How real is reality tv?
The Cambridge English dictionary defines reality television as television programmes that are filmed of real situations using ordinary people instead of actors.
Reality TV first emerged in the 1990’s and became a success in the early 2000s. (Sanneh, 2011). Reality TV is supposedly an unscripted form of television that films real events and situations in someone’s life. Some shows decide to use a host, and some use a narrator to set the events for the audience. Many people enjoy watching reality TV because they are able to see into the life of others or they are able to find a connection because they may relate to the people or the situation of the people being filmed.
Kilborn (1994) attempts to define reality TV and suggests that there are slice-of-life scenes but also fictional drama rooted scenes to please the audience’s attention. She further explains that the primary objective for reality TV producers is to produce a programme that highlights reality and people’s real experiences. Thankfully, due to the advancement in technology, there are many ways to film reality TV such as: camera team, hidden cameras, personal camcorders, cellphones, body cameras and microphones. If the individual or an amateur is in control of the camera then their shaky shots, focus and weird angles will contribute to the realness of the show.
Kilborn (1994) helps convey that ‘reality’ may not be the reality everyone believes it to be. A cruicial factot in Reality programming is the attempt to simulate drama amongst individuals and groups by over exaggerating the problem and editing in a clever and canny manner. The producers are able to accomplish this by cutting the footage and introducing a hybrid mix of presenter talk, other participants opinions, other footage and material and also forms of audience participation (Kilborn, 1994). This all results in manipulation and distorted footage to the point some viewers question what they are viewing and whether it is authentic.
It isn’t possible to distinguish how real reality television is with a set percentage, this is because there are hundreds of various shows with diverse topics that focus on different content and areas of life. Therefore, all the shows will vary in the amount of drama, people and alteration due to the different featured formats.
References:
Kilborn, K. (1994). `How real can you get?’: Recent developments in `reality’ television. European Journal of Communication, 9, 421-439. DOI: 10.1177/0267323194009004003
reality TV: meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Cambridge Dictionary. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reality-tv.
Sanneh, K. (2011). The Rise and Rise of Reality Television. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/05/09/the-reality-principle.
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