ISSUES WITH
DOCUMENTARIES
WHAT DIRECTORS AND PRODUCERS HAVE TO
CONSIDER.
 When creating a factual programme filmmakers
need to ensure that they get the important
information across and not missing out any valuable
information that may be key when the audience Is
developing their opinion. They must also provide
accurate information as well as protecting audiences
and participants from harm.
ACCURACY
 Accuracy is where information is correct and
legitimate. This is important in a factual
documentary as the audience expects the
information to be reliable. Also it is important that
the audience is not being told false and misleading
evidence. An example of an inaccurate documentary
would be an episode of Bear Grylls where he had
claimed to sleep rough over night where infact he
slept in a hotel this is misleading to the public.
CORROBORATE
 This means to confirm or give support for example
when crimes are taken to court they will usually
feature a witness who will ‘corroborate’ information
with another witness. This is important as it backs
up what the documentary is showing meaning that it
is easier for audiences to believe. For example to
prove he stayed over night they could have shot a
time-lapse to show exactly what he encountered in
the night.
INACCURACY
 Bear Grylls once made an episode where he claimed to spend
the night in a cave when in fact he spent the night in a hotel
with his family this lead to some bad publicity however some
people understood that he did not have to stay in the cave. In
his book he goes on to explain how it was a silly mistake and
that he had spent the last few months filming and had not
time to see his wife and three boys so he chose to fly them
out to this hotel and spend a few nights with them.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1558242/Bear-Gryllsfaked-Channel-4s-Born-Survivor.html
BALANCED PROGRAMMING
 Balance means that the programme should not come across
as bais so it needs to show both sides in order to be balanced.
HTTP://WWW.IBTIMES.COM/BBCCONDEMNED-UNBALANCED-ASSISTEDSUICIDE-DOCUMENTARY-290733
 The BBC published a programme in which a man committed
suicide. The programmed showed Pratchett accompanying a
71year old man and his wife to Switzerland where they filmed
the man drinking poison and showing his gasping for air and
pleading for water.
 They must weigh up the positive and negatives of the event.
So it looks like they are not promoting suicide whilst not
insulating the people who have committed so they do not
of fend their families. They also must be seen to of fer
solutions for people in this situation and be sympathetic
towards the subject matter. Nola Leach said “ I rather thought
that we had moved on from the days when people gathered in
crowds to watch other people die”
IMPARTIALIT Y
Treating matters equally and fairly to explore
all opportunities without seeming to promote
one.

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4.2.1
We must do all we can to ensure that ' controversial subjects' are treated with due impartiality in all
our output.
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4.2.2
News in whatever form must be treated with due impartiality, giving due weight to events, opinion
and main strands of argument.
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4.2.3
We seek to provide a broad range of subject matter and perspectives over an appropriate timeframe
across our output as a whole.

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4.2.4
We are committed to reflecting a wide range of opinion across our output as a whole and over an
appropriate timeframe so that no significant strand of thought is knowingly unreflected or underrepresented.
4.2.5
We exercise our editorial freedom to produce content about any subject, at any point on the
spectrum of debate, as long as there are good editorial reasons for doing so.
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H T T P: / /WWW.I NDEP ENDENT.C O.UK / NEWS/ MEDI A/ T V R A DI O/ G AZ A - DOC UMENTARY- RA PP ED - FOR - BREA KING I M PARTI ALI T Y- RULES - 2 041 59 5. H TM L
 A documentary on the events during and after a
interception conducted by Israeli military on a pro Palestinian aid convoy which resulted in nine deaths.
 The Ofcom deemed this as not impartial as they did
not show both opinions meaning that it seemed like
a publicity attack . They also said that the programme
did not contain alternate views.
OBJECTIVIT Y
 This means that you look at things from an external
point of view rather than acting upon personal
feelings. For example this may be difficult in a
factual programme as the producer and director still
have to get their point across whilst remaining
impartial.
SUBJECTIVIT Y
 This is someone’s personal feelings and is not
influenced by external influences. 102 minutes that
changed America is a documentary about 9/11 and
this features many people’s views on the event. This
documentary features archive sounds such as George
W. Bush and Kelly Edwards a news reporter, this
makes it accurate. There were also a number of
interviews conducted throughout this programme to
express peoples views and feelings.
OPINION
 An individuals views and feelings on a certain matter. Top
Gear give their opinions on cars. They review cars and this can
lead to the brand image being damaged or really succeeding.
People can be influenced either to buy the car or not where as
it is down to personal preference. These opinions can
sometimes land Top Gear in hot water such as views on
Mexicans resulted in massive up roar including complaints
from the Mexican ambassador. Comments were that “ Mexican
cars would be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning
against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with
a hole in the middle on as a coat."
BIAS
 Where the opinion is af fected by close relations for example a
documentary on the war conducted by the B ritish could be
slightly bias. Supersize me this showed how bad McDonalds
are however the food still gives energy and to some people
this is vital.
 This was taken over the top as Morgan Spurlock just ate
McDonalds for all three meals whilst not increasing his
exercise. This was bias because from the beginning he looked
at McDonalds as terrible and not looking at any of the
nutritional values.
MISREPRESENTATION
 The BBC may have intentionally misrepresented the Queen as
it makes it more news worthy and interesting for viewers.
They did this by editing parts to make it seem like the queen
stormed out. They would have done this to attract more
viewers. Misrepresentation is an issue as because the
documentary becomes inaccurate therefore becoming un factual. This can also upset the person involved as it can
portray them negatively to the public. A more recent event
would be American Sniper which was a film based on a person
and his war experience. His father did not want them movie to
portray his son as an animal and made threats to Clint
Eastwood.
INFRINGEMENT - PRIVACY
 Infringement is where a programme breaches privacy laws of
individuals.
 Examples where it is acceptable to breach privacy policies
are: Exposing or detecting crime such as Watchdog shows faces to the
public.
 Protecting health and safety
 Disclosing information that assists people to comprehend or make
decisions.
CONTRACT WITH THE VIEWER
 This is an assumption that everything shown is 100%
accurate. The audience will rely on the producers to give them
accurate information as they expect that at least from a
factual documentary