The Vital Role of Documentaries Today
Documentary films are everywhere. There’s an unlimited supply of streaming shelf space, an endless array of stories to be told, and dwindling resources at traditional media outlets to tell them.
As the George Floyd killing demonstrates, the power of video to convey news and other messages is unmatched. Yet, the law and our institutions don’t always treat documentaries the same as other news media.
We will explore the unique legal and ethical issues relating to documentaries. Where have we been and where is the law headed as everyone carries a sophisticated video camera and partisan advocacy grows?
This year’s Silha Lecturer is Dale Cohen, Special Counsel to Frontline, the award-winning PBS documentary series, where he advises and leads the news team and producers on legal issues and ethical standards. He is also Director and founder of the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic and an adjunct professor of law.
Free and open to the public. Held online.
For more about this event, click on the following link:
Video of the 35th Annual Silha Lecture with Dale Cohen.
Online