The Times, Grey London and Betsy Works bear witness

On June 4, The Times launched the first its Unquiet Film Series, The Power of Words and this message:

“Newspapers are all about stories – but sometimes the best stories are the ones we don’t tell.

“Let’s not forget that news is often something that someone, somewhere, doesn’t want you to know. The real-life tales of how world-changing exclusives – whether from foreign reporters under fire, or determined hacks banging against stone-walling bureaucracy – are brought out into the open can be just as extraordinary as the articles that end up in the newspaper. Sometimes the story behind our amazing photo-journalism, campaign to change the law on adoption, to make cities safe for cycling, to reveal the corruption at the heart of FIFA, or the lies of a champion like Lance Armstrong are as exciting as a thriller, as tense as an episode of House of Cards.

“We decided it was time to showcase just what the best journalists do… the real lives, real struggles, real bravery behind the newspaper stories that change the course of history. It’s all very well to boast that The Times and the Sunday Times strive to speak truth to power, without fear or favour and to report the truth, whatever the cost. But too often exactly what that takes – the death threats to reporters, the legal battles, the toughness and integrity it takes to get the article on the page – gets lost in the telling.”

The series is collaboration between News UK, Team News, Grey London (Dave Monk) and Besty Works (Phil Lind and Peter Maynard), and in essence is a series of glimpses that underscore the historical and cultural impact of The Times and The Sunday Times.

The seventh film, Bearing Witness, has just been released. And it’s timely. This one documents the kidnapping and return of foreign correspondent, Anthony Loyd, and photographer, Jack Hill, in May of this year – the story told through their eyes. It explores the battle between the growing trend for citizen journalism in areas of conflict versus independent, professional reporting and the endeavour for objective coverage in hostile environments.

“War reporting shines a light on atrocities, which can help curtail the excesses of brutal regimes and make the international community take notice. Now, when it is sadly an increasingly dangerous time for war correspondents to operate in the field, and their neutrality is no longer enough to protect them, it is vital to understand the work that they do. Our correspondents Anthony Loyd and Jack Hill are expertly placed to describe the reality of reporting from war zones. We are proud to work with Unquiet Films to tell their story,” Emma Tucker, deputy editor of The Times, commented.

When completed, the series of twelve films in the Unquiet Series will be:

1. The power of words

2. Question everything

3. Times New Roman

4. Photojournalism