MEDIA REGULATIONS

By Josh McLean

GLOSSARY Accuracy - the condition or quality of being true,

correct, or exact; freedom from error or defect;

precision or exactness; correctness.

Balance - a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal

distribution of weight, amount, etc.

Impartiality - not partial  or biased; fair; just:

Objectivity -the state or quality of being objective: He

tries to maintain objectivity in his judgment.

Subjectivity - intentness on internal thoughts.

Opinion - a judgment or estimate of a person or thing

with respect to character, merit, etc.

GLOSSARY

Bias - a particular tendency or inclination, especially

one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a

question; prejudice.

Representation - the expression or designation by

some term, character, symbol, or the like.

Access - the ability, right, or permission to approach,

enter, speak with, or use; admittance.

Privacy - the state of being free from intrusion or

disturbance in one's private  life or affairs.

OFCOM BROADCASTING LAWS ON FACTUAL & CURRENT

AFFAIRS

These laws have to be abided by, by all film makers

who want there program on the television.

HARM AND OFFENCE TO YOUTHS

Under 18’s are protected from harmful material by

offensive programs being scheduled later on in the

night.

9pm – 5:30pm is the scheduled time that programs

deemed harmful or offensive are on Tv, the later the

program the more adult nature it is.

Harmful material includes – strong language, violence,

sexual behaviour.

The audience have to be pre-warned about the

harmful content which may be in the program.

Programs should not condone violence and

inappropriate actions, unless for educational

purposes or in a scenario.

In programs covering the topics of sorrow and

sensitive subjects has to be edited carefully so

that no one feels offended by it.

TRUTH & ACCURACY

When watching a program either factual or a

news story, everything shown has to be true, the

producer cannot mislay an audience to think

something which isn't true

Our Program is going to be a imitation of

previous events, so will be staged but be a

serious film not mimicking or making jokes

about peoples true beliefs and sitings.

SECRET FILMING

When secret filming is taking place, the

individual being filmed is not allowed to be in the

film for any other purposes, secret filming is a

very strict border to cross because there are so

many laws on privacy.

Secret filming will not effect my program

because we have a health and safety form for

where we are filming and we are not filming

anyone without there permission

PAYMENTS

When paying a source or contributor for work to

do with your film you must have approval from

the broadcaster,

When dealing with a previous convict, advice

must be taken from a lawyer before paying or

making promises to the previously convicted.

No promises must be made about a payment to a

client or outside contributor before the work has

been done.

RECONSTRUCTIONS

When filming an event that has previously taken place,

what happened cannot be twisted or altered, must be

as accurate to what is known as possible.

Misleading the audience to believe a reconstruction is

true cannot happen if a reconstruction is false or

altered the producer must state it on screen.

Our film will contain reconstructions to a extent, hence

we will not be able to film actual ghosts we will have to

make our own paranormal activities occur.

POTENTIALLY OFFENSIVE MATERIAL Clips containing discriminatory content in it must only

be used in context to the scene, when filming a film

with strong language or violence advice should be

found from legal & compliance office.

When a film is complete and ready or television a

commisioning editor will put on screen a warning to

parents guardians etc. that this will not be suitable for

people under a certain age.

Our film may be potentially offensive due to activities of

the paranormal occurring but warning messages will be

put at the start of the film.

FAIRNESS & PRIVACY In a program containing allegations against

someone else or criticizing something, the

allegation must be just to avoid unfairness, but if

the target subject has to be exploited for wrong

doings the producer must speak to there

programme lawyer.

When filming undercover or without someone

knowing the producer must take with great care

because of infringement of privacy laws, must be

warranted by public interest.

COMMERCIAL REFERENCES

During programs a branded product or sponsor

of the company/show cannot be placed on screen

as it is advertisement.

No catch phrases or known slogans of a brand

can be used in conjunction with the product on

screen.

Our film will have to have all logos or brand

names hidden, but otherwise we will not be

advertising any brands or companys.

CRIMINALITY

When dealing with criminals or previously

convicted the producer must take great care in

conditioning contracts and not paying up front as

criminals are liable when it comes too insurance,

must obtain broadcasters approval before using a

criminal.

IMPARTIALITY

When filming a program on current affairs to do

with parliament or problems facing the world at

the current time the producer must consider the

fact that you cannot have a one sided

programmes you have to be impartial taking

neither sides of the argument, simply film both

sides of the argument or subject.

PEOPLE UNDER 18 When dealing with people under the age of 18, extra

care must be taken compared to over 18s because of

the age the work could cause distress or anxiety.

Under 16’s parent or guardians permission must be

obtained before using them unless what they do is a

small input.

The same sort of regulations take place when dealing

with disabled or people who are unable to give consent

themselves,

Our film is filmed by people over 16 and there

permission has been obtained

DEALING WITH CONTRIBUTORS

When working with contributors you should

always have forms explaining what they are to be

doing or what producers are to be doing with

them so that there are no confusions later on

when it comes to payment etc. and so you as a

producer face no difficulties later on in

production.

NICK BLOOMFIELD DOC

The documentary on Aileen Wournos the murderer

filmed up until her death sentence, this documentary

when being filmed would have had many media

regulations Nick Bloomfield had to abide by, whilst

filming these are the things he would have had to think

about and how they effected or if they affected his

documentary.

AILEEN DOCUMENTARY

Accuracy - Aileens story was hard to get to the bottom of so

Bloomfield had to try and not convey the wrong thing to the

audience.

Balance - The documentary had to equally show that Aileen

was in the wrong for murdering all those people but also had to

show that she was human and had a side to her story as well.

Impartiality - Nick Bloomfield was not allowed to get

emotionally involved or attached to Aileen because she was a

murderer and that would of made his documentary one sided.

Objectivity - In the documentary Bloomfield had to make a lot

of decisions and stick by them & know what he wanted as his

end product.

Subjectivity - Bloomfields internal thoughts were not conveyed

in the film, he showed restraint when it came to emotions

involving Aileen.

AILEEN DOCUMENTARY

Opinion - Bloomfields opinions did not really come across in

the documentary he showed his openness to both sides of what

was going on but never conveyed his own feelings.

Bias - Bloomfield was slightly bias because he had been filming

Aileen for a while and built up a relationship with her, but in

the overall outcome the documentary was not bias because

both sides of what was happening were equally shown.

Representation - Aileen was presented as crazy in some parts

and a normal down to earth woman in other sections which

confuses the audience but shows she cannot be trusted by her

having a split personality.

Access - The producers had a lot of access to Aileen and

through being able to speak and meet with her he could

emotionally speak to her, becoming friends.

Privacy - Aileen still didn’t tell Nick a lot of things for the

reason it could of jeopardized her death sentence which she

wanted to happen.