What Piers Morgan’s exit tells us about the future of impartial broadcasting in the UK | Jane Martinson

The presenter is unlikely to be jobless for long with Andrew Neil and Rupert Murdoch launching US-style news channels

When the next history of the British media is written, there should be a chapter seeking to explain why it so often ends up being about Piers Morgan. Within 48 hours of Meghan and Prince Harry turning a much-needed spotlight on racism in the industry, Morgan’s sudden departure from ITV’s breakfast show shifted the attention not just to him, but to the issue of free speech. His comments tested the tension between freedom of expression and truth, just as two news channels are to be launched that could test the boundaries of the UK’s regulated, impartial TV media.

This is not about whether Morgan will end up working for Rupert Murdoch’s News UK streaming service or Andrew Neil’s GB News (though the prospect of jobs at the channels undoubtedly eased his passage from ITV), but about whether it can possibly be right to publicly disown the truth of somebody else’s mental distress.

Related: Is Britain’s TV news at risk of being dominated by those who shout loudest?

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Category: Mental Health