How should we measure the “social impact” of a documentary film? This essay reviews several ways to conceptualize and evaluate “impact,” drawing on previous research in communication, sociology, and political science, as well as case studies. Read about how the Sierra Club, The American Civil Liberties Union and local environmental groups use documentaries for high-impact action.
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Go to: Documentaries on a Mission (PDF)
This study provides a map of perceived ethical challenges that documentary filmmakers—directors and producer-directors—in the United States identify in the practice of their craft. It summarizes the results of 45 long-form interviews in which filmmakers were asked simply to describe recent ethical challenges that surfaced in their work. This baseline research is necessary to begin any inquiry into ethical standards because the field has not yet articulated ethical standards specific to documentary.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking PBS documentary series P.O.V., the Center for Social Media interviewed several of those who have led the project through its last two decades on the goals, challenges, and the vision for one of television's most productive sites for imagining and innovating the future of public media.