Cardiff University study finds UK broadcasters failing to scrutinise political claims

A study conducted by Cardiff University has concluded that UK broadcasters are overly reliant on vox pop interviews and are failing to adequately scrutinise political claims during recent election campaigns. The research, led by Stephen Cushion, Keighley Perkins, and Maxwell Modell from the School of Journalism, Media and Culture, analysed television news coverage between 2 March and 6 May, focusing on the national elections in Wales and Scotland, and local elections in England.

The report found that strict impartiality rules, which require balanced coverage across multiple parties, have undermined the media’s ability to thoroughly examine political pledges and challenge false or misleading claims. For the first time, the BBC’s election guidelines labelled Labour, Conservatives, Reform, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, Plaid Cymru, and the SNP as “major parties”, resulting in broadly equivalent coverage levels. While this ensured visibility for the six main parties, the researchers argued it severely restricted the media’s capacity to interrogate specific policies in depth.

Consequently, over 70 per cent of political claims made by politicians on TV news received no or limited scrutiny. The data showed that in television news items focusing on party policy, candidate interviews, or political claims, 49 per cent featured zero scrutiny, 22 per cent offered only brief scrutiny, and just 29 per cent provided substantial scrutiny. Instead of substantive policy debate, coverage frequently prioritised “horse race” elements such as campaign events, party competition, and public opinion.

The study noted that 26.3 per cent of Welsh election news items featured vox pops, with 164 individual vox pops broadcast in total. The researchers described these interviews as a “blunt tool” that took up airtime at the expense of substantive debate. Although the vox pops highlighted voter apathy, the report argued they failed to accurately capture the level of interest and engagement with the campaign, which ultimately resulted in a record 52 per cent turnout in the Welsh election.

Cushion, who led the project, stated that the current due impartiality rules are not fit for purpose in an era of multiparty politics. The researchers are calling for a rethink of these regulations to give broadcasters greater flexibility to provide scrutiny in day-to-day news reporting, arguing that the public expects broadcasters to challenge false or misleading claims rather than merely providing balanced visibility.

ITN, which produces the news bulletins analysed, responded that the report undervalues its total output by focusing solely on the News at Ten programmes. The broadcaster noted that ITV broadcasts nearly two hours of daily national news alongside regional programming, with the ITV Evening News reaching double the audience of News at Ten and including segments on vital national issues such as transport, health, and rural poverty.

The study examined flagship UK bulletins including the BBC News at Ten, ITV News at Ten, and Channel 4 News, as well as key evening bulletins in Wales: BBC Wales Today and ITV Wales at Six. It excluded the ITV Evening News, which typically broadcasts at 6.30pm for an hour, from its primary analysis.