Controversial film that featured graphic footage of alleged war crimes did not breach broadcasting code, rules regulator Channel 4's controversial documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which featured graphic footage of alleged war crimes, has been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code.
Ofcom said images featured in the documentary, broadcast in June, "whilst brutal and shocking", did not exceed what the Channel 4 audience would have expected, given the pre-transmission warning about the nature of the content and the programme's scheduling at 11.05pm, well after the 9pm watershed.
The media regulator received 118 complaints about the documentary, about issues including impartiality, offensiveness and the broadcast of misleading material, but concluded it had not breached the broadcasting code on any of these counts.
Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which focused on a UN investigation into alleged war crimes during the final weeks of the country's civil war, included a number of images of murdered and tortured bodies, and also of partially clothed women who, it was suggested in the documentary, had been sexually abused prior to their death.
The documentary featured mobile phone footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts gathered by programme-maker ITN Productions.
The regulator said: "Channel 4 has a unique public service remit to provide programming that is challenging, diverse and likely to provoke debate. Consequently, the broadcaster has a history of broadcasting very challenging material from war zones (including graphic footage) and seeking out the voices and views of those who may not be represented.
"The images included in this programme, whilst brutal and shocking, would not have exceeded the expectations of the audience for this Channel 4 documentary scheduled well after the watershed with very clear warnings about the nature of the content."
On the question of impartiality, Ofcom noted that Channel 4 had put all the significant allegations included in the documentary to the Sri Lankan government and broadcast the limited statement that was provided.
The documentary also included previous Sri Lankan government statements relating to the final stages of the civil war against the Tamil Tigers, including a clip of an official claiming that the first video of an alleged execution shown in the programme was a fake.
Ofcom also said the documentary was only required to maintain due impartiality on its specific subject – the government offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the war – and not the conflict as a whole.
"Ofcom therefore concluded that overall Channel 4 preserved due impartiality in its examination of the Sri Lankan government's actions and policies during its offensive and there was no breach of [the broadcasting code]," Ofcom concluded.
In response to complaints that the programme was misleading, Ofcom said Channel 4 had taken reasonable steps to establish that the material included in Sri Lanka's Killing Fields was not faked or manipulated, and had not materially misled viewers in the way it was presented on air. SEE video Last week Dorothy Byrne, the Channel 4 head of news and current affairs, told the Lords communications committee that programmes such as Sri Lanka's Killing Fields faced PR pressure from the Sri Lankan government.
She said a demonstration held outside the Channel 4 headquarters in London was organised by the Sri Lankan ministry of defence. To contact the MediaGuardian news
Controversial film that featured graphic footage of alleged war crimes did not breach broadcasting code, rules regulator Channel 4's controversial documentary Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which featured graphic footage of alleged war crimes, has been cleared of breaching the broadcasting code.
Ofcom said images featured in the documentary, broadcast in June, "whilst brutal and shocking", did not exceed what the Channel 4 audience would have expected, given the pre-transmission warning about the nature of the content and the programme's scheduling at 11.05pm, well after the 9pm watershed.
The media regulator received 118 complaints about the documentary, about issues including impartiality, offensiveness and the broadcast of misleading material, but concluded it had not breached the broadcasting code on any of these counts.
Sri Lanka's Killing Fields, which focused on a UN investigation into alleged war crimes during the final weeks of the country's civil war, included a number of images of murdered and tortured bodies, and also of partially clothed women who, it was suggested in the documentary, had been sexually abused prior to their death.
The documentary featured mobile phone footage, photographs and eyewitness accounts gathered by programme-maker ITN Productions.
The regulator said: "Channel 4 has a unique public service remit to provide programming that is challenging, diverse and likely to provoke debate. Consequently, the broadcaster has a history of broadcasting very challenging material from war zones (including graphic footage) and seeking out the voices and views of those who may not be represented.
"The images included in this programme, whilst brutal and shocking, would not have exceeded the expectations of the audience for this Channel 4 documentary scheduled well after the watershed with very clear warnings about the nature of the content."
On the question of impartiality, Ofcom noted that Channel 4 had put all the significant allegations included in the documentary to the Sri Lankan government and broadcast the limited statement that was provided.
The documentary also included previous Sri Lankan government statements relating to the final stages of the civil war against the Tamil Tigers, including a clip of an official claiming that the first video of an alleged execution shown in the programme was a fake.
Ofcom also said the documentary was only required to maintain due impartiality on its specific subject – the government offensive against the Tamil Tigers in the final stages of the war – and not the conflict as a whole.
"Ofcom therefore concluded that overall Channel 4 preserved due impartiality in its examination of the Sri Lankan government's actions and policies during its offensive and there was no breach of [the broadcasting code]," Ofcom concluded.
In response to complaints that the programme was misleading, Ofcom said Channel 4 had taken reasonable steps to establish that the material included in Sri Lanka's Killing Fields was not faked or manipulated, and had not materially misled viewers in the way it was presented on air. SEE video
Last week Dorothy Byrne, the Channel 4 head of news and current affairs, told the Lords communications committee that programmes such as Sri Lanka's Killing Fields faced PR pressure from the Sri Lankan government.
She said a demonstration held outside the Channel 4 headquarters in London was organised by the Sri Lankan ministry of defence. To contact the MediaGuardian news
Leader made this announcement when addressing the parliament today. Other parliamentarians point out that Opposition leader inform the parliament on the activities of the grease devils in the North and East on August 23rd, and this was the second time where leader speaks about the same issue. By informing the parliament they hoped that the government would take necessary steps this regard but government fail to do so due to these problems of the grease devils rose day today and tense situation raised in the Jaffna district.
Several incidents took place on the August 30th at Kondavil area as also in the same day night another incident of grease devil occurs in the Thirunalvelli area in Jaffna district. Due to these incident people in the Jaffna district are force to lead fearful life in their home town. At present more than 50,000 Forces are been deployed in the Jaffna district and they are providing 24 hours security services to the shops in the Jaffna town. 20-30 areas are been identified as the high security zones. In such situation Army is has enough facilities and the power to catch the grease devils acting in the province. But government is not interested to take action against the secrete man and the grease devils because government knows the purpose of these activities. Ranil Wickramasinghe questioned the Prime Minister on the activities of the government against the grease devils and Secrete man I the Northern Province. Mr.Wicramasinghe also said lands which come under the high security zones should be hand over to the respective land owners because its need to evacuate the high security zones in the Jaffna district due to the cancellation of the state of emergency from the country.
Opposition leader urge the government to appoint special committee which include the members of the Tamil political parties to solve this problem.
