‘Fact-checkers are erring on the side of caution’– Cliff responds after Instagram post flagged
With the American elections a hot topic this week, Cliff has decided to add his voice to those questioning the integrity of voting, pollsters, and media houses.
Gareth Cliff responds. Picture: Gallo Images / Rapport / Deon Raath)
Fresh from being fined by the broadcasting watchdog for spreading misinformation, popular podcast and television host and former Idols SA judge Gareth Cliff’s latest Instagram posts have landed him in hot water.
Earlier this week the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) fined eNCA and etv R10,000 for violation of the broadcasting code, followinga discussion Cliff had with conspiracy theorist David Icke on 22 and 23 July on his show, So What Now?
The fine comes after a complaint laid by Media Monitoring Africa, and the BCCSA agreeing with their contention that the show did not present views countering those of Icke’s allegation that Covid-19 does not exist. The commission said Cliff and Icke continued to make several false claims about the virus.
Rina Bloomberg, Cliff’s manager said they have no further comment on the fine, but that eNCA is appealing the judgement.
With the American elections a hot topic this week, Cliff has been quite outspoken on his view on the counting in some states. The election is still on a knife’s edge with four states still up for grabs for both President Donald Trump and presidential candidate Joe Biden. On Friday morning Biden had 253 electoral college votes and Trump 214, while winning the presidency would require one candidate to reach the magic mark of 270 electoral college votes.
The final results are expected by the end of Friday.
Cliff alleged on Instagram that Trump was leading regarding the total presidential votes for each party in the state of the race in Michigan, with 86% of the vote counted by the evening of 4 November. His post was followed by a second image of the word “fraud.”
The post was flagged by fact-checkers: “Independent fact-checkers say information in this post is missing context and could mislead people.”
Cliff in a response posted: “Pollsters, mainstream media organisations and “fact-checkers” are exactly the same as hotline psychics and astrologers. If you want to believe them, you go ahead. The reality is consistently so very different from their projections or assertions (including on Covid) that their credibility is indisputably in tatters. Time for them to be set on fire and thrown out.”
When asked how he feels about being flagged, his manager Bloomberg responded: “With regard of the Instagram image, during this USA election a variety of posts have been flagged across the planet on all social media. No doubt the fact-checkers are erring on the side of caution.”
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