Behind the Headlines

Why We Started…

The idea for behindtheheadlines.co.uk arose after the team attended a National Union of Journalists (NUJ) meeting on the future of investigative journalism. So depressed were we by the hopes of certain media insiders, who spoke of a rapid demise in public service journalism, we decided on affirmative action.

We are an entirely independent and interactive site focused solely on long-term investigations in the public interest. We will use this space to keep readers informed of our progress, encourage comments and suggestions as well as broadcast our findings.

At a time when the future of investigative journalism hangs in the balance as both the government seek to stunt its power and journalists become more dependent on PR and newswires we hope to reverse the direction much of the modern media is going towards.

George Arbuthnott, behindtheheadlines’ film director said “We felt that the outlets of investigative journalism were stuck in the past so we wanted to use new multimedia opportunities to deliver traditional investigations  to a younger and wider audience.”

Salvia drags legal highs back into the spotlight

Legal highs are back in the press and this time they could cause a stir. Last week the Observer ran a double-page spread on them and it all seems to have been sparked by some noise from across the pond.

Salvia hit the US headlines last January when North Dakota’s Kenneth Rau (below) became the first person in America to be charged with its possession.

Salvia is a drug that comes from a the plant “Salvia Divinorum”, which is indigenous to Mexico. In days gone by, it was used in shamanic rituals.  But today, it is popular among the youtube generation with those who are searching for altered mental states. When chewed or smoked salvia generates short-term but very intense hallucinogenic effects.

The drug has been known about for some time. You can watch BBC Inside Out’s 2007 take on it here. The Labour MP, John Mann has tried unsuccessfully to get the substance banned in the UK. Across the pond, the story has been quite different.

A campaign against salvia exploded in the US when a teenager called Brett Chidester killed himself in 2006. His mother blamed the drug for his death and has said that bringing salvia under regulation across the US will be her son’s legacy. The legislation that bans salvia has been dubbed “Brett’s Law”.

Phil Woolas from the Home Office was asked a question on it in parliament last week. He said:

“My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has recently written to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs [ACMD] requesting that it provide advice to Government on the availability and harms of psychoactive legal alternatives to illegal drugs, so called “legal highs”, with a particular focus on protecting young people. I fully anticipate that this work will include Salvia Divinorum. The Government’s position on its control will be informed by Advisory Council’s advice.”

The ACMD are due to report on their initial findings next month. If the ACMD do attempt to estimate the size and value of the UK legal high industry, it is likely to gain some column width.

Matt Bardo

Who are we?

We’d like to call ourselves the Woodward and Bernstein of the digital age.  But we can’t because there’s four of us:

Balihar Khalsa

A law graduate from Kings College London, Balihar is a producer and writer for behindtheheadlines. She has extensive experience in national business to business publications, working for Mobile Magazine as a freelance investigative reporter, the Grocer and Legal Week. Balihar has received praise from the founder of Dispatches and Unreported World for her tenacious approach to television journalism. She is studying on the postgraduate Investigative Journalism course at City University and works part time at the Guardian.

Matt Bardo

Behindtheheadlines’ onscreen reporter Matt Bardo is a graduate of Oxford University and is currently studying for an MA on City University’s Investigative Journalism course. Matt has worked for a number of current affairs production companies working on programmes including Dispatches and Around the world in 80 faiths. He has interned for a number of successful investigative journalists including Heather Brooke and Gavin McFadyean as well as gaining experience at the Tax Payers Alliance and a number of regional newspapers and national news magazines.

George Arbuthnott

George Arbuthnott is a writer and film director for behindtheheadlines. An economics graduate from Durham University, George won the Mail On Sunday bursary to study for a Masters in Investigative Journalism at City University. He has contributed to a number of national papers including the Independent on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph and the Mail On Sunday’s Live magazine where he researched a ground breaking report into the failures of child services in the UK. In May 2009 George’s feature documentary ‘The War on Faith’ won best film at the Carolina Film Festival.

Olly Laughland

Also a student on City’s postgraduate Investigative Journalism course, Olly is a writer and cameraman at behindtheheadlines. A graduate of Sussex University and ex editor of the university paper, Olly has gone on to work on articles at the Independent on Sunday and The Observer. Olly has worked for award winning investigative journalist Stephen Grey and was shortlisted for a Guardian Student Media Award in 2008. He also received a scholarship to study at City from the National Union of Journalists.