ABSTRACT
The sociology of media can be drawn upon to understand the way in which scandal is reported, but theoretical explanations of newsgathering decisions have often overlooked the specific characteristics and relevance of the law and legal threats. There is a final comparison to draw between the sustained non-reporting of the Savile and Armstrong allegations before the scandals broke: the role of the lone reporter. The chapter examines the influences on editorial decisions not to report allegations in the earlier stages of what become high profile scandals. The Pollard report highlights the multitude of competing factors influencing a single editorial decision to shelve a programme. The researching of ‘unreported’ stories and libel presents a problem: it is often difficult to collect hard evidence of reported threats against journalists, and to ascertain claims of threats against the media and other individuals.
