments
This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes previously said that conspiracy denials "suit the state narrative"
This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes has been criticised by Ofcom following "ill-judged" on-air remarks that appeared to offer support to conspiracy theorists who link the 5G network with the spread of coronavirus.
Earlier this month, Holmes apparently clashed with This Morning's consumer editor Alice Beer when she described the theory as "incredibly stupid".
"I totally agree with everything you are saying," said Holmes. "But what I don't accept is mainstream media immediately slapping that down as not true when they don't know it's not true. No one should attack or damage or do anything like that, but it's very easy to say it is not true because it suits the state narrative."
Ofcom has now ruled that Holmes' widely-criticised "ambiguous comments were ill-judged and risked undermining viewers' trust in advice from public authorities and scientific evidence".
The statement continued, "His statements were also highly sensitive in view of the recent attacks on mobile phone masts in the UK, caused by conspiracy theories linking 5G technology and the virus.
"Broadcasters have editorial freedom to discuss and challenge the approach taken by public authorities to a serious public health crisis such as the coronavirus.
"However, discussions about unproven claims and theories which could undermine viewers' trust in official public health information must be put fully into context to ensure viewers are protected."
In a similar case, the regulatory body has also found that TV channel London Live was in breach of standards when it aired an interview with conspiracy theorist David Icke.
Icke did not refer to 5G by name but claimed that an "electro-magnetic, technologically generated soup of radiation toxicity" was harming the vulnerable.
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