Add a Disclaimer to All Reality Television Programming!

Over the past decade there has been an increase in reality and unscripted television due to the low production costs and high profit margins. But behind the scenes, reality television producers and networks are earning millions while exploiting cast members and manipulating reality. And these tactics can skew people’s perspective and have a negative impact on mental health—both for viewers and cast members. It’s important that the public understand the truth behind reality television—that it is not an accurate depiction of reality and instead often features coerced reactions, misleading editing, and orchestrated plots. In fact, many of these “unscripted” shows are highly scripted, and the lack of transparency creates a distorted reality that can be harmful for everyone involved.

It's not just producers who are profiting off of these lies—streaming companies are also capitalizing off of them. Netflix, for example, not only has an extensive reality television library but is also producing original content. Demand that major streaming companies and reality television producers take accountability and prioritize public transparency. Ask that all reality and unscripted television include a disclaimer: “Episodes are for entertainment purposes only, and the content can be edited, manipulated, and presented in any order for storyline purposes.”