LO1 Task 1: Issues Relating to Factual Programming

Factual programmes aim to record important events and ideas and inform it to the viewers, it convey different opinions and create public interest this can be in factors of peoples lifestyle or even stronger such a politics. In addition it will aim to record, reveal or preserve information to their audience and will am to analyze and interrogate or even express selected topics at hand. In some factual programming there is aim in persuading and promote the topic or idea.

Accuracy 
This issue within factual programming is the aspect of the worth or state of being correct, specific or even precise. In relation to factual programming viewers are entitled in to expecting that programmes given are true and accurate and that they are not being misled.

 A good example of this issue being successfully presented is the "BBC News"; the reason for this is because it portrays real events, and provides support in facts rather than viewpoints and opinions. These facts are supported and backed up by the field reporters who give better understanding of the circumstance in addition to achieve footage that is presented.

Being accurate applies to a wide range of programming available this including programmes that present entertainment to viewers with the elements of factual information. Furthermore Actuality is important as programmes will need to insure that they are honest, especially the News as it providing individuals with information. Therefore being fair and accurate will allow restriction in misleading 

viewers. 

Balance

Being balanced is by keeping the argument or discussion even and fair on both sides. Every story or issue has two sides and during a production of making a factual television programme it will be vital to insure that both side are given so that you are not being biased. 

A good example of a balance is the  Worlds Strictest Parents, this being that we are presented with the lifestyle of  individuals before being take to strict parents allow. In addition to this we are also provided with the child and parents therefore establishing both sides what takes place.

If you are biased within your report by only taking one side in account then viewers may lose interest and also when reporting a story you have to insure you are not subjective so that you are able to be impartial providing more support in the balance you want to have.

Impartiality

Being Impartial is achieved by being able to not take in account either side of a story and staying neutral. This is a vital aspect when providing a story or argument as not being impartial could cause controversy amount your viewers.

A good example of being impartial is the documentaries done by Louis Theroux. This is because he stands aside and just goes round having conversations with individuals. By Louis not providing his views allows individuals to provide their own perspectives. To have a more neutral position in the subject allows limitations in being biased and allows you to be balance as you will be able to look and focus more on both sides.

Objectivity

Being objective is by insuring that you are able to get a point across without being biased or impartial. This is done by insuring that you are able to allow viewers to be able to have an open mind about the subject that is being talked about and shown. Being objective relates to news and reports which will influence eyewitness account of events.  In order to be objective is putting an argument in place however it can not be biased so that it will give the audience to have their own opinion about the matter.

An example of being objective is shown below:

Looking at this News Report you are able to see that the message that the News wants to put across for those with special needs and how they assessments are being affected, they have done this by insuring that they are being objective in the sense that they have selected an expert to talk about the information, however it is open minded as the subject is not be presented in one light, the use of questions for the expert allows the news report to be objective and not portray a mislead argument as he is not placing his own feelings or perspectives in the argument. 

Subjectivity

Personal feelings and opinions will be taken in place, so people will judge the subject matter in relation to their personal feelings rather than facts. Subjectivity is to be avoided in some media places such as the news this is because if the news readers puts in their view points then they will be showing a one sided view on the matter and this will then become biased.

Looking at the example above for Super Size Me documentary you are able to see that it includes a wide range of subjective elements within the documentary. This being that the documentary looks into the individuals personal feelings while taking the transformation, it looks at the individuals cycle from healthy weight to his super-size self. Looking at the documentary the use of subjectivity is appropriate as it is showing the viewer the emotional effects and physical effects of the subject matter. The use of subjectivity however being used in different types of factual programming may not always be a good factor in the sense that having it on a news report could affect the information to then be biased as individuals will be focused on the personal feelings of the individual. 

Opinion

These will be judgements that will be based on the person view. For example, some people might like eating peanuts whereas other may not.  Opinions may not always be based on facts, knowledge or research but will be based on the person view. Also, opinions will be supported by arguments however; some people may not have the same opinions on the arguments. There are audience whom will listen to the facts and will still have their own opinion on them, these will people are known as passive audience. Reports should not give their opinion on the stories this is because they will need to allow the audience to have their own opinion on the story that was being told.

Looking at the example above I am able to see that within "The Big Questions" includes opinions and perspectives and these are not placed on facts and statistics, this being that the topic that is being looked at is  "That does hell exist", looking at this I am able to see that it is more from belief's. Looking at this I am able to see that their is a wide range of opinions and viewpoints from a diverse group of people allowing the information and responses to not be biased.

Bias  

This is where an argument will be one sided then the person will listen to the evidence given to them by the party but will not take it to consideration and will not change their mind about it. Censorship will help the news so that it is not seen biased. By knowing this I also gathered that censorship is against biased views so that it can protect the passive audience.

Representation

This is when something will be shown in a certain way. If the person presenting the documentary wants the audience to have a particular view then they will present it in a way so that the audience can feel that way towards them. So they can present the person in a bad way so that the audience is against it. However, they can also present it positivity so that the audience can have sympathy towards something or someone.  Representations are when they represent something. It can be representation of recognisable stereotypes.  The media will be challenging them or help them.  

Access

This is where people will have the freedom to be able to use something. So permission will then allow the person to use someone or something. So in documentaries there will be people getting interviewed. So the person interviewing would have got the persons permission so that they could interview them and to use it in the documentary.

Privacy

This is where somebody might want to keep something to them-selves and for it to not be known by others. Everyone has the freedom to privacy. Privacy is a part of the human rights. An example of privacy might be that in some TV programs you can see that the some peoples faces have been blurred, this is because they asked to keep their privacy relating to the incident that occurred.

An example of this is shown below: 

From the example shown above you are able to see that within the documentary that privacy is being provided to the individuals, this in the sense that those who don't want to be identified are not shown, this being their faces due to their community and that the documentary has insured that they support this by not showing the individuals, they do the following which is shown below:

This example shown above has a voice-over of the individual speaking about their experience and we are able to see a very faded out figure of the person speaking, this is done in order to protect the identity of the individual as shown above. 

Contract with the viewer

This is where you have an agreement with the audience. So an example a TV program such as documentary about racism then the audience will expect a documentary to be about racism.