Ofcom has opened an investigation into Channel 4 News after presenter Jon Snow said he had “never seen so many white people in one place” while reporting on a pro-Brexit rally.
More than 2,600 complaints have been made to the broadcast regulator about Snow’s remark on 29 March, it confirmed in a recent bulletin.
Ofcom will also investigate LBC after Nigel Farage used his show to say that Snow “should be attacked without doubt” over his comments.
The former UKIP leader, who was the subject of five complaints, later said he had meant Snow should be verbally, but not physically, attacked.
Related
Speaking outside Parliament on the day of the pro-Brexit rally, Snow closed a live segment by saying: “It has been the most extraordinary day. A day which has seen – I’ve never seen so many white people in one place.
“It’s an extraordinary story. There are people everywhere. There are crowds everywhere.”
Two days later, Farage told New European editor-at-large Alastair Campbell while interviewing him that Snow “should be attacked without doubt, but that’s a slightly separate issue” when he was asked to condemn people like Trump for attacks on journalists.
Asked why Snow supposedly deserved to be attacked, Farage replied: “Because of his terrible condescending bias, but that’s a separate issue.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We’re investigating whether comments made by the presenters on these programmes broke our rules on offensive content.”
Channel 4 apologised for Jon Snow’s remark a day after the broadcast. A spokesperson said: “This was an unscripted observation at the very end of a long week of fast-moving Brexit developments.
“Jon has covered major events such as this over a long career and this was a spontaneous comment reflecting his observation that in a London demonstration of that size, ethnic minorities seemed to be significantly under-represented.
“We regret any offence caused by his comment.”
Global Radio, which owns LBC, has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Picture: Channel 4 News/Screenshot
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
