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Watch and Listen Content Alerts
The material made available on the Watch and Listen website is a record of history and includes some material which may cause distress or offence.
This includes news coverage of disasters, criminal cases and other significant historical events, as well as examples of out-dated attitudes and language about marginalised groups of people or individuals.
With so much material on the site, it’s not possible for us to review every item for sensitive or upsetting content. That’s why you’ll see the general note, “this item may contain historical material that can cause distress or offence, including discriminatory language and attitudes,” used across material on the site, and as a pop up when you first visit the site.
Some items may also display more specific content alerts, alerting the user to specific sensitive material after review by our staff. A guide to what the alerts mean can be found below.
If you find an item that you believe should have a content alert added, please get in touch via our Enquiries service. If you are concerned that you may have found information that breaches copyright, contravenes privacy laws, or is obscene or defamatory, please see more information on our Takedown Policy page.
A Guide to Watch and Listen Content Alerts
Programme contains adult themes
This programme is generally considered to be suitable for adults only; it may refer to relationships, sex and the sex industry, or contain discussions on challenging subjects.
Programme contains sensitive material
This programme may contain sensitive content and themes that a viewer may find difficult or challenging, e.g. references to tragedies and traumatic life experiences, high-profile criminal cases, controversial public figures, and so on.
Programme contains some medical themes
This programme contains images of medical procedures and/or discussions of ill-health or medical conditions.
Programme contains strong language
This programme contains swearing.
Programme contains upsetting scenes
This programme may contain distressing content that can upset viewers, e.g. scenes of bereavement, scenes of disasters, scenes of animals in distress, etc.
Programme contains nudity
This programme contains nudity in a non-sexual context.
Contains homophobic caricatures, homophobic language, and/or homophobic attitudes
This programme may contain homophobic caricatures, e.g. comedic ‘camp’ characters, homophobic language, e.g. offensive name-calling, and/or homophobic attitudes.
Contains racist caricatures, racist language and/or racist attitudes
This programme may contain racist caricatures, e.g. out-dated character types, racist language, e.g. offensive slurs, and/or racist attitudes.
Contains ableist caricatures, ableist language and/or ableist attitudes
This programme may contain ableist caricatures, e.g. mocking comedy characters, ableist language, e.g. offensive slurs, and/or ableist attitudes.
Contains sexualised nudity
Contains images of nudity in the context of adult entertainment.
Contains images of drug use
May contain images of drugs in use e.g. being prepared or injected.
Contains adult humour
Contains humorous content intended and suitable for adults only.
Contains images of war and conflict
This programme may contain images of war and conflict, e.g. large-scale battles, bombings, the aftermath of attacks, etc.
Contains references to suicide
This programme may contain references to, discussions of or depictions of suicide and its impact.
Contains graphic content
This programme contains graphic content, in either a fictional or documentary context, for example: bloody images, e.g. surgical procedures; injury detail; documentary images of dead bodies; graphic detail of veterinary procedures.
Contains reference to and/or depictions of sexual violence
May contain references to, discussions about, or depictions of sexual violence and its impact.