Graduate behind headline-hitting Panorama
3 June 2011
 |
Joe Casey was part of the team behind the BBC's Panorama care special |
Bournemouth University (BU) journalism graduate Joe Casey was part of the team behind the BBC's Panorama care special that has been hitting the headlines since its broadcast on Tuesday last week.
Joe, who graduated from BU in 2006 with a BA in Multi-Media Journalism, filmed undercover at a Bristol care investigating alleged allegations of 'aggressive bullying and frequent abuse'.
Joe said: "The most rewarding thing about being a journalist is to know you have made a difference to someone's life. This film has done precisely that. When I was first approached to go in undercover for Panorama I was shocked by what whistleblower Terry Bryan had witnessed. The abuse I witnessed during my five weeks at Winterbourne View was harrowing and deeply shocking. The media and public response to the film has been encouraging and shown how urgent it is to start a serious discussion on how we as a society look after our most vulnerable."
Dan Hogan, BA Multi-Media Journalism Programme Leader said: "It is a remarkable achievement for Joe to have taken the lead role in this programme. He was courageous and potentially exposed enormous risk by going undercover for five weeks. Joe used secret filming to investigate allegations of systematic abuse of vulnerable young adults in care.
"I think it will inspire and provoke a vital debate amongst the new generation of our students. The unit looks at the ethics of secret filming and whether the end justifies the means," added Dan.
Joe's impressive career to date includes 3 years at the BBC working undercover in restaurant kitchens for a series called Rogue Restaurants and working for the One Show Current Affairs, among other projects.
It's hoped he will return to BU in the future to share some of his experience with current BA Multi-Media Journalism students; the course which 'provided the foundations and skills to embark into the world of journalism', according to Joe.
In the future this bright, young journalist hopes to continue making investigative and powerful films that have the ability to help make people's lives better.