Demonstrations, disturbances & riots
Comprehensive coverage of demonstrations, disturbances and riots is an important part of our news reporting. It is important that:
- we assess the risk that by previewing likely prospects of disturbances we might encourage them.
- we withdraw immediately if we suspect we are inflaming the situation.
- we treat estimates of involvement with due scepticism and report wide disparities and name the sources of the figures.
- we offer a comprehensive and impartial view. When it is difficult for reporters located on one side of a confrontation to form a clear overall view, their material should be put into a wider context for broadcast.
- when reporting live, we must either install a delay, or cut away and record material for use in an edited report, if the level of violence or disorder becomes too graphic.