London:
High-profile tv character Piers Morgan did not breach Britain’s broadcasting code in his criticism of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” show earlier this year, Britain’s media regulator ruled on Wednesday.
The programme in March, in which Morgan stated he did not think a word Meghan had stated in a landmark interview she and her husband Prince Harry gave to Oprah Winfrey, attracted more than 50,000 complaints. Most concerned comments Morgan made on mental well being and suicide.
Meghan, who in the course of the Winfrey interview revealed she had felt suicidal whilst living as a royal in Britain, complained to each Ofcom and ITV about the programme. Morgan left his job on the show following the incident.
“Our decision is that overall the programme contained sufficient challenge to provide adequate protection and context to its viewers,” Ofcom stated.
In an interview that shook Britain’s monarchy, Meghan, a Hollywood actor who married Prince Harry in 2018, stated the royal family had also rejected her pleas for mental well being help. The couple have stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States.
Morgan, a former presenter on CNN, has accused the couple of damaging the royal family and looking for publicity on their personal terms without the need of accepting the duty and scrutiny that come with their position. He had also dubbed her “Princess Pinocchio” in a tweet.
“I’m delighted OFCOM has endorsed my right to disbelieve the Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims to Oprah Winfrey, many of which have proven to be untrue,” Morgan stated on Twitter.
“This is a resounding victory for free speech and a resounding defeat for Princess Pinocchios. Do I get my job back?”
A U.S.-based spokesperson for the Sussexes was not instantly accessible for comment out of working hours.
Ofcom stated that whilst it was concerned about Morgan’s apparent disregard for the seriousness of anybody expressing suicidal believed, the in depth challenge presented by his colleagues all through the show offered adequate context.
The broadcasting code enables for people to express strongly held and robustly argued views, which includes these that are potentially damaging or extremely offensive, Ofcom stated.
“The restriction of such views would, in our view, be an unwarranted and chilling restriction on freedom of expression both of the broadcaster and the audience,” it stated.
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