On the Margins

We observe the sensationalising of vulnerable groups in multicultural communities.

  • Total running time 83min

All Black: Boys on the Game

BBC 1993. Series Producer Charles Bruce. 28min. Digital

East: Kidnapped

BBC 1998. Series Editor Mike Finlanson. 29min. Digital

Black Bag: In a Hostile Land

Channel 4 1997. Director Lynn Keane. 26min. Digital

Britain’s cities became increasingly global communities, which widened the notion of multicultural beyond the traditions of Black and Asian migration. At the same time, tabloid culture crept into multicultural programming, with increasingly sensationalised portrayals of communities. These sensational stories capture how television came to delegitimise those in need of assistance – a predatory tone that has become increasingly prevalent just starting to seep into early 2000s programming.