What's Wrong with "To Catch a Predator"?

“What’s Wrong with ‘To Catch a Predator’?” – Some say journalists and cops working together blur the lines of ethics.

The point of argument in this article is the fact that journalists are working side by side with police forces, and their jobs are intermixing with each other, sparking a conflict with the ethics of journalism.

NBC’s “Dateline” series launched the investigation that seeks out online sexual predators, and arrests them. In the series, Journalist Chris Hansen and his camera crew stay behind the scenes until the predator is lured in by an offer from an underage teen online. Upon arrival, the predator is greeted by Hansen and his camera crew, and ultimately, a police squad is there for his arrest.

The show has proved successful. However, after an article published in Esquire magazine about the series, it has become a case study for journalists. It depicts how difficult it can be for journalists and investigators to work together with such a controversial matter because both groups are operating off of different goals and values.

It ultimately comes down to the lines of the jobs of the journalists and cops being blurred together. Esquire magazine said that it “makes it appear almost impossible for the journalists, the citizens, and the cops to stay true to their own goals and not to assume the work of the other.”

Some argue that the Dateline NBC production relies on the cops to draw their guns and tackle the predators in the end in order to capture dramatic video.

I am a fan of the show, but I had never thought of “To Catch a Predator” as taking advantage of the police force to profit for exciting, evening television progamming. I feel that journalist Chris Hansen and his crew do violate the journalistic code of ethics in a way. It is not a journalist’s job to take the law into his or her own hands, especially when the police are already involved in the situation. It makes me re-evaluate what the show is actually trying to accomplish – telling a story or trying to take down sexual predators. I would think that a journalist’s number one job is telling the story, and that it is the police’s job to “clean up the city” and keep things safe.

Either way, I feel it is definitely a thought-provoker.

New York Times
Poynter Online

Removing Content: When to Unring the Bell?

The reason this article is seen as controversial is because news organizations are facing growing questions about whether, how and when to unpublish articles. More specifically, are there times when the best solution is to wipe something off a site completely?

An increasing number of people are complaining to Times editors saying that “they are being embarrassed, are worried about losing or not getting jobs, or may be losing customers because of the sudden prominence of old news articles that contain errors or were never followed up.”

Google and other search engines are making these individuals worried since old news content can be found with a few clicks.

It is always important to decide on what news stories to publish, but it is also an important decision to think of the stories that should be unpublished. Times editors do not only think about the individuals who want the article removed. It is essential to take into consideration “the subject of the coverage, others who may have been involved in the incident or controversy, readers, etc.”

To decide on whether or not a story should be removed from a website, I think it depends on what the story is about and who is asking for the story to be removed. For example, no stories which are historically significant or play a key role in society should be erased. No matter who is asking for their removal. I also believe that stories involving know people should not be removed. One should be able to type into a search engine the names: O.J. Simpson, Barry Bonds, Scott Peterson or Andrea Yates and be given a list of news articles about these individuals and the crimes they committed. Anyone anywhere should have access to these articles.

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=129083