Health and financial claims in programming: Audience attitudes to potential harm

The research found that, in some cases, such claims had the potential to cause harm to viewers and listeners by:

• discouraging them from seeking medical advice for potentially serious health concerns, or from giving proper weight to such advice;

• encouraging them to stop an existing course of medical treatment and/or use alternative treatments without medical advice; and/or

• leading them to suffer financial loss or other harm as a result of financial advice or claims made in a programme.

Ofcom commissioned Ipsos UK to conduct research, consisting of a series of focus groups and in-depth interviews with members of the public, to update its understanding of audience attitudes towards these issues. This topic was last researched in 2017, and this new research refreshes the evidence base. The findings will help inform Ofcom’s decisions about whether potentially harmful content involving health or financial claims in programmes is in breach of the Code.

For more information, please see the full report: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-standards/health-and-financial-claims-in-programming-audience-attitudes-to-potential-harm