The document outlines media regulations regarding protecting under 18s from harmful content, truth and accuracy in programming, and issues around impartiality, privacy, and potentially offensive material. The key points are that programming with adult content should only be broadcast after the 9pm watershed; viewers must not be misled; and sensitive topics require careful handling to avoid unfair treatment or distress. Impartiality is important for issues of public interest, and offensive material needs editorial justification.

1. Media Regulations
- PROTECTING UNDER 18s & HARM
AND OFFENCE

2. Balance - a situation in
Accuracy - the
which different
quality or state of
being correct or
precise
Glossary elements are equal or
in the correct
proportions:
Objectivity - A proposition is generally considered Impartiality -
to be objectively true when its truth conditions are treating all rivals or
met and are "mind-independent"—that is, not met disputants equally
by the judgment of a conscious entity or subject.
Access - the right or
Representation - the action of opportunity to use or
speaking or acting on behalf of benefit from something
someone or the state of being
so represented
Privacy - a state in which
Bias - a concentration on or one is not observed or
concern in one particular area disturbed by other people
or subject
Opinion - a view or judgement
Subjectivity - based on or formed about something, not
influenced by personal necessarily based on fact or
feelings, tastes, or opinions: knowledge

3. Watershed.
• In television, the term watershed means the time
period in a television schedule during
which programs with adult content can air.
• a television watershed also serves as a dividing
line – it divides the time between where content
for families and/or children has to be aired, and
where content aimed towards an adult
audience can be aired Examples of adult
content include, but are not limited to, graphic
violence, horror, strong language, nudity, sexual
intercourse or reference, drug use, and/or
suggestive themes. In most countries, the same
set of rules also apply to commercial
advertisements

4. Interviews
• Many interviews in documentaries rely on who they’re interviewing and also
what the matter is and timing of the interview.
• Many interviewee's have a biased opinion on the subject matter. They
hardly ever argue for both sides of the story. They almost try and persuade
the audience to be on the same side as they are, and with supporting
evidence and archive footage, there is more reason to support their ideas
on the topic.
. It is sometime difficult to book a specific interview as the interviewee may
not feel comfortable talking about the subject matter etc.

5. Issues facing producers of
factual programming..

6. Under 18’s
Under 18s must be protected
from potentially harmful and
offensive material. One of the
main ways of achieving this is
through the appropriate Anything unsuitable for any viewers must be
scheduling of programmes. shown at nine pm or later. Nothing unsuitable for
children should, in general, be shown before
9pm or after 5.30 am. there should then be a
gradual transition to more adult
material, generally, the more adult in nature a
programme is, the later in the schedule it should
appear.

7. The main way in which under 18s may be protected
from potentially harmful and offensive material is
through the appropriate scheduling of programming.
In practice this means that, as a general rule, the
more adult in nature the content is, the later it should
be broadcast, with the 9pm watershed being the
crucial point in time before which material unsuitable
for children should not generally be broadcast.
parents are expected to take full increasing
responsibility for their children’s viewing.
Parents may need to take into account that by
their children viewing a programme that is
showing from 9pm onwards that this could
have a huge impact on their physical, mental,
and moral development.

8. Harmful or offensive material includes strong
language, violence, sexual behaviour etc.. Its
inclusion must be justified editorially and by Strong Language
the context i.e. taking into consideration the
editorial content of the programme, its
scheduling, the audience’s likely
expectations, any warning should and must be
given before hand to raise awareness to the
Viewers should be clearly forewarned
viewer
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.

9. Truth and Accuracy Programmes must be true and accurate. It is
the responsibility of programme-makers and
broadcasters to ensure that viewers are not
misled.
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

10. Any discriminatory treatment or
language e.g. on grounds of age,
disability, gender, race, religion, beliefs Programmes including
and sexuality must be justified by the exorcism, the occult and the
context. Nothing transmitted should be paranormal will require careful
purposely intended to stir up racial handling
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
Representation justification. Similarly, in entertainment
programmes, careful consideration must be
given to humour based on the plight or
misfortune of individuals.

11. As far as the programme scheduling goes, the rules apply to all;
including trailers and promotion advertisements.
Depending on the context of the sequence will determine when the
clip will be shown on TV and when it is most appropriate.
The transition of the more ‘adult’ like programmes begin by the adverts.
The adverts gives an insight to the audience especially if children are
watching too.
The advertisements builds up to the programme as if it’s an
introduction, this is called a gradual transition.
If it is not picked up on then almost always a ‘flag up’ will have been
given, to give and inform the viewers about what they should expect
from this up coming programme.

12. Expectations of channels
All TV channels are there to represent itself but sometimes, hardly ever, a miss
understanding may occur.
Many TV channels have given a reputation for themselves!
Examples of these are:
BBC1 and MTV.
You would expect to see factual programmes on BBC1 with appropriate media
language used, whereas, MTV have a reputation for there reality TV shows and
the use of bad language.
However both these TV channels are aimed at different audiences!

13. Secret Filming
Producers must set out in
Before any secret filming is writing their justification for
undertaken, covert filming/
there are detailed guidelines you recording. It must satisfy the
must provisions of
Section 8.13 of the Code.
Individuals must not normally be
filmed
or recorded secretly for inclusion in
a
programme unless approved by the
broadcaster in advance.

14. Reconstructions
• All reconstructions must be fair and accurate.
• If there is a risk that viewers might be
misled, reconstructions should be labelled as
such to avoid confusion.
• Where there is risk of causing distress by
reconstructing actual events, appropriate
parties should be informed.

15. Payments
• Do not make payments to sources or contributors without
reference to and the approval of the broadcaster.
• You must seek advice from the programme lawyer before making or
promising to make any payment to a convicted or confessed
criminal.
• You must not make any payment or promise to make any payment
to any witness or defendant involved in any kind of legal
proceedings without the consent of the commissioning editor and
programme lawyer. Where criminal proceedings are likely and
foreseeable, again never pay or promise to pay a potential
witnesses without first consulting with your commissioning editor
and taking advice from the programme lawyer.

16. Dealing with Contributors
• If advertising for contributors, the wording of adverts should be approved by the
commissioning editor and programme lawyer.
• Contributors should take part in programmes on the basis of their informed
consent.
• Consent should normally be in the form of a signed release form, although
consent on camera may be satisfactory.
• Any 'set-ups' or use of deception must be justified by the public interest and this
must always be agreed in advance by the broadcaster, unless it is intended to
seek consent of those filmed before broadcast.
• Letters to key prospective contributors should be approved by the
commissioning editor and programme lawyer before being sent.
• Any approach to seek a response (right of reply) in relation to significant
allegations or criticisms must be discussed and approved in advance by the
programme lawyer.
• Any conditions placed on interviews by contributors must be agreed by the
programme lawyer before programme-makers accept. Programme-makers
cannot agree to give contributors previews of programmes without the consent
of the commissioning editor. Editorial control must never be ceded.

17. - Any attempt to seek an interview without prior arrangement
i.e. a ‘doorstep', must
be discussed and approved by the programme lawyer in
advance.
- Programme-makers must comply with the rules on
payments.
Interviews must be fairly edited.
- Individuals in distress should not be put under pressure to
agree to be interviewed or otherwise take part in a
programme.
- If filming with the police or other authorities, seek advice from
the programme lawyer.
- If a source seeks an absolute guarantee of anonymity seek
immediate advice from your programme lawyer.

18. Fairness and privacy
• We must avoid the unfair treatment of
individuals and 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

19. Criminality
Programmes involving criminals or about
criminality require special care and are likely to
be legally contentious

20. Impartiality
• Programmes dealing with matters of
political or industrial controversy or
matters relating to current public
policy should be duly impartial.

21. Potentially Offensive Material
• Material with the potential to cause offence
e.g. strong language, violence, sexual
violence, explicit sexual portrayal etc. must
always be justifiable by the context.
• Advice should be given from
the legal & compliance department at an
early stage.
• The commissioning editor, on the advice of
the programme lawyer, will ensure that an on-
air warning is given to viewers, where
appropriate

22. Commercial References
- Programmes should not give undue
prominence to commercial products or services.
Product placement is prohibited.
- Where programmes contain viewer
competitions and/or premium rate telephone
lines for viewers to call, seek advice from the
programme lawyer.
- Sponsored programmes must not contain
promotional references to the sponsor, its
activities or products or services.
- Advertisements or clips from advertisements
used within programmes will require strong
editorial justification.
- Always seek advice from your programme
lawyer.

23. Aileen.
Aileen directed by Nick Broomfield.
This documentary is a well known successful factual documentary, it is hugely successful for the way
the documentary is exposed to everyone and also the content in which filmed.
Through the use of the codes and conventions, Nick Broomfield stuck to a strict schedule by only
showing the documentary after 9:30pm to 5:30am. This is ideal as it protects the viewers from
harmful, offensive material.
By adding in the certificate of 16A it also informs the audience that the content that will be shown
throughout the documentary is only suitable for 16yr olds and over.
If anyone decides to ignore the certificate given and is disturbed by the footage shown it is only their
fault as they were warned and decided to purposely ignore all the information they would have
benefitted from. They watched the programme at their own risk.
All the information that was shown on the documentary is all factual based, it is important that the
audience are not miss led.
Another factor was that the documentary did not condone or justify the violence for sawn, as this could
lead to others copying such behaviour as they believed their actions are justified. In addition the
programme shows respect for people in distress and sensitive situations, this is shown and justified
editorially.

24. My 9 minute Documentary…
My nine minute documentary will be suitable for people under the
Under 18’s
age of 18 however it would be only be shown from 9pm and after.
There is a possibility that strong may be used throughout my
Strong Language documentary. But because it will be shown after 9pm it shouldn't
matter as much, but if young children are going to be watching it
will therefore be the parents responsibilities about what their
children hear and see.
Truth and Accuracy
My documentary is going to be very truthful. We cannot
promise that nothing will be set up purely for the audiences
entertainment but it will be a reality factual documentary.

25. We intentionally will not be using the technique of secret
Secret filming filming in our documentary however we can not promise
anything. Secret film maybe set up for the viewers
entertainment.
My peers and myself will not be reconstructing an
Reconstruction
original ghost story. The footage that we film we not be
acted out.
Payments We will not be getting paid for a class 9 minute
documentary.
Every advertisement that is released about our nine
Dealing with contributors minute documentary will have to be approved by the
contributors before it is out in the public eye.

26. If our programme is uncomfortable for some
Fairness and Privacy
audience members to watch then it would
be best to seek advice from the programme
adviser..
Criminality There will be no criminal based material
throughout our 9 minute factual programme.
- We’re dealing with the superstition of ghost
Potential Offence Material occurring in the Henley college basement.
- This could potentially offend any non religious
groups of people and also