Sky News Changes Reform UK Coverage Following Public Backlash

Sky News has adjusted its coverage approach to Reform UK press conferences after receiving more than 5,000 formal complaints from the public, in a campaign organized by Best for Britain.

The controversy began last week when Sky News cut away from the Lionesses’ victory parade in London to broadcast a Reform UK press conference, featuring Nigel Farage in conversation with former party Chairman Zia Yusuf. The decision sparked outrage over what many saw as biased and uncritical coverage of a political party’s staged media event.

In response, Best for Britain, a pro-democracy campaign group, launched an online tool allowing the public to register their disapproval directly with Sky News. In just three days, the campaign mobilised over 5,000 people to issue formal complaints.

Today, following the announcement of yet another Reform UK press conference, Sky News changed its approach:

It did not take the live feed directly from Reform UK, thus maintaining editorial control,

And included a government minister’s response to provide balanced coverage.

Cal Roscow, Director of Campaigns at Best for Britain, welcomed the move:

“The changes made by Sky News today to reclaim some degree of editorial control and add balance are welcome, and we thank our supporters for taking action on this issue.”

Roscow further cautioned broadcasters to consider the newsworthiness and consequences of giving repeated unfiltered platforms to Reform UK’s media events.

“With their new in-house studio, Reform UK looks determined to host a press conference as often as they can get away with. Broadcasters should reflect on the impact of platforming Farage’s brand of hyper-divisive politics,” he added.

The move signals that public pressure and accountability can influence major broadcasters to uphold journalistic standards, particularly in politically sensitive coverage.