When RTV Gets too REAL

I want you to read the 2007 NY Times Article “When Reality TV Gets Too Real.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/business/media/08reality.html

This has been an ongoing issue for documentary film makers for quite some time – when to step in and when to keep filming- and the responsibility of a documentary film maker to step in on dangerous situations is controversial. Nonetheless, the line is thin. Now that reality TV is a booming genre, the same issues are cropping up. We discussed earlier this semester the implications of MTV stepping into the abusive relationship of Amber and Gary on Teen Mom. Where do you stand on this issue? When should a filmmaker/camera crew be required to step in on a situation? Should they be required to at all if the point is to capture reality?