Judith Townend







Layers of consent

This paper argues that highly-developed television documentary-making techniques could provide a model more generally for journalists navigating the complicated process of obtaining contributors' consent.

Keywords: ethics of consent, television documentary, digital speed, media regulation


References

  1. BBC (2010) Editorial policy guidance note: User contributions in news output. Available online at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/pdfs/user-contributions.pdf, accessed on 28 March 2014
  2. BBC (2011) Editorial policy guidance note: Informed consent. Available online at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/pdfs/informed-consent.pdf, accessed on 27 March 2014
  3. BBC Trust Editorial Standards Committee (2014) Finding of the Editorial Standards Committee: Panorama: 'North Korea Undercover', BBC1, 15 April 2013, 8.30pm, 17 March. Available online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/news/press_releases/2014/panorama_north_korea.html, accessed on 27 March 2014
  4. Beales, Ian (2009) The editors' codebook. Available online at http://www.editorscode.org.uk/the_code_book.html, accessed on 27 August 2014
  5. Favilla, Emmy and Paolone, Megan (2014) BuzzFeed style guide. Available online at http://www.buzzfeed.com/emmyf/buzzfeed-style-guide, accessed on 27 March 2014
  6. Graef, Roger (2014) Interview with author by telephone, 21 March
  7. Muller, Denis (2013) Black Saturday bushfires and the question of consent, Ethical Space, Vol. 10, No. 1 pp 36-42
  8. Ofcom (2010) Guidance notes to Section 7 Issue Six: 16 December. Available online at http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/guidance/831193/section7.pdf, accessed on 28 March 2014
  9. Ofcom (2012a) Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, 10 September, No. 213 pp 117-128
  10. Ofcom (2012b) Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin, 11 June, No. 207 pp 73-82
  11. Ponsford, Dominic (2014) Former LSE student on Panorama North Korea trip: Most of us did not feel exploited by the BBC, Press Gazette, 18 March. Available online at
  12. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/student-lse-north-korea-trip-speaks-out-seven-out-ten-students-trip-dont-feel-exploited-bbc-all, accessed on 19 March 2014
  13. Richards, Barry and Rees, Gavin (2011) The management of emotion in British journalism. Media, Culture and Society, Vol. 33 pp 851-867
  14. Rolfe, Chris (2014) Interview with author by email and phone, 28 March 2014
  15. 5RB, ND. Warren v Marsh 1992 QB, 30 October. Available online at: http://www.5rb.com/case/warren-v-marsh/, accessed 27 March 2014

Note on the contributor

Judith Townend is a lecturer in journalism at City University London and research associate at the University of Westminster. Her doctoral research, based at City University London's Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism, examines everyday media interactions with law, policy and regulation. She has authored articles in journals including Ethical Space, the British Journalism Review and the Journal of Media Law and presented at a range of academic conferences. She has recently contributed to a variety of online publications and worked for organisations including Dart Centre Europe and Index on Censorship. She is currently researching policy issues around media plurality and power as part of an AHRC-funded project at the University of Westminster.