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| Woolwich attack video: TV broadcasts prompt 800 complaints | Woolwich attack video: TV broadcasts prompt 800 complaints |
| (4 months later) | |
| Dramatic footage showing a suspect carrying bloodied knives in the aftermath of the murder of a soldier in Woolwich on Wednesday has so far prompted relatively few complaints to broadcasters, despite attracting millions of viewers around the world. | Dramatic footage showing a suspect carrying bloodied knives in the aftermath of the murder of a soldier in Woolwich on Wednesday has so far prompted relatively few complaints to broadcasters, despite attracting millions of viewers around the world. |
| The chilling video, which was first broadcast by ITN-produced ITV News on its 6.30pm bulletin on Wednesday, had prompted about 800 complaints to the BBC, ITV and media regulator Ofcom by lunchtime on Thursday. | The chilling video, which was first broadcast by ITN-produced ITV News on its 6.30pm bulletin on Wednesday, had prompted about 800 complaints to the BBC, ITV and media regulator Ofcom by lunchtime on Thursday. |
| The bulk of the complaints – 500 – were directly to ITV, with Ofcom receiving about 100 separate complaints about the channel's decision to air the film. The BBC, which also broadcast the Woolwich footage, said it had recorded approximately 200 complaints. | The bulk of the complaints – 500 – were directly to ITV, with Ofcom receiving about 100 separate complaints about the channel's decision to air the film. The BBC, which also broadcast the Woolwich footage, said it had recorded approximately 200 complaints. |
| ITV News declined to confirm or deny whether it paid the man for his footage. The decision to air the film at all divided broadcasters. Sky News executives opted not to show it on the grounds of taste and that it could be a potential platform for terrorists. Sky News received a handful of complaints after showing a still of the man with bloodied hands addressing the camera. | ITV News declined to confirm or deny whether it paid the man for his footage. The decision to air the film at all divided broadcasters. Sky News executives opted not to show it on the grounds of taste and that it could be a potential platform for terrorists. Sky News received a handful of complaints after showing a still of the man with bloodied hands addressing the camera. |
| The footage, filmed by a member of the public on his mobile phone, shows a man with bloodied hands holding a machete and saying: "We swear by the almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone." | The footage, filmed by a member of the public on his mobile phone, shows a man with bloodied hands holding a machete and saying: "We swear by the almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone." |
| It was rebroadcast around the world within hours of being shown on the ITV News bulletin and on the broadcaster's website. | It was rebroadcast around the world within hours of being shown on the ITV News bulletin and on the broadcaster's website. |
| Ed Campbell, the news editor for ITV News, was the first journalist to speak to the man who filmed the footage, who has declined to be identified for fear of reprisals. | Ed Campbell, the news editor for ITV News, was the first journalist to speak to the man who filmed the footage, who has declined to be identified for fear of reprisals. |
| The witness showed him what he had filmed on his BlackBerry shortly after the attack at 2.20pm on John Wilson Street in Woolwich, south-east London. | The witness showed him what he had filmed on his BlackBerry shortly after the attack at 2.20pm on John Wilson Street in Woolwich, south-east London. |
| Campbell jumped into a taxi with the film-maker and raced back to the ITN newsroom at Gray's Inn Road in central London, about 11 miles away through dense traffic. | Campbell jumped into a taxi with the film-maker and raced back to the ITN newsroom at Gray's Inn Road in central London, about 11 miles away through dense traffic. |
| The pair arrived back in the office shortly before 6pm, as reports that the incident was a terrorist attack began to gain traction. The footage was "ingested" into the ITV News production system by 6.04pm and 26 minutes later aired on its evening news bulletin, strengthening the perception of the incident as a possible terrorist attack. | The pair arrived back in the office shortly before 6pm, as reports that the incident was a terrorist attack began to gain traction. The footage was "ingested" into the ITV News production system by 6.04pm and 26 minutes later aired on its evening news bulletin, strengthening the perception of the incident as a possible terrorist attack. |
| The decision to show the footage was taken by senior ITV News executives who weighed the "editorial, taste and legal" implications. | The decision to show the footage was taken by senior ITV News executives who weighed the "editorial, taste and legal" implications. |
| "We carefully considered showing this footage ahead of broadcast and made the decision to do so on a public interest basis as the material is integral to understanding the horrific incident that took place yesterday," said an ITV News spokesman. "It was editorially justified to show such footage in the aftermath of such a shocking attack, and we prefaced it on ITV News at 6.30pm and News at Ten with appropriate warnings to make viewers aware in advance of the graphic images about to be shown." | "We carefully considered showing this footage ahead of broadcast and made the decision to do so on a public interest basis as the material is integral to understanding the horrific incident that took place yesterday," said an ITV News spokesman. "It was editorially justified to show such footage in the aftermath of such a shocking attack, and we prefaced it on ITV News at 6.30pm and News at Ten with appropriate warnings to make viewers aware in advance of the graphic images about to be shown." |
| After midnight on Wednesday, ITV edited the video on its website to obscure the body of the soldier and the face of the second suspect. It is understood that this was after editors decided there was less public interest justification in showing the unedited footage to a Thursday lunchtime audience. | After midnight on Wednesday, ITV edited the video on its website to obscure the body of the soldier and the face of the second suspect. It is understood that this was after editors decided there was less public interest justification in showing the unedited footage to a Thursday lunchtime audience. |
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