raoh”>In 2024, the controversial and populist news channel GB News has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. From the outrageous statements of its presenters to the financial ties with conservative politicians, the channel has been accused of radicalizing its audience and promoting extremist views.
One of the most shocking incidents was when the author and conspiracy theorist Naomi Wolf claimed that the Covid vaccines were “mass murder comparable to the doctors in Nazi Germany.” This kind of rhetoric has been condemned by health experts and politicians alike.
Another incident involved actor and activist Laurence Fox, who was fired for making derogatory comments about journalist Ava Evans. His remarks were widely criticized as sexist and disrespectful.
The most recent scandal involved presenter and MP Lee Anderson, who was suspended from the Conservative Party for openly proclaiming on his own show that “Islamists have control over the Mayor of London. Sadiq Khan has handed our capital to his colleagues.” Such inflammatory statements have been condemned as divisive and dangerous.
Despite being expelled from the Tories, Lee Anderson remains the second highest-paid presenter at GB News, earning a staggering 116,000 euros a year for his television appearances. The highest-paid presenter, former Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, received the equivalent of 380,000 euros last year for his flagship program.
A recent report by The Guardian revealed that GB News distributed 770,000 euros among Conservative MPs last year, with special mention to the telegenic Esther McVey, who expressed gratitude to the channel for keeping her in the spotlight and propelling her to a ministerial position.
The growing influence of GB News has not gone unnoticed by senior Conservative figures. Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently gave an interview to the channel, acknowledging its power and the fact that 50% of Conservative voters regularly watch it. His anti-immigrant rhetoric and criticism of “extremists” have been attributed to the influence of the channel, which has also amplified the views of former Prime Minister Liz Truss and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
The biggest coup for GB News in 2024 is the signing of Boris Johnson, who expressed his excitement at joining the channel and sharing his international perspective. This move has raised concerns about the channel’s potential to further influence public opinion and political discourse.
Behind the rise of GB News is CEO Angelos Frangopoulos, who spent two decades at Sky News Australia under the mentorship of Rupert Murdoch. British financier and prominent Brexiteer Paul Marshall aims to become the new Murdoch of the British right, with a 41% stake in GB News and a bid for control of The Daily Telegraph. However, Marshall’s radical beliefs, including warnings of a “civil war in Europe over immigration,” have been exposed by the group Hope Not Hate, raising further alarm about the channel’s agenda.
opio Boris Johnson, quien anunció que se unirá a GB News como presentador. Este movimiento ha generado controversia y ha llevado a muchos a cuestionar la ética y la integridad del canal. Además, el ascenso de GB News ha sido atribuido al CEO Angelos Frangopoulos, quien ha sido comparado con Rupert Murdoch, y al financiero británico Paul Marshall, cuyas opiniones radicales han sido objeto de críticas.
El surgimiento de GB News plantea preguntas sobre la responsabilidad de los medios de comunicación y su impacto en la sociedad. La difusión de desinformación y el fomento del discurso de odio son cuestiones que deben abordarse de manera urgente. Es fundamental que los reguladores y las autoridades tomen medidas para garantizar que los medios de comunicación cumplan con estándares éticos y promuevan un diálogo constructivo en lugar de contribuir a la polarización y la división.
Además, es necesario que el público sea crítico con la información que consume y esté alerta ante posibles manipulaciones. La educación mediática y la promoción de la alfabetización digital son herramientas clave para empoderar a las personas y ayudarlas a discernir entre la verdad y la falsedad en un entorno mediático cada vez más complejo y fragmentado.
