The line between invasion of privacy and telling the story

In our series on life at The Independent, our head of video Tom Richell explains why it was right to show footage of Shamima Begum reacting to her citizenship being revoked

The Independent’s morning news conference is designed to encourage staff on the editorial team to discuss, debate and, as the name suggests, confer. We’re an opinionated bunch, so no one is afraid to take a stance on a subject.

In the world of video news, these discussions often involve the ethics and morality of literally showing our readers something that has happened. How appropriate is it to share footage of the Shoreham plane disaster in which 11 people were killed? On the day that clip was released by the courts, we decided it was necessary that it be seen.

Execution videos released by terrorists? Plenty of other publications use them, cutting the footage and fading to black just before the crucial moment. That’s something we won’t be part of. Publishing propaganda pumped out by a terrorist organisation, and depicting a brutal murder? We simply couldn’t justify hosting that on our website.

Curious, then, is the case of Isis teen runaway Shamima Begum, and one video in particular featuring her that came to light this week.

Ever since The Times tracked the 19-year-old down in Syria last week, all the major UK broadcasters have been successful in securing on-camera interviews as well. On Wednesday, ITV News broadcast footage of the moment that Begum was told, via a letter from the Home Office, that her British citizenship was to be revoked. Is this voyeuristic, or is it an essential part of the narrative we are telling this week?

My feeling was that the footage should be seen. Whether or not you agree with home secretary Sajid Javid’s decision to revoke Begum’s citizenship – a decision that is now being challenged by her lawyer – it is important to the public debate that we see her raw emotion as the news is delivered.

She is visibly upset as she reads the letter. “It’s heartbreaking to read,” she tells ITV News reporter Rohit Kachroo. “I’ve heard other people have been sent back to Britain, so I don’t know why my case is any different. Or is it just because I was on the news four years ago?”

I don’t agree that watching this moment take place is an invasion of her privacy. Begum has refused to apologise for her decision to join Isis as a 15-year-old child. She’s even gone as far as to say the Manchester bombing was “justified” during an interview with the BBC. What this footage does is convey to the public that Javid’s move is devastating to her, leaving her effectively stateless and considering applying to live in the Netherlands, the home country of her husband and fellow Isis recruit Yago Riedijk. It tells another part

of the story.

That is why we felt it was right to show you that moment and why we will continue to debate what is appropriate to broadcast in future so that you, our readers, can remain as informed as possible.

Yours,

Tom Richell

Head of video