BBC EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

BBC Ethical How it imposes constraints on How it could affect your How it could affect your
Code media production? product negatively product positively
Truth and Every information in the documentary has to I may not know how accurate my Double checking any information
Accuracy be exact and correct. If gathering information information and sources are. Especially that goes in it will make my topic to
from internet secondary resources if may not when I know it was hard to find internet be very accurate. Knowing it is the
be right. So you need be 100% sure that any research for the gospel topic. Sites like truth will allow viewers to be
statistics and facts that has been collected Wikipedia or may be invalid or out of reliable on my source and to know
from other resources need to be accurate and date without my knowledge of it. If my that they can watch any of your
truthful. If not your programme will become topic is not truthful people may get programmes to come in the future.
untrustworthy not worth watching as it is offended when comes to different Having a lot of useful and new facts
undependable. religions and will find my programme on the gospel industry will also
unreliable to watch. make my programme very
educational to everyone including
Christians.
Impartiality Sources, opinions and facts, need to have an My topic is about gospel, so all my My sources within the gospel
and Diversity equilibrium balance. It cannot take on side of contacts are within the gospel industry. industry will be diverse from choir
the topic and can definitely not be biased. This could affect my product negatively singers, to fashion designers, to
of Opinion The sources need to be very different from as all my contacts are one sided and are producers, to artists. All within the
one another to give various views from all from the gospel industry there our no music industry making opinions to
different angles of the topic. This could be contacts that are within the overall be different, speaking from their
hard for the producer where they may need to music industry scene which can have an point of views. Also having vox-
make there sources diverse so they may need out of their point of view about gospel pops from a general public makes it
to go out to find better sources. music even though their not within it. more spread out rather than just
However this would be difficult in able to experts opinions.
get contacts such as this and more time
will have to spent searching.
Editorial The topic needs to be speaking the truth and People that are Christians may want me My topic would not be influence by
Integrity and cannot show or have any influence from any to portray the documentary too big up any source or friends. Everything in
other people outside of the BBC for example Christian religion as gospel music. This the topic would come from me only.
Independence the government and big companies. This can lead to the general public not Not being influence shows that the
would be difficult for a programme that its wanting to watch the show as they may topic is speaking for itself and not
 topic is based on political issue or anything feel that I am trying to convert them to anyone else. There is no mixed
where big groups of people are stakeholders being a Christian. This can also cause message going on in the topic. It
of, the pressure and influence may lead to harm and offence to other people in will be an original programme that
your programme to become dependent on different religions who are in watching everyone can watch without taking
others. Or not taking on other people’s idea the programme and may take legal offence.
could show lack of contents and interest in action.
your programme.
Serving the The public needs to know of the topic and Many people may not know about gospel People know about gospel so would
public interest have an interest in it. The topic could even be so may not have an interest in watching like to know more about and would
educational and informing for the public as a documentary on it. If interest is lost find it interesting. Even people who
well as serving the public needs of there may be lack of viewers watching it don’t know about it would find it
entertainment which meets the BBC remit. and success in the programme has interesting. It would be
Not meeting the remit can cause your degraded. entertaining (with the music and
programme to be very low down in people clips of performances), informing
watching your programme. This means that if (tell them where there can go to
your programme lacks one of the three buy products and listen to music)
inform, entertain and educate interest may be and educating (give statistics and
lost. facts of gospel), so it can meet the
public’s interest in this three
aspect.
Fairness Even if the topic is not biased it needs to still Gospel may be biased on the gospel side If I gain other sources I would be
be open-minded and be fair this means, as I did not consider having sources from able to have even a more diverse
looking at all the other different angles and other music genres. However trying to source. And the documentary can
giving everyone a chance to speak. Some gather other sources to get their view get even bigger public interests. Its
programmes may not have the time to look at may be diverse but it will be time fairness shows that it is reliable and
it from every angle as it may be time wasting. wasting trying to get other contacts. truthful.
this means that more important sources may However my documentary is only 5
have less time on the programme to say what minutes long I will not have much time
they need to so that other sources will have to fit everyone in.
time to say what they need to say. This is time
and money consuming for some programmes.
Privacy Cannot but sources details and personal I would have to get permission if I Advertising my sources clothing
information of sources you plan to have in wanted to use any sources personal website or where to buy CDs would
your production for the public to see. This may information for my film. If I do use it inform my audience of where to go
involve the producer to go out to get without there permission or broadcast and buy gospel clothing’s or music
 permission from the source if they want to their personal issue or experiences albums.
mention any personal details or issues of which there do not want for the public to
experiences of them. This involves paper work here this may upset the sources and Showing personal issues on the
and more time to be wasted. their may take legal action for this. programme can also allow my
Within the gospel topic personal an issue programme to become more
which I could broadcast is questioning interesting as it is more personal.
their lifestyle and before there got into
the gospel industry. This may offend or
upset them.
Harm and The film can not harm or offend any body or As gospel is from the Christian religion My topic does not contain any
Offence any groups of type of people. So if the topic is indeed to make sure what I say is right direct hits so I would not expect it
focusing on a strong topic you need to be so it does not offend anyone. I also need to target and harm anyone of
aware of the people who could get offended to make sure I don’t offend other groups different religions. It is a general
and find a way of not doing so. of people who are not Christians, to topic which everyone can watch
make them feel as if they need to be a including children.
Christian.
Children You need to bear in mind that children may be If I had any violent and disturbing Children will be able to watch my
about when your documentary is being images or swearing in my film I would gospel documentary; there are no
shown. So make sure there is not vile or not be able to show it. Or I will have to vile or disturbing images that would
violent graphic content in the film. This may inform and put a notice up on the be in my footage, so it is suitable
be hard for people who topic may have some programme before viewers it. for pretty much anyone to watch.
gruesome content or swearing in it as children
around may pick up from this bad influence However my programme could contain As the documentary is being shown
and parents may complain and take legal swearing of people in vox-pops of how at 9pm it would also be fine to have
action. they feel about gospel music, some may any swearing in it as long as there
not like it and use bad language. is a notice. As children are
expected to be sleeping at that
time.
Accountability You need to responsible for everything you do Taken responsibility for anything that If anything goes wrong I can learn
during the production and if miss-representing does wrong means that I get all the from my mistakes for any future
the BBC by breaking the other guidelines you blame and that I may not get another films.
are responsible and may need to be prepared chance to film a documentary again or
to face consequences. Also need to have a the responsibly.
willingness to accept mistake done and learn
from it.