This document provides guidance and definitions for factual programming. It discusses key concepts like accuracy, balance, impartiality, objectivity, subjectivity, opinion, bias, representation, privacy, and OFCOM rules and regulations. Examples are given of documentaries that demonstrate these concepts well, such as maintaining accuracy in interviews, showing both sides of an issue for balance, and protecting subjects' privacy. The document also notes challenges like avoiding one's own biases and obtaining interviews from people who may be camera shy.

1. FACTUAL PROGRAMMING:
LEARNING OUTCOME 1
Task 1

2. GLOSSARY
 Accuracy
 Web definitions: ‘The quality or state of being correct or precise.’
 Balance
 To keep the argument/documentary even and fair on both sides.
 Impartiality
 Lack of comparison, correspondence, or suitableness; incongruity.
 Indivisibility into equal parts; oddness.
 Inequality; disparity; disproportion; difference of degree, rank, excellence, number, etc.
 Objectivity
 Web definitions: ‘judgment based on observable phenomena and uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices.’
 Subjectivity
 Web definitions: ‘Judgment based on individual personal impressions and feelings and opinions rather than external facts.’
 Opinion
 Web definitions: ‘A view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.’
 Bias
 Web definitions: ‘Show prejudice for or against (someone or something) unfairly: "the tests were biased against women"; "a
biased view of the world".’
 Representation
 Web definitions:
 The action of speaking or acting on behalf of someone or the state of being so represented.
 The description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way or as being of a certain nature.
 Access
 Web definitions: Obtain, examine, or retrieve (data or a file).
 Privacy
 Web definitions: The state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people.
 The state of being free from public attention.

3. DIFFICULTY GETTING INTERVIEWS
 Difficulties:
 We may have difficulty finding people who will feel comfortable
giving interviews on the spot as some people don’t want to be on
camera.
 Solving:
 To solve this we could take more than one take while filming.
 We could pixelate their faces if they don’t mind do the interview
but are camera shy.
 In a lot of News shows they use a photo and have a voice over
 this could come in handy if people don’t want to be on camera at all.
 For an example of this in Aileen there was an interview that
she wanted to stop as it made her feel uncomfortable.

4. BIASED OPINION ON SUBJECT MATTER
 Not having a bias opinion will be hard for us as we are young
people and we’re doing it on how young people are portrayed
so we will have out own opinion.

5. OFCOM RULES AND REGULATIONS
 ‘Under 18s must be protected from potentially harmful and offensive
material. One of the main ways of achieving this is through the
appropriate scheduling of programmes.
 The watershed is 9 pm. Nothing unsuitable for children should, in
general, be shown before 9pm or after 5.30 am. After 9 pm, there should
then be a gradual transition to more adult material, not an abrupt change.
Generally, the more adult in nature a programme is, the later in the
schedule it should appear.
 Potentially harmful or offensive material includes strong language,
violence, sexual behaviour etc.. Its inclusion must be justified editorially
and by the context i.e. taking into consideration the editorial content of
the programme, its scheduling, the audience’s likely expectations, any
warning that has been given etc.
 Audience expectation is key. Viewers should be clearly forewarned of
any potentially harmful or offensive material so they can make their own
informed choices about what they and their children watch. This usually
requires clear on-air pre-transmission warnings.
 Programmes must be true and accurate. It is the responsibility of
programme-makers and broadcasters to ensure that viewers are not
misled.

6. OFCOM RULES AND REGULATIONS
CONTINUED…
 Programmes should not condone or glamorise violent,
dangerous or seriously anti-social behaviour, especially where it
is likely to encourage others to copy such behaviour.
 Any discriminatory treatment or language e.g. on grounds of age,
disability, gender, race, religion, beliefs and sexuality must be
justified by the context. Nothing transmitted should be intended to
stir up racial hatred or, taking into account the circumstances, be
likely to do so.
 Programmes should show respect for human dignity. In news and
factual programmes, showing people in distress and in sensitive
situations requires clear editorial justification. Similarly, in
entertainment programmes, careful consideration must be given
to humour based on the plight or misfortune of individuals, which
again must be justifiable editorially and by the context.
 Programmes including exorcism, the occult and the paranormal
will require careful handling.’ –Independent Producer Handbook

7. ACCURACY
 ‘Channel 4 and Five take the issue of viewer trust very seriously.
Viewers are entitled to expect that programmes are accurate and
true and the audience must not be misled. This obligation applies
to all types of programming, including entertainment programmes
with factual elements. Portraying real events, whether in
documentary, features, factual entertainment, drama or any other
programme, which the viewer is entitled to take at face value,
must respect truth and accuracy. Programmes must be honest,
fair and accurate and must not mislead viewers.’ – Independent
Producer Handbook
 It is important for us that we do have our facts as accurate as
possible and we don’t twist our stories.
 Although a lot of our footage will be interviews and we can’t
change or tell our interviewees what to say we will ask them to be
accurate as possible and tell the truth.
 For an example of this again I can link it back to Aileen as the
interviewer ‘Nick’ had to be accurate on the facts he was
presenting.

8. BALANCE
 It is important that we don’t stick to one side and investigate
both sides of the story. At the end is when we can choose a
side and talk more about this side.

9. IMPARTIALITY
 Linking back to slide 6 ‘Balance’ we will need to show both
sides of the story and both views equally and not our personal
opinion.
 A good example of this is ‘supersize me’ as he’s unbalanced
and only talks about how fast food is bad for you.

10. SUBJECTIVITY
 Our interviews will show different judgments, impressions,
feelings and options and we’ll make sure we have an equal
amount of contrasting interviews to keep the audience
entertained.
 A good example of this is ‘Aileen’ because of the way ‘Nick’
bonds with her for the documentary.

11. OPINION
 We will show a lot of different opinions from lots of different
generations.
 A good example of opinion is ‘supersize me’ as he keeps
saying how bad fast food is.

12. BIAS
 We have to be very careful while filming as what we say may
be seen as bias as we’re young people, But then again we
may have a different angle to many past documentaries as we
are young people and know how young people feel about how
the media is portraying us so maybe people would feel more
for young people and try to stop it or ignore what the media
say to a certain extent.
 A good example of this is ‘Supersize me’.

13. REPRESENTATION
 We will be representing young people in a fair
balance.
 A good example of this is ‘Aileen’ because the
interviewer is representing Aileen and everything
she stands for.

14. PRIVACY
 We must avoid the unfair treatment of individuals or
organisations in programmes. If the programme you are
making involves criticising or making any damaging allegation
about any living individual or organisation, seek advice from
your programme lawyer. Any significant infringement of
privacy of an individual or organisation, in the making or
broadcast of a programme, must be warranted by the public
interest. – Independent Producer handbook
 We have to understand the interviewee’s privacy so if they
don’t want to be on camera we can’t force them and we need
to make sure none of our questions are intruding there privacy
and asking nothing we wouldn’t want on camera.
 A good example of this is ‘Aileen’ as ‘Nick’ has to protect the
privacy of Aileen.