Television talk shows have become a staple of broadcast schedules around the world, providing members of the public with the opportunity to express their views and concerns, and to participate in mediated public discussion and debate (Livingstone and Lunt 1994). Some talk shows, particularly those that are sensationalist or appear to promote conflict, have attracted a variety of ethical concerns. These include the potential for exploitation of vulnerable participants who are unaware of the hazards of displaying their problems in public, the potential dangers of public exposure of emotions in the programmes and the dumbing down of public discourse and debate. These new forms of broadcasting are often compared unfavourably with the public service broadcasting values of objectivity, neutrality and quality that are presumed to apply to established factual genres, notably the documentary and current affairs (Gamson 1998; Shattuc 1997).