Ofcom to investigate Sky News amid claims of harassment
Ofcom is to investigate Sky News after Nigel Farage accused the broadcaster of “haranguing” his daughter at her home amid questions over his financial affairs, reports BritPanorama.
The regulatory body has confirmed it will conduct a formal investigation into the broadcaster following a complaint from Reform UK regarding its reporting last month. The inquiry will focus on allegations of unfair treatment and unwarranted infringement of Mr. Farage’s privacy.
Last month, Mr. Farage expressed his frustration with the media in response to investigations by Times and Sunday Times, stating he had “never been angrier in my life” due to media treatment of his family.
He criticized the Times for publishing a photo of his daughter’s residence, asserting there was no public interest in her life. “For some reason, last week the editor of the Times newspaper decided to publish a picture of where my daughter lives,” he remarked. “There is no public interest in my daughter whatsoever.”
Farage alleged that reporters, including those from Sky News, were “haranguing” his daughter. In response, Sky News stated it had made “reasonable efforts” to engage with Mr. Farage on legitimate questions. The broadcaster acknowledged its crew approached a property associated with Mr. Farage but claimed it was a single off-camera effort and that the occupant declined to engage.
This admission followed a tense exchange at an airport where Mr. Farage confronted a Sky News reporter, warning of “serious consequences” if his family were further harassed.
Furthermore, Sky News initially denied having contacted Mr. Farage’s family over the story. The complaint submitted to Ofcom by Reform UK pronounced the coverage had portrayed Mr. Farage as a “liar” while omitting critical context from a relevant clip.
According to The Telegraph, Ofcom has acknowledged the complaint made by Reform UK as well as concerns regarding inappropriate treatment of Mr. Farage in the programme.
In response to the investigation, Mr. Farage expressed on social media: “Ofcom is launching an investigation into Sky News after they harassed my daughter. I have been appalled at the way various members of my family have been treated.”
Sky News defended its actions, stating they were outside a property where Mr. Farage registered to vote. “Sky News did not interact with Mr. Farage’s daughter,” the broadcaster clarified. “We approached the property without a camera operator, identified ourselves as Sky News, and the adult occupant chose not to engage. We were seeking to contact Mr. Farage to ask questions about the gift he accepted from Mr. Cottrell. This is a well-established and routine journalistic practice when reporting on matters of legitimate public interest. The footage clearly demonstrates that Sky News did not ‘hound’ or pursue Mr. Farage’s daughter. At no stage did we seek to speak to anyone other than Mr. Farage in connection with this story.”
