Self Serving Media

In the last decade, there is an ongoing trend in television news broadcasting to host a version of their own investigative news, which give its’ viewers a “feel and look” as those similar to investigative journalism, but fails to deliver the same high quality and trustable contexts as investigative journalism did. ABC’s Nightline, CBS’s 60 Minutes, Fox’s longest running TV show America’s Most Wanted or NBC’s Dateline, all promised to deliver deep investigative report on political, economy, and social issues to the public, and prevent crimes by raising awareness. As described by John Pilger in his book titled “Tell Me No Lies”, investigative journalism is brave reporting without fear of telling the truth, exposing injustice, and is the highest form of journalism and the reason journalists existed (Intro xv). Journalists who had earned the credential title are those who are committed to serve the public interest without manipulating or implanting ideas to its viewer, or any other self serving purposes. Wilfred Burchett's remarkable dispatch on the atomic plague in Hiroshima or Robert Fisk on the savage and excessive killing cause by the invasion of Iraq is among the works recognized as investigative journalism by John Pilger. When news broadcaster mimics the style that investigative journalist used when reporting news to compete for viewers and to make themselves stand out in a crowded marketplace, it can misled the public and caused unnecessary fears or moral panic, a sociological term

describing a social reaction to a false or exaggerated treat to social values by moral deviants(). As the sociologist David Altheide has argued, fear does not happen overnight; it is constructed and then manipulated by those who seek to benefit(29). When fears are projected into a society, it can damage its health and create long term negative effects on the society itself. Medias who pledged to inform the public about ongoing crimes can actually caused more harm than the crimes itself if ethical standard is not closely practiced during the process in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Posted on the home page of Crimes Against Children Research Center web site, increased numbers of arrests do not suggest that internet is facilitating an epidemic of sex crimes against youth. Most of the arrests are from sting operations. The numbers probably reflected from increased numbers of children using internet and the growth of law enforcement activity against online crimes. In addition, there is no evidence that online predators were stalking or abducting victims based on information at social networking sites and online predators in 2006 constituted about 1 percent of all arrests for sex crimes committed against children and youth. Shouldn’t we address our attention and resources to where 99 percent of committed crime came from? Media should know better, when they are trying to mislead the public with false information about online risks, it will divert attention away from

real risks. Many professionals had researched and concluded that the issue on internet child molester is inaccurate and overrated, but media continues to run shows to warn and scare the public. Mass media interpreted the issue on pedophile and declared “online sex predators” as a fastest growing crime in America is an example of “when good media gone bad”. For the self purpose of grasping the viewer’s attention and to increase rating, almost all form of mass media have a catchy headline that go with their false assumption on pedophiles. As stated by Newsweek in an article in 2001, there is shocking increase in the sexual exploitation of children, on May 2, 2006 ABC News report claimed that one in five children is now approached by online predators, and CBS Evening News broadcast also came up with its own fuel for misdirection by making an assertion that when a child is missing, chances are high it was from a convicted sex offender. These newscasters are well respected by many and view as a dependable source for significant information, alas, betrayed citizen with distorted statistics and numbers, and taking away the resources needed to address real problems. What first presented assertively as solid facts is a hasty judgment for not analyzing the statistic provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children thoroughly. One in five minors who received an unwanted sexual solicitation included request from anyone, marking no difference whether it is from an adult or minor. That leads to another count of sexual

assaults although it is from a casual sex chat between two teens. Another false factor that influences the statistic of this study is people who pretend as minor to lure another adult into a sex chat is also counted as one. Sting operation ran by Dateline and America Most Wanted with the genuine help from Miss America greatly contribute not to prevent crimes but adding up to the total case number of minors who received unwanted online sex solicitation. Chris Hansen, the reporter from Dateline series “To Catch a Predator” claimed that web predators are a national epidemic and aware of his duty as a reporter to inform the public of this horrible crime and to bring justice to those caught during the sting. Two men committed suicide and lost their life to this stink operation. Who gives media the right to judge, the permission to implant ideas to the public and further awarded with 2006 Gracie Awards as the most outstanding short documentary show. “Minimize Harm” is one of the Code of Ethics in Professional Journalism. If gathering and reporting information may cause harm to others and pursuit of the news is guided by own conscience and treat suspects as human beings deserving respect. These principles are ignored by MSNBC. Although producers of Dateline claims that they are motivated by a genuine journalistic concern, no story is worth going after if it includes risking any life, whether the life of a citizen or a criminal.

Media coverage on online predator have generated an epidemic of sex crime committed through a new medium which is the internet. Needless to say, these reports have raised fears and increased worry among parents. Dateline senior producer Allan Maraynes stood by the program's work. "We've raised the public's consciousness of a very serious issue. We think we've created a model [for reporting on Internet pedophilia] that accurately reflects what happens in real life," he told the Daily Post. No doubt, preventing children from online predator is important, but media do not have the right to run its own sting operation and make judgments on the suspect. In fact, what claimed as genuine journalistic concern is actually a battlefield competing for rating and profits and the victim are not only children but the whole public. Today, we live in an “information age”, but it is more accurate to say we are living in a “media age” instead. The media had evolved from keeping us inform with the latest news and events from around the world to a powerful central where stories and information are being manipulated to sell viewers products, ideas or to promote candidates. It is extremely difficult to question Dateline on ethics when dealing with a topic that will expose predators and prevent children from online sexual abused. However, it doesn’t seem morally correct when undercover and sting operation is used to gather information. As stated in the

Professional Journalism Code of Ethics, gathering information by mean of undercover or other surreptitious methods should be avoided. Another, more important question arises from the series is the media’s role in dealing with so-called potential criminals. Chris Hansen questioned these suspects without much respect, identifying them on national television as child molester, posting embarrassing and humiliating video clips online and destroying the lives of these suspects who have the rights for a fair trial and remain innocent until it is proven guilty by law. It should left to the lawmaker to decide how the suspect should be dealt with. Many agreed that these suspect do not deserve sympathy from the public or media. They should be swept out from society, but the question is will the government keep them in the jail for the rest of their lives? Probably not. These criminals will someday be a part of the society again, and since they are not given any chance to repent and to earn a living, what else can these criminals do but to commit more crime to survive. An article from American Psychologist found out that most offenders caught at the sting operation do not have any previous history of crimes and majority is from middle class family with a profession. These offenders are also provider to a family. The harms are not limit to the sex offender but extend to member of their families. There are children who depend on these potential sex offenders for education and food.

Why the media ignored facts from sturdy research and continue to mislead the public with false assumption? The answer is self fulfillments. This is the essential fear we need to worry. Mass media, a sweeping national outbreak that deceived us with false opinion or belief, supplied public with hysterics news. The issue is not whether children are being attacked by online predator, but more harm is done to children and the society. First, misleading news influence lawmaker, in turn react with new rules. The recent formation of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is an absolute example showing media effect on the society. Secondly, worried parents will prevent youth from exploring the world. Children needs freedom to grow up to become a healthy adults.