Journalism should aid, not handicap justice

When Dateline reporter Chris Hansen confronted pedophiles on Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator,” viewers watched as these men gave pathetic excuses for their behavior before being cast as society’s “bad guys” and being put behind bars.

Or so they thought.

ABC’s “20/20″ news magazine recently featured a biting expose on Dateline’s biggest failure: they filmed a Murphy, Texas, sting in such a negligent manner that all 23 men featured on the show could not be convicted.

The show’s final suspect, a local district attorney, committed suicide when the show’s producers directed police to take their hunt to his house. “Predator” had been hailed as the new face of investigative reporting ““ pushing journalism into new frontiers of modern, aggressive and honest programming.

But this incident highlights some major problems in the still-emerging relationship between investigative journalism and criminal justice.

Police should make all efforts to ensure that 100 percent of the work they do on film is necessary. In this particular case, the men had already committed the crime of soliciting a minor for sex when they engaged in lewd instant message conversations. All of the tackling of suspects to the ground, all of the guns being pointed not only at the suspects but at times at other officers acting in confusion, and all of the Chris Hansen segments were for show, for entertainment.

Additionally, the police must control the handling of any suspects, no matter the cost. Dateline had signed a contract with Perverted Justice, an organization who supplied the decoys who became the would-be victims. It was also the organization who identified the suspects and kept records (many of which were incomplete) of the online conversations.

Since the evidence was spotty, entrapment could not be ruled out. Thus, the men were freed.

Finally, reporters must adhere to the ethical codes that govern journalism. The Washington Post’s Standards and Ethics maintain that its reporters will “not misrepresent their identity” while “gathering news.”

In the “Predator” series, Hansen often waited to identify himself as a reporter until the end of his “interviews.” As the cameras were all hidden, these men could have thought they were talking to the child’s father, or any other man in the household. As such, their confessions and comments are not admissible in court.

These self-incriminations were violations of the Fifth Amendment, and theoretically, the pedophiles could sue for the damages their reputations have incurred.

Pedophilia is certainly a pressing issue ““ not only in America but also specifically in West Los Angeles. Self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan was arrested on UCLA’s campus just weeks ago. According to the Megan’s Law sex offender registry, there are at least four other convicted pedophiles living in Westwood. And in Beverly Hills, two pedophiles live one block away from Beverly Vista Middle School, in the immediate vicinity of both a church and a temple.

No matter the value of the cause or the possible efficiency that comes with having a media giant finance an operation, there must be concrete boundaries between what NBC claims to be “cutting-edge journalism” and cut-and-dry police work.

There are many laudable journalistic endeavors that have merged the media and government forces. Most notably, the viewpoint of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan has been brought to TV and newspapers around America, resulting in fresh, more candid reporting. Interestingly, it seems absurd to even think of reporters in war zones doing the job of military commanders.

So “Predator” is not only engaging television, but also a sad comment on what it takes to capture America’s attention. The show has taken the formula “Cops” created years ago and not only added a disturbing, sexual twist, but distorted the reality of law enforcement.

To undermine the legal foundations regarding both criminal and media law in order to make 23 men register as sex offenders is ultimately a regression. Justice cannot come at the cost of democratic law.

E-mail Makarechi at kmakarechi@media.ucla.edu. General comments can be sent to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.

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