Factual Programming: Issues, Codes and Conventions

Before every factual program is produced, certain issues must be kept in mind to make sure the right message is being put across and to make sure the factual program is being produced in the right style.

Each factual program must make sure the facts and information they’re telling its audience is accurate. Facts must be correct. This requires careful research to make sure no facts that are given out in the show are incorrect. This ensures to the audience that all the information is correct and if the producers of this certain factual programming consistently stick to this, audience may begin to build trust in the messages the programs are saying.

Some factual programs would need to look to see if the production is balanced, impartial and objective. Balance is to make sure that no bias is taken place. That would also be known as a false balance. This is to make sure each argument of a specific point is fairly represented in an equal fashion. This will make sure that the factual program would appeal to audiences from both sides of the argument.

To be impartial is to not sway to any side of the argument and to have a balance. Personal viewpoints must be set aside. For a factual program to be impartial, a trustworthy host or editor must be hired to ensure that this will be successful.

To be objective is to have a lack of bias, judgment, or prejudice, to have a balance and to be impartial. Direct opposite to subjectivity. This will make sure that the factual program would appeal to audiences from both sides of the argument.

If a factual production is looking for a false balance instead, then subjectivity and a bias should be aimed for. To be subjective is to have a bias, judgment or prejudice. To not have a balance and to not be impartial. Direct opposite to objectivity, this will appeal to audiences from one side of the argument but will not appeal to the audiences from the other side of the argument which may cause backlash on social media.

To have a bias is to leave out one side of the story to benefit the other. This will only appeal to audiences from one side of the argument and anger other audiences. Representation is important in factual programming.

Representation is how the media portrays certain groups, communities, experiences, ideas, or topics. It may also be known as stereotyping.

Factual programs must be accessible for all audiences to spread its message to as much of the audience as possible. Access refers to how digital, web and broadcast content can be used, read or viewed by people with disabilities. This opens the factual program to wider audiences.

Others who cast in the factual program may want their information to be private such as face identification, names, date of birth etc. People who want privacy may want to seclude themselves and information about themselves. Express themselves selectively. It would be against the law to go against a person's privacy wishes and may go to court if not followed.

Also, code and conventions must also be taken into account. Five of the many code and conventions are news, documentary, realism, dramatization and narrativism.

News is a report of new information that is noteworthy, especially recent events. This is either done locally or worldwide. This informs the audience of information they may not know or information they want to know more about.

A documentary is a factual report about a specific topic either produced on television or radio that uses interviews and pictures to further ensure points being made either for or against something about the subject.

Realism is to accept a situation and preparing to deal with it appropriately. It represents a subject in way that’s true to life. No facts are changed or left out and none of the facts are exaggerated.

Dramatization is a re-enactment of actual events. It is also known as a docudrama. This is done to show the viewing audience the narrative of the documentary in way that is more clear. This can also be known as a documentary theatre. This could allow the opportunity of exaggerating the subject.

A narrativism shows events to the audience in a narrative form. This is also known as storytelling. This may give the audience a better understanding to the topic or message that is being told in the documentary. The audience may build a relationship with the characters and develop their own opinions on the characters. This is a unique way to represent the message the story is trying to tell.

I have recently watched two factual programs. One being Stacey Dooley Investigates: Gypsy Kids Taken From Home which was produced in February 2018 on BBC 3. Another being Banged Up Abroad Jamaican Getaway produced in August 2009 on Channel 5 or National Geographics.

Stacey Dooley Investigates: Gypsy Kids Taken From Homes follows several issues and codes and conventions. The documentary makes sure the facts are accurate. They do this by saying they have done secondary research. They also do primary research within the production with the interviews they do in front of the camera. They do this to prove that the research is being done whilst also doing the interviews in front of the camera for entertainment purposes. The host makes sure the production is balanced by giving the people she interviews the benefit of the doubt by listening to both sides of the story. Stacey Dooley listens to both sides of the argument before putting in her own input and giving her own opinion on the topic for the audience to hear. This also means Stacey Dooley in the production was not being impartial. This is because Stacey Dooley always put in her personal opinion after an interview was over or after an event happened. However this does not mean she was being unbalanced as she was listening to both sides of the story before she made the opinions she expressed in front of the camera to the viewing audience. Stacey Dooley showed some objectivity whilst also showing some subjectivity. She showed objectivity by listening to both sides of the story with the interviews that was shown on the production. However she also showed subjectivity by giving her own opinions which is to have a bias and a judgment. Stacey Dooley has a bias because she has an opinion which shows her preference to a certain side of the argument which she expresses clearly on screen. Representation is a big part of the production. In the documentary, the media's opinions of gypsy kids and Hungary as a country is mentioned and backed up with posts from social media. This production also shows how some Hungarians see Roma’s kids and families and how they treat them. The documentary can be accessed by the television, and on the web via the BBC IPlayer. People who appeared in this production allowed their voice and faces to be shown and some did not. This is a documentary as this is a factual report about real life events. This consists of realism as the events are proved on camera and the host constantly says something should be done about it and people should use their common sense to see this.

In Banged Up Abroad Jamaican Getaway, issues and codes and conventions are taken into consideration as well. Facts are most likely accurate as it is coming from the person the event happened to. However there is a chance the facts that are being spoken of could either be under exaggerated or over exaggerated. There is no balance, impartiality or objectivity as the story is coming from one person and one personal opinion. This means the production consists of subjectivity and bias as the person who is speaking has her own personal opinion which he is expressing and she is expressing her side of the story without another. Representation is shown in this production as a personal stereotype of Jamaicans is expressed as well as how the protagonist imagined how Jamaica would be before she got there. The documentary can be seen on television either on Channel 5 or National Geographics and the web on YouTube. The protagonist allowed her face to be seen and her voice to be used. Others were actors who also allowed their faces and voices to be used. This is a documentary as this is a factual report about real life events. This can also be known as a docudrama or documentary theatre as the narrative is being played out as the protagonist is speaking to the audience. This could allow for exaggeration from the protagonist either from choice or a lack of memory. This is known as dramatization. The documentary contains realism as this documentary like all others is about real life events. However some facts may have been changed or left out. However there is no way to find this out as the protagonist is the only one recalling the events.