Whatever the question, the answer is training

GB News' lawyers have managed to persuade a judge not to punish the fledgling network for contempt of court. 

Presenter Mercy Muroki, 27, was accused of prejudicing the trial of the Colston Four in a broadcast monologue during the court proceedings. “I’m in favour of white people calling out racism … but the Colston saga reeks of white guilt... I don’t need a bunch of white hippies crippled by white guilt to throw a largely irrelevant statue in a river to prove they’re not racist.”

Judge Peter Blair QC noted GB News’ editorial guidelines, saying “I am struggling to see how, as in GB News’ charter, that this article is ‘respectful’ or ‘sets an example by treating others in a way that they would wish to be treated’.” 

GB News’ barrister, Claire Overman, of Doughty Street Chambers, said there had been a “breakdown in communication”; the lawyer on duty at the channel only had a few minutes to look at the piece ; GB News had put in place “immediate steps to ensure something like this does not happen again” and would send its staff on media law training to ensure they understand contempt of court law.

Claire did the trick: Judge Blair opined “The swift response of GB News in seeking to remedy the position when my concerns came to their attention, the promise of undertaking further focused training of journalists on matters of ‘contempt of court’ and their frank acknowledgment of their errors are, in my view, sufficient and proportionate steps to reflect their culpability on this occasion.”