Channel 4 announces innovation in current affairs

8 November 2011

Channel 4 announces innovation in delivery of current affairs and investment in training next generation of investigative journalists.

 

Enhanced digital media offer to deliver greater breadth and depth and increase interaction with, and participation of, audiences

Change in duration of flagship strand Dispatches to extend the range and topicality of subjects covered

Launch of Channel 4 funded investigative journalism course to develop the next generation of specialist journalists

 

Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt said: "Channel 4 has a young, educated audience who expect us to lead in digital innovation so we're ensuring our award-winning current affairs evolves with our audiences' demands and expectations. More Dispatches, supported by digital platforms and enhanced access to social media, will enable us to tell more stories and hear from a greater variety of voices."

 

Digital innovations

Channel 4's current affairs will benefit from more digital investment and development than ever before.

"We want to maximise the opportunities presented by social and digital media - enabling viewers to interact with the programmes before, during and after transmission," said Byrne.

A new bespoke website will be developed for Dispatches and will house all additional content and make it easy for users to share with their social networks.

Byrne also outlined plans to increase interactivity and involve viewers in investigations from the outset. Audience research found that viewers expected campaigning journalism from Channel 4 and they wanted to feel enabled to bring about change.

She said: "Social media presents one of the greatest opportunities for investigative journalism. By dumping our leather jackets in the bin and being more open about what we're investigating, viewers will become our co-producers, providing videos, sources, leads and journalism for us to pursue. Social media and our digital platforms make this possible.

Byrne detailed examples of some of the new technology being developed - including registered users being able to vote in real-time polls during live studio debates, informing the interviewer and influencing the questions asked. She also outlined plans for a bespoke site for a forthcoming current affairs film about the rise of automated systems which will allow viewers to record the duration of time spent on the phone to machines and upload recordings of these calls.

 

Extended range of subjects for Dispatches

To meet the evolving demands of viewers, Dorothy Byrne, Head of News and Current Affairs, announced that flagship strand Dispatches will increase from 30 to 40 programmes per year; with the majority as half-hour long films - ensuring a near constant presence in the schedule.

Byrne commented: "We've undertaken research with our viewers and they tell us that their appetite for heavyweight journalism is as strong as ever but that they want faster, more reactive content available across a number of platforms. "

"With 40 shorter programmes a year we can expand the range of subjects we cover and increase topicality. We can be fleet of foot, getting to air quickly with an original take on a story. With an increase in the volume of Dispatches we will also have greater flexibility to return to the issues viewers feel passionate about."

There will be scope for a number of one-hour investigations for issues which require a longer examination both within the Dispatches strand and as one-off films - such as the follow-up film to Jon Snow's Sri Lanka's Killing Fields - Sri Lanka: War Crimes Unpunished which will air in January.

 

Channel 4 Investigative Journalism Training Scheme

Deputy Head of News & Current Affairs and Dispatches Editor Kevin Sutcliffe announced an investment of £250k for the Channel 4 Investigative Journalism Training Scheme.  He said: "At a time when investigative journalism is under greater scrutiny and facing more challenges than ever before, Channel 4 is investing in training to both safeguard this vital public service and to help grow the next generation of journalists."

The scheme will offer bespoke training for twenty people over two years. They will be recruited from different media backgrounds and will be at different stages in their careers.

The channel is inviting tenders from four production companies to provide paid work and mentoring as the central part of the scheme. The contracts with the production companies will also include output deals of delivering a minimum of eight programmes - enabling the successful companies to establish a team dedicated to Dispatches who are able to make fast-turnaround films as well as longer investigations. At least one contract will be awarded to a production company in a nation or region.

The training programme will also include week-long in-house training courses, mentoring, regular master-classes and digital training at Channel 4.

Sutcliffe said: "We are making this substantial investment in investigative journalism because it is a specialist area of film-making, currently there are only a limited number of production companies and experienced producers and directors we work with. We want to increase the pool of talent to ensure greater diversity of supply in the long-term - providing fresh new ideas, angles and stories. 

"Crucially, as well as training in the fundamentals, our scheme will train journalists for a converged world, ensuring they know how best to utilise and interactive with new technology and social media."