Frontline: Exhibition

2011 was an extraordinary year…

It was a year of unprecedented change in the Middle East and North Africa. Dictatorships fell as revolution swept across the region fueled by repression and poverty. On our screens we witnessed the brutal cost of uprising, the pain of rebellion and the joy of victory. In Zawiya, Libya, a Sky News team witnessed a brutal crackdown as government forces attempted to wipe out any opposition. Their report showed the pivotal atrocity and revealed the dangers faced in doing so. But it was a single event filmed on mobile phones that proved the biggest challenge to broadcasters. The brutal capture and death of Colonel Gaddafi was an extortionary news event, but was it right to show this violent unverified footage? It was a difficult challenge when violence came to our own streets. How to tell the unfolding story of the August riots in many of England’s cities, a fast paced news event that even the police were struggling to keep up with.

From sharp HD images to grainy mobile phone footage it was video that provided the defining moments of the year. The exhibition used frames (much of which unseen) taken from material shot by Sky News crews in 2011, to explore the major conflicts and difficult issues they raise for broadcasters and viewers alike.

Credits

Designer: Chris Sharpe
Agency: Sky Creative Agency
Venue: Somerset House, London