Two former UK broadcast professionals turned psychotherapists have launched a training venture looking to take an “ethical approach beyond Ofcom regulations” in unscripted TV.
Claire Wigington and Octavia Landy are teaming on a series of training programs seeking to create an “ethical mindset,” with the first titled ‘How to make Ethical Unscripted Programming – A Workshop & Matrix.’ They are conscious of how unscripted shows can sit fine with the regulator but be troubling for those behind the scenes making them.
The move comes with unscripted TV working conditions in the spotlight following the tragic suicide of John Balson. Bectu launched a campaign last year to standardize working conditions across unscripted.
Wigington and Landy, who have 45 years of experience between them and have worked with all the major British broadcasters plus MTV on shows including One Born Every Minute and Made in Chelsea, said unscripted is still seen as a “bit of a ‘Wild West’ in terms of duty of care for participants and staff.”
“In our experience, when a programme gets shelved, it often met Ofcom guidelines and legal obligations,” added Wigington, who worked in PR for Channel 5 before becoming a psychotherapist. “It is reputational risk, unethical decisions, or risk of harm to those involved, making it a Corporate Comms and welfare decision to pull broadcast of the programme. We wanted to offer alternative approaches to unscripted programme making and to embed best practice for mental health, wellbeing and duty of care throughout unscripted productions.”
The pair said the workshop will interrogate the whole production cycle, from before cameras start rolling, during the research and initial development stages. The workshop will also talk through those early investigative calls with potential participants and suggest what to keep in mind and what support research teams may need.
“We will help teams understand how to avoid re-traumatisation of participants or team members, and still meet production deadlines or financial constraints,” added Wigington. “We hope that the workshop learnings will ensure reputational risk elements are considered at pitch, meaning that programming goes to air and is not shelved due to welfare and comms concerns.”