This document discusses two Channel 4 documentary series, Benefits Street and Educating Yorkshire, and debates whether they were exploitative or enlightening. For Benefits Street, it argues it exploited those on benefits by only showing negative aspects and increased violence against them, though it did help some individuals. For Educating Yorkshire, it claims it gave negative views of schools and children, though it also highlighted the challenges teachers face and educated viewers about stutters. Overall, the document examines the pros and cons of how these series portrayed their subjects and affected audiences.

1. CHANNEL 4
DOCUMENTRIES
Enlightening or Exploitative?
To give someone
greater knowledge
and understanding
about a subject or
situation.
Making use of a situation
or treating someone
unfairly in order to gain an
advantage or benefit.

2. Exploitation in the media:
Benefits street
• Exploits people that live off of benefits:
• Shows only their negative sides
• Has a negative feel towards the people on ‘Benefits Street’
• Gave the public a negative opinion of people
claiming benefits:
• Led to violence towards people on benefits
• Made people question the benefits system
• By exploiting these people it gave them fame:
• Main star is now on Celebrity Big Brother
• Made them recognisable this led to a increase in violence towards them

3. Enlightening: Benefits
street
• Since Benefit Street aired at the start of 2014, White Dee has come off
state support due to ‘work in public eye’. This is an example of how the
show has helped people to come off benefits.
• Another example is Fungi who moved to wales to get off drugs and drink,
after filming for the TV series. He is now an adrenaline junkie who is
preparing to do a charity skydive.
• Dee has become a household name after she’s made numerous TV
appearances, such as shows like This Morning, The Big Benefits Row: Live
and the latest series of Celebrity Big Brother.
• Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator, suggested the programme had
highlighted a area of the public who have been forgotten by the
politicians. "These people are people who otherwise don’t have a voice.
They don’t vote, so for many years they have just not mattered“. This
goes on to suggest that the TV show has encouraged the topic of the
benefit system to be addressed. It also Educates the public on the
benefit system and how people are abusing the system.
• White Dee has been paid £100,000 for her recent appearance on CBB.
However she will not be leaving benefit street, despite the large amount
she will receive. “She is definitely going to stay where she is. Her children
love it there and she has lots of friends. She has no plans to move.”.
However this is chance she wouldn’t of been offered otherwise.

4. Audience
• Educating Yorkshire won only 1 award- Best documentary at the
national television awards on the 22nd of January 2014.
• The show itself provided channel 4 with some of its best viewing
ratings, from over 4 million viewers in the first episode, however
dipping to just over 3 million in the last.
• Reached126,000 tweets, making it the most tweeted about show of
the day during its air time.

5. Exploitation in the media:
Educating Yorkshire
• Gave the public a negative opinion about schools:
• Highlighted the worst points of the school
• Made people believe every school was the same
• Gave the public a negative opinion of school
children:
• Singled out the bad ones for entertainment purposes
• Made it seem that every child was misbehaving
• It is a series of programs:
• This further reinforces a negative opinion towards children and schools
• Gives bad opinions of the schools possibly decreasing popularity with
parents

6. Enlightening; EDUCATING
YORKSHIRE
• The series focuses on teachers and the situations they have to deal
with on a day to day bases. It shows how stressful and tiring the job
appears, however it also shows the huge benefits of being a teacher.
• Musharaf Asghar, a 16 year old from the school, was the highlight of
the series for many viewers. His battle with his stutter led to many
touching moments throughout the series. He won over the hearts of
nation as he over came his stutter in front of millions of viewers.
• Schools often get a bad reputation in the media, however this proves
otherwise as it suggests how hardworking the teachers are.
• The series educated many people on the effects of living with a
stutter. Many viewers were so intrigued learning about the condition,
Channel 4 commissioned a spin-off show called "Stammer School:
Musharaf Finds His Voice“.

7. Audience
• Despite not winning any awards it managed a staggering a 5 million
views in its first episode and declined to over 4 million in the last.
• Created heated reactions with the audience and caused politic
debates

8. Statistics