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Dispatches
Presented by	Guest presenter
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Original release
Network	Channel 4
Release	1987 – present

Dispatches is the British television current affairs documentary series on Channel 4, first transmitted in 1987.

The programme covers issues about British society, politics, health, religion, international current affairs and the environment, usually featuring a mole in an organisation.

Notable episodes

MMR: What they didn't tell you

Broadcast on 18 November 2004, MMR: What they didn't tell you, featured an investigation by Sunday Times journalist Brian Deer into the campaign against the MMR vaccine by British surgeon Andrew Wakefield. Among a string of allegations, Deer revealed that, when Wakefield claimed a possible link between the vaccine and autism, his own lab had produced secret results which contradicted his claims, and he had registered patent claims on his own single measles vaccine.

Following the programme, Wakefield, funded by the Medical Protection Society sued Channel 4, The Sunday Times and Deer personally for libel, but sought to have his lawsuit stayed by the court, so that he did not need to pursue it. The case became high profile when Channel 4 obtained a court order compelling Wakefield to continue with his lawsuit or abandon it. During two years of litigation, three High Court judgments were obtained against Wakefield from Mr Justice David Eady, including new law that the General Medical Council was required to supply materials from its own investigations to defendants facing libel actions from doctors. In his first judgment, Eady said:

"I am quite satisfied, therefore, that the Claimant wished to extract whatever advantage he could from the existence of the proceedings while not wishing to progress them or to give the Defendants an opportunity of meeting the claims."

In pleadings submitted to the court, Channel 4 spelt out what they said the programme had alleged. It said that Wakefield:

(i) Had dishonestly and irresponsibly spread fear that the MMR vaccine might cause autism in some children, even though he knew that his own laboratory's tests dramatically contradicted his claims and he knew or ought to have known that there was absolutely no scientific basis at all for his belief that MMR should be broken up into single vaccines.

(ii) In spreading such fear, also acted dishonestly and irresponsibly, by repeatedly failing to disclose conflicts of interest and/or material information, including his association with contemplated litigation against the manufacturers of MMR and his application for a patent for a vaccine for measles which, if effective, and if the MMR vaccine had been undermined and/or withdrawn on safety grounds, would have been commercially very valuable.

(iii) Caused medical colleagues serious unease by carrying out research tests on vulnerable children outside the terms or in breach of the permission given by an ethics committee, in particular by subjecting those children to highly invasive and sometimes distressing clinical procedures and thereby abusing them.

(iv) Has been unremittingly evasive and dishonest in an effort to cover up his wrong-doing.

In January 2007, Wakefield discontinued his claim and paid Channel 4's and Deer's costs.

Undercover Mosque

Undercover Mosque was first aired on 15 January 2007. The film caused a furore in Britain and the world press due to the content of the released footage. The documentary presents film footage gathered from 12 months of secret investigation into mosques throughout Britain. West Midlands Police investigated whether criminal offences had been committed by those teaching or preaching at the Mosques and other establishments and found that there had been insufficient evidence to bring charges against anyone featured in the documentary.

West Midlands Police launched an investigation, immediately after the programme was transmitted, into whether criminal offences had been committed by those teaching or preaching at the mosques and other establishments. They presented their evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service who advised that “a realistic prospect of a conviction was unlikely”.

However Bethan David of the CPS agreed with West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Anil Patani (security and cohesion) that a damaging and distorting impression had been given of the speakers by the programme. On 7 August 2007 the CPS issued a statement:

"West Midlands Police have completed their investigation into the Channel 4 Dispatches programme 'Undercover Mosque' broadcast in January 2007.

The police investigation initially looked at whether there had been any criminal offences committed by those featured in the programme and following careful consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), West Midlands Police have been advised that there is insufficient evidence to bring charges against those individuals featured within the programme.

"West Midlands Police acknowledge the concerns that some parts of the programme may have been considered offensive, however when analysed in their full context there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges against any individual. ACC Anil Patani for West Midlands Police said: "As a result of our initial findings, the investigation was then extended to include issues relating to the editing and portrayal of the documentary. The priority for West Midlands Police has been to investigate the documentary and it’s making with as much rigour as the extremism the programme sought to portray".

""The police investigation concentrated on three speakers and their comments in the programme. CPS reviewing lawyer Bethan David considered 56 hours of media footage of which only a small part was used in the programme. She said: "The splicing together of extracts from longer speeches appears to have completely distorted what the speakers were saying. "The CPS has demonstrated that it will not hesitate to prosecute those responsible for criminal incitement. But in this case we have been dealing with a heavily edited television programme, apparently taking out of context aspects of speeches, which, in their totality, could never provide a realistic prospect of any convictions".

"The CPS was also asked by the police to consider whether a prosecution under the Public Order Act 1986 should be brought against Channel 4 for broadcasting a programme including material likely to stir up racial hatred. Miss David advised West Midlands Police that on the evidence available, there was insufficient evidence that racial hatred had been stirred up as a direct consequence of the programme. It would also be necessary to identify a key individual responsible for doing this together with an intent to stir up racial hatred, which was not possible.

"West Midlands Police has taken account of this advice and explored options available to them and has now referred the matter to the broadcasting regulators Ofcom as a formal complaint. West Midlands Police has also informed Channel 4 of this course of action." http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/archive/2007/153_07.html

West Midlands Police then complained to Ofcom that the programme had been subject to such an intensity of editing that those who had been featured in the programme had been misrepresented (creating an unfair, unjust and inaccurate perception of both some speakers and sections of the Muslim community within the West Midlands); the footage had been edited in a way that resulted in material being broadcast in a form so altered from the form originally delivered that it was “sufficient to undermine community cohesion”; and the programme was “likely to undermine feelings of public reassurance and safety of those communities in the West Midlands for which the Chief Constable has a responsibility”.

The resulting complaints to Ofcom were rejected by Ofcom on 19 November 2007. "Undercover Mosque was a legitimate investigation, uncovering matters of important public interest... On the evidence (including untransmitted footage and scripts), Ofcom found that the broadcaster had accurately represented the material it had gathered and dealt with the subject matter responsibly and in context." Ofcom also did not uphold complaints from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia & the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, from the Islamic Cultural Centre, and from the London Central Mosque.

In a move supported by Channel Four, the makers of the documentary then launched a libel action against the CPS and West Midlands Police. In a statement released for Kevin Sutcliffe and programme makers Hardcash Productions said:

"The statements made by both the West Midlands Police and the CPS were completely unfounded and seriously damaging to our reputation. We feel the only way to set the record straight once and for all is to pursue this matter through a libel action."

On 15 May 2008 when the matter came to the High Court, West Midlands Police and the Crown Prosecution Service apologised to the makers of the documentary for accusing them of distortion and agreed to a payment of £100,000. The statement, released to the media by West Midlands Police, after the High Court hearing, said they now accepted there had been no evidence that Channel 4 or the documentary makers had "misled the audience or that the programme was likely to encourage or incite criminal activity".

It added that the Ofcom report showed the documentary had "accurately represented the material it had gathered and dealt with the subject matter responsibly and in context". The police statement concluded: "We accept, without reservation, the conclusions of Ofcom and apologise to the programme makers for the damage and distress caused by our original press release." The same statement was later posted on the Crown Prosecution Service website.

Kevin Sutcliffe, deputy head of current affairs at Channel 4, said the apology was a vindication of the programme team in exposing extreme views. "Channel 4 was fully aware of the sensitivities surrounding the subject matter but recognised the programme's findings were clearly a matter of important public interest. "The authorities should be doing all they can to encourage investigations like this, not attempting to publicly rubbish them for reasons they have never properly explained," he said. Channel 4 boss Julian Bellamy said they had had no choice but to pursue action when the police and CPS refused to withdraw their remarks.

The National Secular Society subsequently called for a Public Enquiry into the role of the West Midlands Police and the CPS in referring the matter to Ofcom in the first place. Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society, said: “While the Police and CPS have now apologised, they have yet to explain why this apology was not issued in response to the widespread public outcry during 2007 about their targeting of Channel 4 or even to the total rejection by OFCOM of Police/CPS complaints on 19 November 2007. It had to be forced on them by the courts. The intransigence of the Police and CPS has seriously undermined public confidence in both institutions." http://www.secularism.org.uk/nsscallsforpublicenquiryaftermos.html

Undercover Mosque: The Return

This programme is a sequel to the Undercover Mosque programme broadcast on 15 January 2007 in the UK. The programme uses footage filmed by undercover reporters in UK Mosques and Islamic institutions as well as interviews with Muslim academics and prominent figures. It is reported to contain statements by Islamic preachers espousing violence towards homosexual men, other religions and apostates.

One of the people quoted in the programme was Khalid Yasin. His videos were found to be on sale in the Regents Park mosque bookshop espousing extremist views such as public beheadings, amputations, lashings and crucifixions. He is quoted in the programme as saying ; "and then people can see, people without hands, people can see in public heads rolling down the street, people can see in public people got their hands and feet from opposite sides chopped off and they see them crucified, they see people get punished they see people put up against the pole ?.. and because they see it, it acts as a deterrent for them because they say I don't want that to happen to me". He published a response to a letter from the producer of the programme calling them "hypocritical and exploitive bigots, audacious liars and opportunistic media vermin" and "unethical merchants of jounalistic vomit".

Saving Africa's Witch Children

This programme first aired 12 November 2008 and told the story of young children who had been labeled Witches and Wizards by their family and community and left abandoned, tortured, imprisoned or killed in the delta state of Akwa Ibom in Nigeria. The programme followed Sam Itauma, a Nigerian who started a school for the abandoned children called CRARN (Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network) and Englishman Gary Foxcroft who started the charity Stepping Stones Nigeria, to support the school. The programme suggests that the problem is caused by a combination of African traditional beliefs and extreme Christian Penticostal groups. In particular the programme singles out Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries for producing a film called "End of the Wicked" which the charity workers blame for the increase in children being abandoned by their families.

Undercover Teacher

Airing in 2005, this episode was about a qualified science teacher, Alex Dolan, went undercover in schols in Leeds and London to expose the 'appalling teaching'. One school in particular, Highbury Grove School, was shocked and angry at the program's findings. Head-teacher Truda White said in an interview with the Guardian:

"The values and beliefs we promote at this school are centred on honesty, integrity and generosity. I will have a hard job explaining to the children that all of these were disregarded by one of their teachers, whether she was temporary or not. We are an open school with nothing to hide and all of us feel betrayed by a fellow colleague who came among us and threw our trust in her back in our faces."

Ryanair Caught Napping

On 13 February 2006, Channel 4 broadcast a documentary as part of its Dispatches series, "Ryanair caught napping". Two undercover reporters obtained jobs as cabin crew, based at Ryanair's operations at London Stansted Airport and spent 5 months secretly recording the training programme and cabin crew procedures. The documentary criticised Ryanair's training policies, security procedures, aircraft hygiene and highlighted poor staff morale. It claims to have filmed Ryanair cabin crew sleeping on the job; using aftershave to cover the smell of vomit in the aisle, rather than cleaning it up; ignoring warning alerts on the emergency slide; encouraging staff to falsify references for airport security passes; and asking staff not to recheck passengers' passports before they board flights. Staff in training were allegedly falsely told that any Boeing 737-200 (now no longer in service with Ryanair) impact would result in the death of the passenger sitting in seat 1A and that they should not pass this information on to the passenger.

Ryanair denied the allegations and published its correspondence with Dispatches on its website. Ryanair provided detailed written responses to show that there is no substance to these allegations and requested Dispatches to provide evidence supporting its claims. However, Dispatches failed to do so. Ryanair forwarded all twenty allegations to both the British and Irish aviation authorities, both of whom agreed that there was no substance to them. It also alleged that the programme was misleading and that promotional materials, in particular a photograph of a stewardess sleeping, had been faked by Dispatches. Furthermore, Dispatches rejected Ryanair's repeated offers of a live interview or an unedited recorded interview to allow Ryanair to respond fully in the programme to these unsubstantiated allegations.

Gaza: The Killing Zone

This episode, broadcast in May 2003, follows five weeks in the lives of those living in the Gaza Strip. Beginning two days after the death of Rachel Corrie, the film includes footage of the aftermath of an Israeli flechette attack in a densely populated area and documents the deaths of Tom Hurndall, a British ISM activist, and James Miller, the Channel 4 cameraman.

Inside Britain's Israel Lobby

Broadcast on November 16th 2009 at 20:00 this episode investigated "one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain", the Israel Lobby. The documentary detailed donations to Britain's MPs and featured the Conservative Friends of Israel. Also covered was the Israel Lobby's alleged influence on the BBC and other British Media and the programme further claimed that many media outlets were frightened of broaching the lobby. Also featured was the Israel Lobby's funding of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair and the subsequent Cash for Honours scandal. It also mentioned the BBC's refusal to broadcast the DEC appeal for the Gaza humanitarian crisis in 2009 while broadcasting DEC appeals for other crises. Other groups featured in the program were the Jewish Leadership Council, the Zionist Federation, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Camera.

Partial episode guide

The Day the Dream Died (16 November 1988)
Terms For Peace (1990)
The Case Against War (1990)
Missing Inaction (1991)
Bordering on Big Brother (28 October 1992)
The Key to Watergate (16 June 1993)
The Hill (6 October 1993)
Terror on the Doorstep (26 October 1994)
The Gaul (6 November 1997)
China's nuclear tests in Xinjiang Province(1998) Secrets of the Gaul (21 May 1998)
MMR: What they didn't tell you (18 November 2004)
Ryanair caught napping (13 February 2006 21:00)
How To Beat Your Kid's Asthma (Thu 6 April 2006 21:00)
Britain's Rubbish (Thu 13 April 2006 21:00)
Britain's Yobs (Mon 24 April 2006 20:00)
Iraq - The Women's Story (Mon 8 May 2006 20:00)
Gaza:The Killing Zone (Fri 19 May 2006 20:00)
What Muslims Want (Mon 7 August 2006 20:00)
Public Service, Private Profit (Mon 14 August 2006 20:00)
How Safe Is Heathrow? (Mon 4 September 2006 20:00)
The Labour Loans Scandal (Mon 25 September 2006 20:00)
The Drug Trial That Went Wrong (Thu 28 September 2006 21:00)
Burma's Secret War (Mon 2 October 2006 20:00)
The Data Theft Scandal (Thu 5 October 2006 21:00)
Britain's Mental Health Scandal (Mon 9 October 2006 20:00)
The Blunkett Tapes (Thu 12 October 2006 20:00)
The Lost Generation (Mon 6 November 2006 20:00)
Jihad TV (Mon 6 November 2006 23:00)
Iraq's Death Squads (Tuesday 7 November 2006 23:00)
Britain's Healthcare Lottery (Mon 27 November 2006 20:00)

Fighting The Taliban (Mon 8 January 2007 20:00)
Meeting The Taliban (Thu 11 January 2007 23:05)
Undercover Mosque (Mon 15 January 2007 20:00)
At Home With The Terror Suspects (Mon 5 February 2007 20:00)
The Supermarket That's Eating Britain (Mon 19 February 2007 20:00)
NHS - Where Did All The Money Go? (Mon 26 February 2007 20:00)
Greenwash (Mon 5 March 2007 20:00)
Charles - The Meddling Prince (Mon 12 March 2007 20:00)
When Did You Last Beat Your Wife? (Mon 19 March 2007 20:00)
Cameron - Toff At The Top (Mon 26 March 2007 20:00 - a personal view by Peter Hitchens)
Undercover Prisoner (Mon 2 April 2007 20:00 - a covert investigation of life inside an open prison)
The Indian Miracle (30 Apr 2007 20:00 - investigation of the underside of the economic miracle in India)
Gordon Brown - Fit For Office? (Mon 14 May 2007 20:00)
Afghanistan Unveiled (Thu 17 May 2007 21:00)
Bin Wars (Thu 24 May 2007 21:00)
Kidnapped to Order (Mon 11 June 2007 20:00)
Britain's Bad Housing (Mon 7 July 2007 20:00)
Britain Under Attack (Mon 6 August 2007 20:00)
Nice Work If You Can Get It (Mon 24 September 2007 20:00)
Immigrants - The Inconvenient Truth (Mon 1 October 2007 20:00)
China's Stolen Children (Mon 1 October 2007 20:00)

Why Kids Kill (Mon 28 January 2008 20:00)
Heat or Eat - The Pensioners' Dilemma (Mon 4 February 2008 20:00)
The Children Left Behind (Mon 11 February 2008 20:00)
How The Banks Bet Your Money (Mon 18 February 2008 20:00)
Checking in to Airport Chaos (Mon 25 February 2008 20:00)
Undercover in Tibet (Mon 31 March 2008 20:00)
Immigration - The Inconvenient Truth, Part 1 (Mon 7 April 2008 20:00)
Immigration - The Inconvenient Truth, Part 2 (Mon 14 April 2008 20:00)
Immigration - The Inconvenient Truth, Part 3 (Mon 21 April 2008 20:00)

Web-exclusive broadcasts

War Torn - Stories Of Separation

I4I - Films by AJ Nakasila

References

1. "The Wakefield factor, summary of broadcast by Brian Deer". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
2. "Judgment, Mr Justice Eady, 21 December 2006". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
3. "Judgment, Mr Justice Eady, 4 November 2005". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
4. "Meaning of a programme: What Channel 4's Dispatches said about MMR scare doctor". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
5. "Wakefield drops libel claim over Channel 4 investigation, and agrees to pay costs". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
6. "MMR doc drops libel case versus Channel 4". Retrieved 2009-10-21.
7. "Andrew Wakefield drops libel case against Channel 4". Retrieved 2009-10-21. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
8. "C4 'distorted' mosque programme". BBC News. August 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
9. ^ "Ofcom broadcast bulletin no. 97" (PDF). Ofcom. November 9, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-19. Cite error: The named reference "Ofcom" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
10. BBC NEWS | England | West Midlands | Police sued over mosque programme
11. "Revealed: Saudi women preaching hate in the British mosque that promised to clean up its act 18 months ago".
12. http://forum.challengeyoursoul.com/forum/topic1696.html
13. "Original letter from Dispatches to Ryanair" (PDF). Ryanair. 2006-01-12.
14. "Ryanair Statement for Channel 4 Dispatches Programme" (PDF). Ryanair. 2006-02-09.
15. "RYANAIR & DISPATCHES... THE TRUTH". Ryanair. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
16. "Dispatches misleading advertisement in media" (PDF). Ryanair. 2006-02-13.
17. Dispatches: The Killing Zone at www.ifamericansknew.org
18. I4I: Films by AJ Nakasila

External links

• News - Dispatches at Channel4.com
• The Killing Zone at official Google Video location
• Chronological list of Dispatches Episodes (1987-2007) at the British Film Institute (BFI)

• Channel 4 television programmes
• 1987 in British television