54
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ISSUE 1 2015
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THE CHANNEL
Investigative television reporting is extremely
challenging when it looks at issues abroad. There was
an extraordinary range of subjects covered and all the
judges said that they learnt something new from the
nominations in the category.
In a special investigation for Our World on BBC
World News - produced in association with BBC Arabic
and BBC Persian - Saudi journalist Safa Al Ahmad
travels to the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia to
investigate the protests of the Shia minority, that are
challenging the powerful Saudi government. Working
alone, she gained access to the activists and gathered
hours of footage that show a clear picture of the extent
and violence of the protests in Qateef. It was an extremely
risky engagement for the journalist – because of this
film she is unable to return to her country and her
family.
The judges said this was a great investigative piece,
showing deep research and uncovering a real news
story with impact for the political world and
highlighting a little known issue. In her cleverly
structured piece, the viewer is carefully taken through
the conflict; there is great storytelling and a creditable
attempt to show both sides of the story.
Highly commended
Channel 4
Dispatches: How to Fix a Football match
With this programme Channel 4 Dispatches went
undercover to expose football match fixing. A six-
month investigation secured the conviction of several
people who were sent to prison and also exposed the
global scale of the problem – this programme clearly
had a big impact on the issue.
The judges commended the programme saying it was
well produced, extensively researched, combining
great undercover footage and imaginative graphics.
Domestic investigative
documentary - TV
BBC News
For the first time, in 2014 we have divided our
investigative documentary category into two - the first
is for domestic investigations. Our judges were
looking for work that has depth and substance and
that could, potentially, have raised the profile of a
major story in a country and caused significant
reaction from the authorities.
The judges said they found it in Britain’s Secret
Terror Force by twenty2vision for BBC Panorama. It
took two years to make and confirmed what many
believed at the time: that there was indeed an active
“shoot to kill” policy in operation by the military in
Ulster in the early 1970s, contrary to the denials of
successive British governments. The judges thought the
production was ‘absorbing – couldn’t stop watching’.
They said it’s a strong compelling story that is explored
in significant depth, with excellent archive material
and told creatively with ‘reconstruction’ scenes that
support the documentary, and at times has a feel of
‘cinematic raciness’. The sheer amount of information
and characters thrown up by the investigation calls for
a committed audience; miss a moment and you can
easily get left behind.
Highly commended
Channel 4
The Cruel Cut
This passionate film deals with the complex world of
female genital mutilation in the UK and is presented by
the articulate and fearless Leyla Hussein, a campaigner
and mother herself who was assaulted at the age of
seven. The judges commented that the presenter
leads us into the story with unusual presence – angry
and capable of great empathy. Determined to
eradicate this barbaric practice, which is illegal in the
UK, her storytelling is direct and instantly engaging,
clean and crisp, giving voice to a diversity of women,
and has the strength to carry a public call to action
based on the credibility of personal experience.
twenty2vision
International investigative
documentary - TV
TheAIB
s
2014
INSPIRINGCREATIVITY
