‘Improper liberties’

Abstract

This article draws on the archives of Granada Television and of the Independent Television Authority/Independent Broadcasting Authority to explore how and why the use of surreptitious recording equipment and hidden cameras by television investigative journalists was regulated, particularly within Independent Television in Britain. The first instances of regulatory intervention are identified and the substance and operation of the guidelines governing Independent Television journalism are examined, along with their implications for editorial and journalistic autonomy. The contemporary documents used here bring to light the substance of the ongoing debates between journalists and regulators over the purposes of journalism and appropriate forms for its regulation, revealing much about their authors’ own perceptions of their roles as well as the balance to be struck between serving the public interest and safeguarding individual privacy.