Panorama Editing Questioned

Tuffcub 21 Comments

One of the men featured on the recent Panorama program has questioned the editing. The fabulously named Trent Pyro (can you have a more ‘gamer’ name than that?) was interviewed for the program and was seen on screen talking about his friend Joe, ‘He just eats, sleeps and eats games – it became his occupation,’ he said.

The program suggested that Joe had dropped out University to play games, his subsequent ‘addiction’ had cost him thousands of pounds, and he was now heavily in debt. Trent has written an editorial on This Is My Joystick to give his side of the story:

‘Firstly, Joe was thrown out of university because he was failing and he couldn’t afford to keep going. He did not drop out, as Addicted to Games explicitly tried to imply, because of playing games. He became disinterested and disenfranchised with his course and therefore had no drive to go.’

‘In his boredom, he began to play his Xbox more. So, his disinterest in university was a reason for his increase in gaming, not the other way around.’

‘Also worthy of note is that while much of the money he spent to get him into the ‘crippling debt’ ATG was so happy to impress was in fact spent on games, the actual debt was more a result of Joe not being very good with money. The debt was more a result of Joe’s bad budgeting skills than an addiction to gaming.’

It appears most of what Trent said to camera was cut with Panorama selecting only the most inflammatory comments:

‘During the filming they concentrated mainly on Joe as he was the main focus of the piece, but since I was his friend and had gaming sessions with him frequently during his ‘worst period’, they also asked me questions about him. One of these questions was included in the final edit, and I believe it was, in fact, the only thing that I said that was kept in. I believe this was because most of what I said did not support or even entertain their exaggerated view of games addiction and its causes.’

‘So, while it may seem to some that I was all for the cause that the BBC were creating, I was actually trying to inject some sanity into proceedings, all of which was cut. While I do not think I was misrepresented, my comments were used well within context, it was obvious to me that much of what I had said was tactically cut as it did not support the theme of the piece. It makes me wonder what else was cut in this was to maintain the mood and overall goal of ATG.’

You can read the full editorial from Trent by clicking here. It’s an excellent piece so make you sure you check it out.  In the comments section a chap called Andy Knight has posted the following;

‘Joe was a friend of mine at one time also, not as close as you of course, but even online getting to know him I knew his personal issues were not solely down to playing games. So quite frankly I found it a joke that he was on the show, but hey ho, Joe will do anything for a bit of attention.’

If ‘Addicted To Gaming?’ were an ITV documentary I would have been less surprised by these revelations but the BBC is usually beyond such tabloid tactics. If the program has been ‘selectively edited’ it makes you wonder what other Panorama programs have misrepresented the facts.

Source: This Is My Joystick

Tags:

Related stories from TSA

Open Letter to BBC Complaints

21 Comments

  1. I used to hold Panorama in high regard but this and the recent airing of the FIFA episode so close the 2018 World Cup decision just smack of cheap tabloid attention grabbing, not at all what I expect from the BBC.
    I am more than happy paying the license fee for the very fact that it supports them without them having to make that kind of programme.

  2. I used to love Panorama, but now I fell like I can’t trust it. Panorama seems more interested in grabbing headlines and scarmongering to get it’s point across no matter how misinformed they might be.
    When the show went out it was a sad, sad day for them.

  3. Can’t say I’m surprised, Media editing stories to fit in with there own angle they want to portray.

  4. This is the thing with some documentaries involving topics you know about or are concerned with. When arguments are not fair or facts incorrectly given you realise it a lot more.

  5. I dont believe the BBC would ever edit anyhting so it fits what they are trying to get at

    • Sounds like a conspiracy to me.

  6. The BBC’s editorial standards are just as low as any hit-baiters or anything else. It’s when they show something you know a lot about that that fact is highlighted.

  7. My respect for the BBC has just died on the spot.

    Why can’t they leave us Gamers alone. What have we done to annoy them?

  8. I actually hate the BBC. First the WC stuff, and now they deliberately edit someone’s interview to give a biased view.
    I don’t see the point in having the BBC anyway, I really hope they get heavy spending cuts, I don’t see why they need to be publicly funded.

  9. Panorama are reducing documentaries to tabloids.
    Which is all well and good, provided people know this.
    Sadly, the fact of the matter is that most treat Panorama as you would expect a BBC documentary to be, as in, well-researched, 100% verifiable, and unbiased.
    I can’t say any of those three points applied to the ‘journalism’ I watched.

    • Me thinks the TSA filter may need some work done…

  10. quote “If ‘Addicted To Gaming?’ were an ITV documentary I would have been less surprised by these revelations but the BBC is usually beyond such tabloid tactics. If the program has been ‘selectively edited’ it makes you wonder what other Panorama programs have misrepresented the facts.”

    Sorry TC but i find this passage laughable, the BBC have always done such underhand tactics, remember a few years back when the bbc had us beleive the queen “stormed” out of there interview, but it just turned out to be edited to look like it but not the way it went down?

    and thats just 1 example, the bbc are the worst for it

Comments are now closed for this post.