The BBC has apologised after Goldney Hall students claimed they were misrepresented in a TV news item about heavy drinking. Viewers saw students ‘strawpedo-ing’ a bottle of alcohol in a story that reported on the rise of binge drinking, happy hours, and alcohol deals.
The footage - filmed at the Student Union on Thursday, 1st October on a pub-crawl - gave the impression that everybody on film was intoxicated, and focused on one second year sports enthusiast in particular who does not wish to be named.
“She certainly was not drunk, and has complained to the BBC,” Goldney Hall Warden Professor Gregor McLennan says. “As a result, an official apology has been given and the footage has been withdrawn from the website. This person is a trusted ‘returner’ to hall who certainly never indulges excessively in alcohol.”
Students also feel deceived after the cameraman claimed the piece was about “student life”, says Goldney fresher Callum Brodie. “The man filming told me to encourage everyone to look at the camera with their drinks.”
Recently, binge drinking has been high up in the agenda of the media, but students of Bristol University, and in particular Goldney Hall, consider the BBC piece to be unfair.
Barry Taylor, University of Bristol Director of Communications and Marketing, told Epigram, “most students are wise enough to consider their own health and welfare.”
Professor McLennan also asserts that “compared to such events five years ago, recent years’ pub crawls have been more disciplined and enjoyable…not drunken affairs. We want students to get to know the neighbourhood and to talk to fellow students in a more general, extramural setting”.
Owen Peachy, President of the Student Union, defends the decision to allow BBC cameras to film such an item on University property.
In an interview for the film earlier in the afternoon, Peachy outlined the efforts the Union makes to educate students on the effects of excessive drinking.
Peachy claims the filming in the evening was only to “supplement” his earlier interview; however, the footage has left viewers with a bad impression of University of Bristol students.
EMMA PARTINGTON
19/10/09
