Regulating belief

Regulating Belief

Ruth A. [email protected] @ruthdeller

Television, policy and the representation of faith

Regulating Belief

• PSB Context• Remits and quotas• Policy and guidelines• The impact on

programming• Broadcasters and their

audiences

Research context• PhD research 2007-2011.• Religion and spirituality in mainstream factual

British TV 2000-2009.• Concerned with channels with public service

broadcasting (PSB) commitments.• Industry research: documentary analysis of

policies, guidelines and other materials; interviews with professionals.

• Also: audience research, Textual analysis.

Public Service Broadcasting

• ITC/Ofcom• The Broadcasting Act 1990• Changing contexts: • social/political (9/11, 7/7, New Labour)• technological (digital TV, multichannel, online expansion)• financial (advertising pressures and changes in regulation,

recession)• institutional (personnel, ownership)

• Ofcom's first and second reviews of Public Service Broadcasting (2003-2005, 2007-2009)

Ofcom PSB Reviews

• Religious programmes in decline on most channels (Ofcom 2004: 14).

• Audiences placed low priority on specialist programmes, but expressed a need for minority groups/interests to be represented in mainstream programming (Ofcom 2004: 17, 2008: 26).

• First PSB review concluded that ITV/Five might have 'a more flexible approach to content regulation' than quotas (Ofcom 2004).

• ITV strongly lobbied for a change to its PSB requirements.

Remits and quotas

• In 2003:• ITV/Channel 3 licensees required to 'provide an

average of at least two hours a week of religious programmes', Channel 4 'expected' to provide at least one hour a week, BBC One and Two 112 hours a year between them, Five at least one hour (ITC 2003: 1).

• By 2010:• ITV announced plans to reduce arts commitment, cut

children's provision entirely and reduce religious provision to one service a week (Ofcom 2010).

Policies and guidelines

• Ofcom/ITC Broadcasting Codes• Independent Producer's Handbook (C4/Five)• BBC Producers' and Editorial Guidelines• ITV Producers' Guidelines


Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Feb 2011: 21-22


'Section Two: Harm and Offence', Ofcom Broadcasting Code, Feb 2011: 16-17


• Broadcasters' guidelines give more specific guidance and emphasise importance of diversity, respect and not causing 'offence'.

• 'We should try and give a full and fair view of people and culture in the United Kingdom and across the world. BBC programmes and services should reflect and draw on this diversity' (BBC 2000: 89).

• All broadcasters' publicity and annual reviews emphasise their commitment to diversity, often including religious diversity.

• But there is a wariness to 'tick boxes'.


• 'It's gonna have to earn its place in prime time... we choose the best ideas, irrespective of what those ideas are... We try [to be more diverse]... you've no idea how much we've tried... but the reality is if we're going to do it in prime time... if you chose to do something really weak at the expense of doing the Muslim funeral parlour film that we did or The Qur'an or something simply because you had to tick a box then you're hacking it... there'd simply be no point' (Aaqil Ahmed).

• 'You don't want to be too tick-boxy about it because that would be limiting creativity. On the other hand you don't want to be missing a big Sikh story or a big Hindu story' (Michael Wakelin).

Impact on programming

• Emphasis on the 'threat' to the 'vulnerable'.• Distinction between 'majority' and 'minority' adherents;

between 'British' and 'other' cultures - often framed around discussions of 'tolerance' or liberalism vs 'fundamentalism'.

• Religion/spirituality as lifestyle choice/enhancement.

Impact on programming

• Christianity only faith with televised worship.• Christianity, Islam, Atheism, Judaism most visible 'faiths'.• 'Spirituality' often used within context of existing faith

traditions, or in context of 'spiritual industry'.• Certain practices disassociated from 'mainstream' / British

religion (e.g. spiritual healing, anti-abortion, anti-gay rights).

• Religious texts may be critiqued but they and religious figureheads never fully dismissed; often down to 'interpretation' - particularly with Christianity/Islam.

Audiences

On Christianity: A History:• 'I don't know why I am shocked when I watch such programmes

as they are always biased towards Christians' (CW)• 'Channel 4 would never produce a series that

questions/undermines Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism etc in such a way. Why pick on Christianity?' (Jim)

On Dispatches: 'Unholy War':• 'Dispatches latest chapter in it's [sic] 'Let's demonise the

Muslims' series' (Aniseed)• '[It] seemed to be a vendetta against evangelical Christians... by

a presenter who was clearly anti-Christian' (Bailey)

Audiences

• Have a tendency to perceive their own group as being under- or mis-represented and other groups as having preferential treatment.

• Minority ethnic audiences spend less time than white audiences viewing PSB output (Ofcom 2008: 29).

• CRAC (now disbanded) regularly criticised stereotypical portrayals and lack of diversity.

• Members of Ofcom and broadcasters' research panels rarely include members of minority faith groups.

• High-profile responses: Jerry Springer: The Opera, Panorama 'Scientology and Me', Dispatches 'Undercover Mosque' and 'Saving Africa's Witch Children', The Monastery.

Conclusion

• British PSB television, despite its commitments to diversity, shows religion and spirituality within particular discursive parameters, emphasising both what is 'good' and 'bad'.

• Audiences place low value on 'religious' programmes but higher value on programmes 'about' faith. Members of different faith groups frequently complain about their group's portrayal.

• Portrayals are limited by (sometimes very specific) guidelines and policies.

• None of this occurs in a vaccuum - policies, programmes and audience responses all replicate, reinforce and inform each other - complex discursive relationships are involved.

References• BBC (2000), BBC Editorial Guidelines 2000-2005, London: BBC.• Deller, R. A. (2011), Faith in View: Religion and Spirituality in

Factual British Television 2000-2009, PhD thesis, Sheffield Hallam University.

• ITC (2003), 'ITC notes: Religious Broadcasting' available via Ofcom website.

• Ofcom, all available at Ofcom website, http://www.ofcom.org.uk– (2004) 'Ofcom review of public service broadcasting - Phase One'.– (2008) 'Ofcom's second review of public service broadcasting - Phase

2: preparing for the digital future'.– (2010) 'Ofcom statement on the delivery of public service

programmes by ITV'.– (2011) 'The Ofcom Broadcasting Code February 2011'.

Education

Regulating belief