Panorama - TV review

In an age of the quick-fix, of the buzzword and the sound bite, Panorama is doing something very special: it lets the story tell itself.

The facts are laid bare, there is no political posturing or sensationalism.

The viewer can listen, observe and decide.

The programme's long-established tradition of Grade A journalism continues to be upheld many years on from its inception.

The programme doesn't indulge in the nefarious tactics much-loved by tabloid newspapers, nor does it seek out a lowest-common denominator 'angle' on which to hang its story. It does something quite remarkable in today's world of 24-hour news: it tells the truth.

Panorama is the exemplar of good journalistic practice. In an age where fewer and fewer newspapers commit to investigative work, where reportage is deemed surplus to requirements, Panorama is a beacon of hope.

It focuses on stories that affect real people. It is the true 'reality TV', peeking a lens into the dark corners that some would rather not show.

The owners of the care home featured in last night's captivating instalment from reporter Fiona Phillips would rather not have appeared in a shocking three minute broadcast.

Philips spoke with a caring daughter whose mother had been assigned a bed so that she could be looked after as she entered the advanced stages of dementia.

The woman in question was concerned that her mother was being maltreated, though questioned her own instincts because the care home had received an 'excellent' rating from the national regulator.

Acting on her doubts, she placed a hidden camera into her mother's room and was stunned by the footage.

It showed a succession of care workers mistreating her terrified mother.

One care worker ritually slapped her: the anguish of the ailing mother, her astonished daughter and the reporter, Phillips, was palpable.

Rather than simply condemn the poorly paid and overworked care staff who were responsible for inconsiderate and disturbing behaviour, the programme took a broader view. It sought out experts who explained how the demotivated staff had little incentive to provide high standards of care. They themselves were also victims of a brutally inadequate system, being put upon and paid little for their efforts.

Such mitigation, however, could not excuse the pain and suffering the care workers caused and Phillips' expose made for harrowing viewing.

The programme was expertly edited, with long, lingering camera shots focusing on the faces of those who were appalled by what they had seen.

Clips of a care worker slapping a helpless woman were repeated time and again. The message was drummed home.

Panorama didn't take sides or seek to score political points, as some programmes do. It was an exercise in exceptional journalism, it brought to the light an unpalatable truth. Institutional abuse clearly exists in British care homes, a worrying phenomena in an age where our elderly population is increasing at a dramatic rate and when the country no longer has the money to pay for it.

Phillips' broadcast was well-timed, therefore. It was unsensational and avoided the televisual trickery available to editors.

By focusing on one particular story, that of an ordinary woman, who could have been our neighbour or friend, Phillips brought home to viewers a universal truth – our care system is broken, and nobody seems able to fix it.