Sensational sting operations carried out by TV channels in India have raised some unanswered questions.Deception may play a major role in any undercover operation.But the information obtained must be of profound importance.It must be of vital interest such as revealing great system failure at the top levels or it must prevent profound harm to individuals.
Radio &Television News Directors Association(RTNDA) provides some guidelines:
What is the role of video in the story?Does it bring real value?
Is it necessary to use a hidden camera in this story?why? Does the story involve insignificant Private matters(even if emotional)or are there matters of vital public concern,prevention of profound harm or system failure?
Is the rationale for the story simply to win a prize or beat the competition?
Do your motives involve getting the story quickly and cheaply,rationalizing that others have done it or that the story subjects themselves unethical?
Are hidden-cameras to be used primarily to create drama?Can a visible camera be used with the same impact?
Have you used all traditional means to investigate the story,including interviews and reviewing public records and documents?
What happens if the reporters cover is blown?
Can a reporter lie to maintain his cover?
What happens if the reporter sees a crime being committed?
Where will the camera be used in a public place?quasi Public? Private home?
Will the reporter enter private property without consent or owners to tape?
Will editing be allowed to alter contents?
Former Indian Administrative service officer B.Raman asked several unpleasant questions regarding the massive use of spy cams in sting operations in India such as:Was there a metal detector in any of the places visited by the journalists? If so, how was it they didn’t sound the alarm on detecting the batteries and the transmission cord? /Was the activation mechanism automatic or manual? If manual, it must have been activated before the journalists entered the presence of those interviewed and the equipment must have video-recorded their conversations with others too such as the security guards, the personal assistants etc. Where are those recordings? /Was there an editing of the recordings? If so, to what extent and for what purpose? That there has probably been considerable editing is apparent to even a lay observer. Modern cameras automatically record the dates on which the shots were taken. The dates seem to have been edited. Why? /Is there a concurrent written record of the various stages of the sting operation from which one could see how many times a person was interviewed and what subjects figured during each conversation?/Has there been a morphing, interposing, substitution etc of the images-conversations and were these done manually or were they computer-generated? etc.
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