A Case Study of the BBC's Current Affairs Series Panorama
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Bournemouth University Research Online Original Article A very conscientious brand: A case study of the BBC ’ s current affairs series Panorama Received (in revised form): 4 th January 2011 David McQueen is a lecturer in Advertising and Media at Bournemouth University. His PhD is on the BBC TV ’ s current affairs series Panorama between 1987 and 2004, with particular focus on the coverage of confl ict. His recent publications include ‘ 1970s Current Affairs – A Golden Age? ’ Culture and Society in 1970s Britain: The Lost Decade by Forster, L. and Harper, S. He is the author of Television: A Media Student ’ s Guide (Arnold, 1999). He currently teaches Public Relations within the Corporate and Marketing Communications group at Bournemouth ’ s Media School. ABSTRACT The reputation of British current affairs and documentary series such as the BBC ’ s Panorama, Channel 4 ’ s Dispatches or the now defunct Granada series World in Action have rested on an image of conscientious ‘ public service’ . These popular, long running series have, at various points in their history, acted as the ‘ conscience of the nation ’ , seeking to expose social injustice, investigate misdemeanours by the powerful and take on venal or corrupt vested interest. The BBC’ s fl agship current affairs series Panorama is Britain ’ s longest running television programme and, according to the Panorama website, ‘ the world ’ s longest running investigative TV show ’ . It has provided a template for other current affairs series both in Britain, Europe and around the world while undergoing several transformations in form and style since its launch in 1953, the latest and arguably most dramatic being in 2007. This article will chart the development of Panorama as a distinctive, ‘ fl agship ’ current affairs series over six decades. It will attempt to answer why the Panorama brand has survived so long, while so many other notable current affairs series have not. Using research and material from Bournemouth University ’ s Panorama Archive, the Video Active website, the BFI and other European archives this article explores the development of an iconic current affairs series that has, at different stages in its history, proved a template for other news and current affairs programmes. Various breaks and continuities are highlighted in Panorama ’ s history and identity, and an attempt will be made to characterise and specify the Panorama ‘ brand ’ and pinpoint the series ’ successes and failures in reinventing itself in a rapidly changing media context. Journal of Brand Management advance online publication, 4 March 2011; doi: 10.1057/bm.2011.5 Correspondence: David McQueen Media School, Bournemouth University, 13 Chestnut Grove, Keywords: media brand ; current affairs ; Panorama ; brand equity ; logo Upper Westwood, Bradford-on- Avon, Wiltshire, BA152DQ, UK E-mails: damcqueen@yahoo. com , dmcqueen@bournemouth. ac.uk © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1350-23IX Brand Management 1–11 www.palgrave-journals.com/bm/ McQueen INTRODUCTION effort to check facts and produce balanced, The evolution of various strands of televi- sober judgements. This is refl ected in the sion journalism since the 1950s has been a programme ’ s mission statement that states key feature in the development of a popular, that Panorama aims to ‘ make programmes widely respected and distinctively British with authority which make waves and public service broadcasting tradition. This withstand scrutiny ’ ( BBC, 2000 ). Second, evolution has been exemplifi ed in the news like many current affairs and documentary and public affairs coverage of the BBC, the programmes, Panorama is regarded as being world ’ s largest media organisation, although guided by conscience, a sense of justice strictly enforced public service obligations and social responsibility and is charged with have extended to all British terrestrial the explicit duty ‘ to scrutinise the use and broadcasters, at least until recent years. The abuse of power, both public and private ’ high reputation of British current affairs (ibid.). This article will chart the develop- and documentary series such as the BBC ’ s ment of Panorama as a distinctive, ‘ fl agship ’ Panorama , Channel 4 ’ s Dispatches or ITV ’ s current affairs series over six decades. It will now defunct series World in Action (Granada) attempt to answer why the Panorama brand and This Week (Thames) have rested on an has survived so long, while so many other image of conscientious ‘ public service’ (see notable current affairs series have not. An Holland, 2006 ; Goddard et al , 2007 ). These attempt will be made to characterise and long-running and highly infl uential series specify the Panorama ‘ brand ’ and pinpoint have, at various points in their history, the series successes and failures in rein- acted as the ‘ conscience of the nation ’ , venting itself in a rapidly changing media seeking to expose social injustice, investi- context. gate misdemeanours by the powerful and take on venal or corrupt vested interest. THE PANORAMA ‘ BRAND ’ The BBC ’ s fl agship current affairs series The question that fi rst arises in addressing Panorama is Britain ’ s longest running televi- the title of this article is whether the televi- sion programme and, according to the sion current affairs programme Panorama Panorama website, ‘ the world’ s longest may be considered a ‘ brand ’ at all. Is a tele- running investigative TV show ’ ( BBC, vision programme ever really ‘ a brand ’ ? 2009 ). Through much of its history it has Can, or should, a non-commercial identity ‘ conveyed the sense of speaking on behalf such as the BBC, its numerous channels or of a socially concerned establishment for any of the thousands of titles it produces an equally concerned audience ’ ( Sassoon, every year be thought of as ‘ a brand ’ in the 2006, p. 1201 ). In doing so, it has provided same way as, for instance, Heinz and its a template for other current affairs series ‘ 57 Varieties ’ of soups and sauces? (see both in Britain, Europe and around the Haig, 2004 ). In fact, a perplexing variety world while undergoing several transfor- of defi nitions can be found for the increas- mations in form and style since its launch ingly abstract concept of ‘ a brand ’ , many in 1953, the latest and arguably most of which stray far from the internationally dramatic being in 2007. agreed legal defi nition of a brand as ‘ a sign Throughout Panorama ’ s lengthy history, or set of signs certifying the origin of the programme has attempted to conform a product or service and differentiating to both senses of the term ‘ conscientious ’ . it from the competition ’ ( Kapferer, 2008, First, Panorama investigations and reports p. 10). Lury (2004), for instance, gives a are often described as ‘ scrupulous ’ and are number of somewhat opaque defi nitions characterized by extreme care, rigour and and argues that to assume that the brand is 2 © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1350-23IX Brand Management 1–11 Case study of the BBC ’ s current affairs series Panorama a single, specifi c thing ‘ would be to mistake example of the BBC ’ s attitude to brand the multiple and sometimes divergent layers awareness: of activity that have gone into producing The BBC blithely regarded quality the brand ’ (p. 16). Kapferer (2008) attempts programme making as far more important to clarify matters by defi ning a brand as, in promoting its image. Its outside broadcast in essence, ‘ a name that infl uences buyers, vans, for example, were designed to keep a becoming a purchase criterion ’ (p. 10) that low profi le at royal events, not to advertise is assessed by how salient, exclusive and a brand. ( Lambie-Nairn, 1997, p. 10 ) trustworthy that name is judged to be. Brand consultant Wally Olins (2008) That is not to say, however, that there was describes a brand as ‘ simply an organiza- no awareness of how the BBC projected tion, or a product, or service with a per- its image, as an examination of Lord Reith ’ s sonality’ (p. 8) and traces how, in recent work as the Corporation ’ s fi rst Director years, branding has moved way beyond the General quickly shows (see Briggs, 1985 ; commercial area to include such diverse Miall, 1994). In addition to a concern with organisations as opera companies, orches- upholding a particular set of ( largely pater- tras, charities, universities, fi lm companies nalistic) moral and cultural values, Reith’ s and sports clubs. To this list we can add impact can still be seen at work today people (David Beckham, Madonna), cities, in the BBC ’ s ongoing commitment to regions and nations (Paris, Andalusia, ‘ universality, high standards, quality and Malaysia), and political parties (New integrity of output ’ ( Born, 2004, p. 81 ) Labour, Conservative Party) (Lury, 2004 ; and the Corporation’ s core mission to ‘ edu- Theilmann, 2009 ). Broadcasting organisa- cate, inform and entertain’ ( BBC, 2010 ). tions, tele vision channels and programmes Moreover, the use of more overt branding take their place within this long list of techniques at the BBC can be traced back recognised brands and as Johnson (2007) to the development from the 1920s of a argues in relation to the fi ercely com- coat of arms, and motto ‘ Nation shall speak petitive digital era of US television peace unto nation ’ , a motto quietly dropped characterised by deregulation, multimedia in 1936 with the looming prospect of conglomeration and expansion ‘ branding war ( Audit, 1937), and in the evolving has emerged as the defi ning industrial prac- Jupiter symbol developed between the tice ’ (p. 6). 1930s and 1950s which continued to infl u- Yet, as Lambie-Nairn (1997) points out, ence BBC branding into the 1980s (see compared to other industries, British tele- Lambie-Nairn’s (1997) account of rede- vision broadcasters were surprisingly back- signing the 1988 BBC News titles). ward at utilising the standard tools and strategies of mass marketing and promotion PANORAMA IN THE 1950s such as advertising and branding.