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War in Afghanistan - BBC Editorial Policy Guidelines
This is the full version of the BBC's internal editorial guidelines on the War in Afghanistan, courtesy of Media Workers Against the War.
Any pressure put on the BBC in terms of its reporting will be all the more effective if the arguments make reference to these guidelines. It would also be very interesting to know what communications have recently taken place between the BBC and the MoD, and what exactly the BBC considers a 'satisfactory reason' for withholding information (see paragraph 6). INTRODUCTION
Any time of military conflict is a testing period for broadcasters. As an international broadcaster the BBC has a special responsibility as audiences, both in the United Kingdom and across the world, turn to us in large numbers for accurate news and information. They look to the BBC to help them make sense of those events by providing impartial analysis and by offering on our programmes a range of views and opinions, including the voices of opposition.
Matters involving risk to, and loss of, life need handling with the utmost regard to the mood and feeling of our audiences. We must be sensitive to their feelings and fears. Many will have relatives or friends involved in the conflict. We will need to handle painful stories sensitively and with care.
We must avoid giving any impression that this is a war against Islam. The position taken by Osama Bin Laden and other Muslim extremists is not shared by the majority of Muslims who would argue that it is contrary to Islamic teaching. It is right to explore the reasons why the extremists take the line that they do but we must be careful not to fuel the flames of prejudice and intolerance.
Channel and network controllers and schedulers will also want to keep under review the nature of programming, ranging from films, drama, comedy and music, which might be thought inappropriate in the light of hostilities.
WITHHOLDING INFORMATION
Our audiences should have confidence that they are being told the truth. But we do not want to add to the dangers facing the armed forces. At times we will need to be sensitive to operational military requirements. Whenever possible, we should explain the rules under which we are operating:
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REPORTING CASUALTIES
The BBC has adopted a strong general rule that, as far as is reasonably possible, next of kin should not learn of death or injury from a BBC programme, bulletin or website. This should apply equally in times of war and will usually mean withholding personal details of the dead and injured until we can be sure that the next of kin have been informed.
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SOURCING REPORTS
Reports should normally make it absolutely clear where their information has come from, and attribute it accordingly:
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LANGUAGE OF REPORTING
The way we report is as important as the reliability of what we report. We have to be both objective and compassionate. Our main job is to provide information without emotional gloss but when we are reporting human ordeal or distress, it is right to be sensitive to feelings:
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CASUALTIES: TERMINOLOGY
When reporting casualties we should be as precise as possible:
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CONTRIBUTIONS FROM EXPERTS
Programmes must take care over contributions especially from experts, including retired military people. We must avoid inviting such contributors to speculate about the details or options of future military action in such a way that might inadvertently compromise those options.
SCENES OF DEATH AND INJURY
We should be circumspect about pictures of and accounts of injured, dying and dead combatants. Consideration must be given to the dignity of the individuals concerned:
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Any interviews with military people fresh from the battlefields have to be undertaken with care. Rigorous questioning will often be inappropriate and we must try to make sure not to intrude on people who are disorientated or in a state of shock.
INTERVIEWS WITH RELATIVES
Interviews with relatives of those killed or injured need especially sensitive handling.
Under normal circumstances all approaches for such interviews should be made through the MoD or through a third party. Normally all interviews and approaches will be pooled with other broadcasters:
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PRISONERS OF WAR
We must not broadcast interviews with anyone connected with missing service personnel who may be prisoners of war. Such material might be highly prejudicial to the safety of PoWs because it may be used by interrogators.
INTERVIEWING AIR CREWS
Current MoD advice is that aircrew or other service personnel who might be captured should not be identified with a particular operation without first seeking advice from the Ministry. They further urge editors not to publish any information, from whatever source, which might identify these personnel or give details of their personal backgrounds (e.g. details of their families, home-base or home-town addresses or other information, including photographs which could assist an interrogator in the event of capture.)
Any proposal which might appear to go beyond the terms of this advice should be referred in the first instance to Head of Newsgathering.
OPPOSITION TO WAR
Enabling the national debate remains a vital task: the concept of impartiality still applies. All views should be reflected in due proportion to mirror the depth and spread of opinion. We must reflect any significant opposition in the UK (and elsewhere) to the military conflict and allow their arguments to be heard and tested. Those who speak and perhaps demonstrate against war are to be reported as part of the national and international reality.
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
Chemical and biological weapons evoke special horror. We must be careful when referring to them:
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24 HOUR NEWS SERVICES
Continuous news services, especially on television, raise additional considerations during a widespread conflict.
At times, live or recently recorded pictures and reports may be available which show scenes of death or injury. It is essential that editors allow sufficient time for considered editorial judgement before transmitting such pictures or reports. Our audiences will expect fast and up to the minute reports on our continuous services but above all they will expect us to meet our obligations to decency, and informing next-of-kin.
With scenes of death and injury, production teams will need to consider carefully the cumulative effect of the repeated use of such images, especially if they are included in headline sequences and in regular news updates.
In fast-moving situations, and in seeking confirmation that a story is true, editors will need to be especially careful to ensure that they are not relying on the same source re-cycled (see earlier section on Sourcing Reports).
BBC NEWS ONLINE/BBC ONLINE
These guidelines also apply to the BBC website, where warnings should also be given about images which users might find upsetting. Care must be taken over the text used to describe horrific events.
Message boards and End User generated content:
Message boards may need to be pre-moderated given the risk that a message board could be hijacked for extremist views or misleading or untrue reports.
Hosts of message boards need to be alert to the increased editorial care needed at a time of hostilities.
Escalation Procedures:
BBC New Media already has escalation procedures in place to ensure that inappropriate material is removed without delay. During a period of conflict, it will be especially important that these escalation procedures are adhered to in full, to ensure the highest editorial standards.
Stephen Whittle, Controller Editorial Policy
25th September 2001
LINKSwww.mwaw.org
Last modified: Tuesday, October 23, 2001
Previous war reporting stories
Free Press special issue - War in Afghanistan
1 November - NUJ meeting
4th November - Caryl Churchill's 'Far Away', plus Kika Markham reading from Tony Kushner's 'Homebody/Kabul'.
October 23 - MWAW rally at the BBC
How Carter and Brzezinski helped start the Afghan mess
ARROW calls for anti-war vigils on 11 November
US TV networks fall in line and salute
Media Workers Against the War
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
War Reporting
Free Press special issue - War in Afghanistan
1 November - NUJ meeting
4th November - Caryl Churchill's 'Far Away', plus Kika Markham reading from Tony Kushner's 'Homebody/Kabul'.
October 23 - MWAW rally at the BBC
How Carter and Brzezinski helped start the Afghan mess
ARROW calls for anti-war vigils on 11 November
US TV networks fall in line and salute
Media Workers Against the War
