This is one of the provisions that most surprises the sector, because it is breached so often in practice. The relevant sentence of Article 8/1(ı) reads: “in the presentation of news, no place may be given to exaggerated sound and image, or to effects and music other than natural sound”.
Three elements of the prohibition
| Element | Statutory wording | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Exaggerated sound | “no place may be given to exaggerated sound…” | Raising the audio level to build tension |
| Exaggerated image | “…and image” | Slow motion, looped repetition, dramatic colour grading |
| Effects and music other than natural sound | “…or to effects and music other than natural sound” | Background music, heartbeat effects, emphasis stings |
The phrase “other than natural sound” in the third element is the key. Sounds genuinely audible at the scene — sirens, crowds, wind — are natural sound and may be used. Anything added in the edit is not natural sound.
Why such a rule exists
The prohibition takes on meaning when read with the opening words of the same sub-paragraph: broadcasting services “shall take as their basis the principles of impartiality, factuality and accuracy and shall not obstruct the free formation of opinion in society”. Music and effects steer the emotional response the viewer has to an event; the Law treats that as inconsistent with impartiality.
What the prohibition does not cover
The provision says “in the presentation of news”, and that phrase limits the scope. On the wording of the Law the prohibition attaches to the moment the news is presented. The distinctions below are not beyond argument and are assessed by RTUK on the facts, but the boundary of the text is worth seeing.
| Item | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Bulletin opening and closing titles | Not the presentation of news but an identity item |
| Transition stings between items | Not the news itself but a flow item |
| Background music under news footage | Squarely within the prohibition |
| Emphasis effects added to a report | Squarely within the prohibition |
| Natural sound from the scene | Permitted — the Law says “other than natural sound” |
| The music of a concert that is the subject of the report | The natural sound of the event reported |
The link with reconstruction
The same sub-paragraph also makes it mandatory to state the archive or reconstruction character of footage. Reconstruction sequences are usually cut with music and effects, so both duties are breached at once: the character is not stated and effects are used.
Sanctions
A breach of Article 8/1(ı) falls under Article 32/2: an administrative fine of one to three per cent of the gross commercial communication revenue for the month preceding detection, not less than TRY 1,000 for radio and TRY 10,000 for television and on-demand services. Under Article 32/8 RTUK may issue a warning instead of a fine, once for each breach falling under that paragraph.
On repetition the second track of Article 32/5 applies: more than twenty breaches within a year bring suspension of up to five days, five to ten days on repetition of the same breach, and licence revocation on a second repetition.
How to apply it in the newsroom
- Keep music and effects channels closed by default in news edits; opening them should be a conscious decision.
- Hold titles and transition items in a separate layer from news items.
- Make the archive and reconstruction label a mandatory field.
- Apply audio normalisation at the edit stage and block dramatic level increases.
- Recordings are kept for one year under Article 25/1; that is what will be examined in a breach allegation.
The archive label is covered in the archive footage guide and source crediting in the agency credit guide.