BBC EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

BBC Ethical Code How it imposes constraints on How it could affect your How it could affect your
media production? product negatively? product positively?

Truth and Accuracy The BBC focus on always If I don’t follow these guidelines If all the information that I give
establishing the truth of what has for my documentary there is a out in my documentary
happened and are also committed possibility that I could get sued/ including facts and figures are
to achieving due accuracy in all their prosecuted by the BBC for not all correct, truthful and accurate,
output. Accuracy is not just about being truthful or accurate. For this allows my documentary to
getting facts right; although when example, if I state a fact in my be broadcasted to the public
needed, they will weigh the relevant documentary about the figures and allows it to be viewed by an
information including facts to get at of knife crime in London and it audience without any negative
the truth. The company also strive to isn’t truthful or accurate the occurrences.
be honest and open about what they government can prosecute me
don't know and avoid unsupported and also suspend my
assumptions. documentary which means it
won’t be allowed to be shown to
the public.
Impartiality and Impartiality is a key commitment to If I fail to be fair and open- On the other hand, if I
Diversity of Opinion the BBC and reflects a range and minded also known as being confidently follow this guideline,
diversity opinion across the BBC’s bias when examining evidence showing that I am against
output as a whole, over a certain and looking at material facts in biasness, no viewers or even
amount of time, this is so that no my documentary, the audiences contributors to the documentary
major element is significantly under- of whom my documentary is will feel offended in any way
represented. The BBC intends to be aimed at can feel isolated as and are less likely to complain
fair and open-minded when this would should that I could be to the BBC about how my
examining evidence and weighing offending a certain demographic documentary is interrogating
the material facts. through my project. them by any situation or issues
given throughout the
documentary.
Editorial Integrity The BBC relies on the outside If I go against the editorial Positively, this could be a good
and Independence interests and arrangements that integrity guideline and base my thing to do as the outside
could challenge their editorial decisions on the outside interests are relevant for my
integrity. Their audiences should be interests, this may lead to my documentary topic which means
confident that the decisions that are audience feeling offended and asking people their thoughts
made are not influenced by any could also mean that they don’t and opinions on a certain issue.
outside interests, political or wish to watch my documentary This means that my
commercial pressures, or any other as they believed I would follow documentary could become
personal interests. this guideline, this then more interesting involving the
decreases comments and outside interests.
opinions from viewers and my
audience and brings negative
recommendations.
Serving the public The BBC aims to report stories of If these guidelines are not Involving the audience is a very
interest importance to their audiences. They followed appropriately, it will be important key as they are the
also make sure they establish the a major issue as serving the ones who determine you
truth of the story and make it well public interest is all about the projects as they watch it and
detailed when explaining it. To allow public and audience, which give their comments and
the public to voice their opinions the allows me to work better with opinions. Therefore involving
BBC asks searching questions and what I produce and create from the audiences by having a
they also provide a comprehensive their opinions and comments. If public forum so that this
forum for public debate. I receive all negative comments enables them to voice their
and opinions it’s most likely that opinions is a unique idea and
the company who is helping me allows them to put their points
broadcast my documentary will across by telling me about
want to review my project to see mistakes or if they feel I’ve been
the problem it’s causing the unfair or even how my
audience, this again can mean documentary inspired them and
 my documentary may be has made them think more
suspended from being positively about the issue. By
broadcasted and it can also serving the public interest not
mean that the company can only having a forum although
take things further if necessary. reporting stories of what is
important to my audience is
also essential so that they are
clear about what my
documentary is portraying.
When reporting the story I will
make it very detailed and
explain it clearly so that the
audience understand. From this
people will recommend by work
to others which allows more
people to view it.
Fairness All content should be based on If I do not follow these However on the other hand, if
fairness, openness, honesty and guidelines for fairness the my documentary is relevantly
straight production. Contributors contributors that are appearing fair throughout the duration of
and audiences will always be in my documentary may want to the documentary this means
treated with respect. terminate the interviews as they that interviewees and other
might feel offended. contributors are likely to appear
in the documentary without
becoming offended by
unfairness.
Privacy The BBC intend to respect peoples For privacy guidelines it If I keep to the privacy
privacy this includes; Private sometimes occurs that people guidelines the positive output
behaviour, information, may sign a consent form for will be that I can be trusted to
correspondence and conversation. It their information to be kept hold confidential information
is most likely certain that the confidential, however if I go and those interviewees and
information will not be brought into against this and present their other contributors will
the public field unless there is a information publicly it will appreciate this and be willing to
public interest that overshadow the become a big issue as the be interviewed and appear in
expectation of privacy. confidentiality held will be open, my documentary.
this can cause the individual to
go on and prosecute me and
they also will be offended.
Harm and Offence The BBC aim to include all aspects Not following this guideline rule However, if I am responsible
of the realities that happen within could enable serious problems enough and reasonable, I know
the world. They also balance their as harm and offence is a I need to protect children and in
rights to broadcast original content serious issue for many people, doing so I could make sure that
with the responsibility to protect the especially relating it to a TV to view the documentary you
vulnerable from harm and avoid programme or documentary that have to have parental consent
indefensible offence. They also is shown to the public. If I ignore of being over a certain age or if
intend to be sensitive and keep in this guideline and don’t protect shown as part of a programme I
touch with, general standards as the vulnerable from harm would make sure that it’s on late
well as their audiences' throughout my documentary this so that children’s welfare comes
expectations of their content, mainly can be noted down as first. This shows that I am fair
in relation to the protection of indefensible offence as it is and trustworthy to my
children. mainly aimed at the protection audiences.
of children, audiences would
complain and my documentary
will not get shown to the public.
Children You should also be aware of the If my documentary is too gory or If I follow the children’s welfare
welfare of children and young explicit to broadcast to the guideline appropriately instead
people who contribute to and public at certain times or on of receive complaints from
feature in your project, wherever the certain websites and I go adults about how bad it is for
location may be. The BBC will against this my broadcasting it children to watch I’ll hopefully
enable their rights to speak and at early times or on children’s receive positive opinions which
participate; while making sure that websites it is mostly likely going can enable me to improve on
 the children’s physical and to be removed and inspected by another documentary that I
emotional welfare is protected a video company who deal with make.
throughout the making of the this guideline. My documentary
project. Content within the project will most likely be declined
that is unsuitable for children should which means it won’t be
be dealt with appropriately. showed at all to any audience
and I may get complaints from
the public about it which then
can lead to them prosecuting
me.
Accountability Everyone producing content should If any time throughout my From accountability in my
be accountable to their audiences documentary I make a major documentary I should make
and deal fairly and openly with mistake and don’t reference that note and acknowledge any
them. This means that the BBC will I have acknowledged the fault major mistakes in it so that I can
be open in acknowledging mistakes and also don’t intend to let my inform my audiences before
when they are made and will be audiences know, depending on hand so that the viewers are not
willing to learn from them. Because what the mistake is various offended or feel that the
the relationship between the BBC complaints could be made from documentary is unfair in any
and audience is very important. the audiences. For example, way. This shows that I am
the mistake may not be following the accountability
accurate or fair, I may have guideline as I am being open
breached the timing or the place with the audiences and letting
where my documentary can be them know that I can
seen at, I may have breached acknowledge a mistake and can
an individual’s privacy or even learn from it for next time.
offended someone through the
mistake. The a audience can
then complain to the company
who has enabled me to allow
my documentary to be
broadcasted to the public and
they may have to re-inspect the
documentary, this can lead to it
being suspended from being
broadcasted depending on how
harmful the mistake was to the
audience.

Reference - http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/page/guidelines-
editorial-values-editorial-values