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.

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.

Who it's for

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

We generally require applicants to have at least 3 credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. Please email the above address with any access requirements so that we can make the arrangements you need.

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 

Trainer

Sara Vandore-Mackay is Head of Content Clearance, TV and Film, at ClearDraft, a company which provides specialist content clearance services to publishers, producers, creators and broadcasters by combining high-level legal advice with AI-powered analysis. She is a highly experienced TV and Film content clearance lawyer with over 20 years’ post-qualification experience and 15 years of specialist media law work.

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘get ticket’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to book your place; you must login or register before you are able to book your place.

Our courses are popular and often book up quickly. 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 to someone on the waiting list.