Libel Masterclass for Unscripted Productions

As part of the Mind Your Business strand, we're offering training in a range of areas related to business management & development, production finance, legal & business affairs, rights, and compliance, giving individuals the tools needed to thrive in their chosen field in unscripted TV. 

Using practical, real-life scenarios drawn from newsroom experience, Sara will take participants step-by-step through the process of identifying, assessing, and managing potential legal risks in investigative journalism. From the initial story idea to final publication, she will demonstrate how to spot red flags, apply legal principles, and implement best practices to ensure your work remains both impactful and legally sound.

This hands-on session is ideal for journalists, editors, and producers who want to deepen their understanding of libel law and learn how to navigate complex editorial decisions with confidence.

Who it's for

This session is suitable for beginners and as a refresher for more experienced producers working in uncripsted TV.

The majority of the USF online short course offering is for those at early career stage and above. As a result, we generally require applicants to have at least three credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com so we can assess if an exception should be made.

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. This course is designed to be as interactive as possible. Please email the above address if you have any access requirements and we will be delighted to help, be that clarifying the form such interaction is likely to take or discussing reasonable adjustments.

Trainer

Sara Vandore-Mackay is a media lawyer with over 20 years' experience, advising production companies and broadcasters on all aspects of pre- and post-broadcast legal and compliance advice. With a background in commercial and media litigation in the City, Sara honed her skills as a TV lawyer at Channel 4 television, before embarking on a freelance career with Reviewed & Cleared. She has worked on high profile projects from 24 Hours in Police Custody to Love Is Blind UK, including comedy and drama, documentaries and investigative journalism. 

What it covers

• Fact-checking evidence and verification
• The use of secret filming and doorstepping
• Pitching your defamatory "meaning" correctly
• Drafting right to replies and Ofcom fairness rules
• Individual and corporate libel 

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘apply now’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

If you need additional support to complete your application or require the application form in an alternative format please contact USF@screenskills.com

Places on these free online courses are limited and applications are often highly competitive. To stand the best chance of securing a place, please be sure to consider the following:

• When asked to list your three most recent credits, please include the programme title and your job role.
• When asked what you hope to gain from the course, please be concise but ensure you cover the specific elements of the topic you would like to gain knowledge of and what gaps in your skillset you believe the course may address.
• A rewording of the course title or a general comment on career progression does not tell us much about how this course would benefit you.

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the 'decline ticket' function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.

This course would normally cost participants to attend, but thanks to this support, we are able to offer it to you for free. If you fail to attend, we reserve the right to request reimbursement of costs, unless your place can be taken by someone else.