Professor Parsons is mistaken
| Friday February 1, 2008 00:00
Given that accuracy in recording and reporting information is as important to the field of history as it is to journalism, we were surprised and disappointed.
This letter will only deal with his sentences on Dipolelo Video Arts/Storyline Media, which are pretty much wrong from start to finish.
Here are the facts as they pertain to us:
1. We have not at any time, in writing or in speech, officially or casually, referred to Letta & Co (not 'Lelia & Co') as a 'soapie' and it misrepresents the project to do so. By generally accepted academic and industry definitions a soap opera is a serial narrative or serial melodrama. By design, Letta & Co is neither of those. Parsons 'soapie' designation is as accurate as calling a banana a mammal.
2. There is no such genre, style or creature called the 'human documentary'. If we have earned a reputation for our production work in Botswana it is primarily in information and education programming using a variety of genres and formats.
3. We do not operate in Botswana as film producers and have never claimed to be film producers: to do so would be pretentious and false.
We are a video production and creative services partnership working in social, health and development communications.
4. We began working as a company in 1996, not 1994. We have never made the claim that we are the 'oldest established firm' and do not know if this is true.
5. Renee's last name is Gilbey, not 'Gilbert'.
Finally, we do not appreciate having our work and intentions misrepresented. Parsons has never approached us to ask us anything.
Both as an academic and as a journalist Parsons has an ethical responsibility to check his facts, which in this case required only a simple phone call, fax or email to us.
Renee Gilbey and John Clement
Dipolelo Video Arts/Storyline
Media, GABORONE