I've held back on this but figured I'd have a crack as it's likely no-one's going to read this so my chances of getting in trouble are slim.  Either way I'm so incensed by the mainstream media at present I have let it out like a big fart you've been holding in at the dinner table. 

Anyway last year a TV crew from a major Melbourne television station came to my hospital to film a new "reality" TV show.  I won't say the name of the show, station or hospital so the fuckers can't sue me, but many of you will know what I'm talking about.  At the time we were told we had to be photographed by the producer so they could tell who we were on film (which I agreed to as it seemed we had no option), and were falsely led to believe (as nothing was said to the contrary) that we had to allow the crew to film us seeing patients, many of whom they would start filming before we saw them, so by the time we walked in they insisted we be filmed as well so they wouldn't have to ditch the footage they'd already shot.  At no time were we as staff asked for our consent to be filmed or broadcast on TV, nor were we given the oppourtunity to see the footage pre-screening to see if we agreed with how we were portrayed, and I was never given a release form to sign.  On the other hand every patient and relative who was filmed was required to sign a release form giving their consent for the footage to be used, and there were signs plastered around the cubicles informing patients of this. 

The only segment I was filmed for involved me seeing an elderly patient who'd had a fall.  I spent a good half-hour talking to him and examining him, ordered several tests and had to wait for the results, with the crew constantly interrupting me to ask me questions which I found very annoying.  After about 2 hours and much deliberation I had a diagnosis.  When this was edited and played on TV they cut it down to about 2 minutes, and missed the whole point that it was a long drawn-out and not very exciting process.   It was only after this (and after watching some of my colleagues swan about in front of the cameras not doing any work leaving the rest of us to pick up their slack) that I approached my boss to ask him if we had to be filmed, to which he replied "of course not, just say no".  Which I did every time I was approached after that, yet somehow there is still footage of me appearing on other episodes from instances when I had explicity asked them not to film me.  The fact that the show is essentially filler between revenue generating ads for a major commercial TV station and that I never consented to my image being used on TV infuriates me. 

Also the crew filmed a lot of one particular person whose medical skills are average to poor, (some describe her as "dangerous"), but she's a cute, over-talkative female so was aestehtically pleasing for the viewers, while they completely ignored some of the other doctors, one in particular who is of  Indian extraction whose medical skills and empathy with the patients far exceeds most of the doctors in the hospital.  This also infuriates me and confirms the media never let the truth get in the way of a good story.  And the tag "reality TV" is complete bullshit as you only see what they want you to see and they edit the rest out.  I'm plannning on writing a letter to the producers of the show demanding that they delete any scenes with me in it.  I'll post a copy of the letter soon (and any replies I get).

If anyone knows anything about Australian Law relating to privacy and consent for use of people's images on film/TV I'd love to hear from you, so post a comment.