Work

Fraud on TV: The Reith principles and watching British public service broadcasting

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper considers depictions of fraud in British true crime television programmes and focuses on three BBC programmes from the period 2019–2023: For Love or Money ; Scam Interceptors ; and Fraud Squad . We question if there is a pedagogical structure to the narratives of the programmes. Our analysis is attentive to the lasting influence of British Public Service Broadcasting traditions and the influence of the BBC’s Reith principles. The data emerging from our analysis reveals the tensions that emerge from the programmes’ stylistic attempts to remain attentive to the earliest aims of the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting. The paper argues that the three programmes present issues concerning fraud through the BBC’s overarching mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Source: Crime Media Culture An International Journal

DOI: 10.1177/17416590251384590

Authors: Keith Spiller, Sofia Bull, Yaniv Hanoch, Olivia Flint

Institutions: University of Southampton, University of Wolverhampton

Language: English

Topic: Crime, Deviance, and Social Control

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650