Channel 4 has defended a Michael Jackson documentary aired last week after it provoked over 100 formal complaints.TV watchdog OFCOM received more than 50 complaints overnight after ‘Michael Jackson – What Really Happened’ aired last Wednesday, and the figure shot past the 100 mark the following day. The programme focused on allegations of child molestation made against Jackson in 1993 and has provoked a strong reaction from Jackson fans, who have labelled it ‘biased and unfair’.
Fronted by Guardian journalist Jaques Peretti, the show was watched by over 2.1million viewers.
Fansite operator Elysia Melville, 25, hit out at the documentary. “The list of factual inaccuracies just kept growing,” she said. “One of the contributors, Victor Guttierez, has been successfully sued by Jackson for defamation in 1994. Not only did the programme make no mention of this, but it provided him with a platform to regurgitate the same baseless allegations all over again!”She added, “It seemed like the filmmakers had purposely sought out commentators who were biased against Jackson. The only pro-Jackson commentator, Thomas Mesereau, was given less than two minutes of airtime whilst Guttierez was lauded as some sort of expert.”Journalist Aphrodite Jones, who has written extensively about the Jackson trial, also voiced her concerns over the documentary. She said, “With the airing of this British documentary Jackson has again become the victim of a media hungry for ratings. The public receives too many conflicting statements and do not know what to believe anymore.”
She added, “The media has a responsibility to report the truth, but it seems many people do not honour that practise anymore.” A spokesperson for Channel 4 refused to comment specifically on the alleged inaccuracies, but released a statement claiming that the company itself had received ‘only a handful of complaints’ and that the channel felt it had dealt with its subject in an ‘even-handed manner’.
The spokesperson also claimed that OFCOM had not contacted them with regard to the formal complaints that had been made. The production company, ITN Factual, declined to comment on the controversy.
Charles Thompson
