EXCLUSIVE: The UK’s nascent true crime producing body has urged broadcasters and indies to “recognise the additional burdens” placed on people making true crime in the wake of the tragic death of John Balson.
The Association of True Crime Producers (ATCP) convened an emergency board meeting yesterday following the news that Balson had died by suicide on May 17, Deadline is told.
An ATCP statement noted that these shows “are often dealing with gruesome details, traumatised families and friends, and working to tight budgets and deadlines.”
“It is right that production companies and broadcasters recognise the additional burdens these place on those making true crime content,” added the statement front the body, which launched last year to improve duty of care in the space.
Deadline revealed yesterday that Balson had died by suicide several weeks after he stopped working on Channel 4‘s In the Footsteps of Killers Season 3. Channel 4 is investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. According to his wife, Balson felt he was blamed by the production for a family declining to take part in the show and became exhausted leading to intense physical symptoms associated with vestibular migraine disorder, while his mental health deteriorated. Alaska TV, the London-based producer behind In the Footsteps of Killers, said the wellbeing of its employees was of “paramount importance,” but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Association, which counts Woodcut Media boss Kate Beal as chair and has a committee featuring the likes of ITN Productions boss Ian Rumsey, said it “believes duty of care in all factual productions has never been more important and this extends not only to contributors but also to staff involved in all aspects of production.”
Balson’s death was met with an outpouring of grief and prominent figures from the likes of Bectu and The Film & TV Charity have spoken out. Deadline hears discussions are already taking place behind the scenes between key TV industry stakeholders over how to avoid a repeat. Yesterday, his widow told us Balson’s death is a “failure of the industry.”
The ATCP said it was “deeply saddened” by the news and stressed that “mental health support, wellbeing and safeguarding issues are at the forefront of the association’s aims.”
“We are working with other support partners to bring about change in the production industry,” it added. “In our first year the ATCP has begun a programme of training sessions with external partners, which aim to raise awareness and provide support to all those involved in the production of true crime content.”
Only last month, a Deadline analysis spoke with those attempting to improve duty of care in the true crime space, including the ATCP. Anonymous sources detailed experiences to us such as “delayed trauma” and being threatened by relatives of contributors.