Dateline NBC's journalistic integrity is being called into
question after it was revealed that the network paid an organization to set up a pedophile sting for an ongoing
investigation titled "To Catch A Predator." An organization called "Perverted Justice" was paid by
NBC to set up a sting operation in which sexual predators were lured to a house in Ohio where they were caught by
officials. NBC is insisting it did nothing wrong, and that Web-based crimes require new ways of approaching stories.
Others disagree, claiming that by money exchanging hands the credibility of the story was affected.
The USA Today piece also had this quote: "NBC said it received at least 15,000 letters or e-mails in response to its February story. Not one parent complained about the journalistic methods used to film the piece, [Dateline NBC executive producer David Corvo] said." Well, they certainly didn't receive any complaints about NBC paying Perverted Justice, because no one knew about it when the segments aired.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-11-2006 @ 9:39AM
Joe Taylor Jr. said...
How is this any different from NBC paying a freelance research assistant or a freelance producer to investigate a story? This would only be an ethical violation if Perverted Justice paid NBC to secure the airtime.
Reply
4-11-2006 @ 9:58AM
Barbara Beck said...
I personally don't care who or why they paid anybody! It was an education for parents and for the predators. If it scared one predator off the internet it was worth a million!
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4-11-2006 @ 10:13AM
DAWSON BAILEY said...
I SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH WHAT NBC DID. WOULD MORE STATIONS BE WILLING TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE.
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4-11-2006 @ 10:19AM
Michelle said...
I applaud NBC. They paid for something that was well worth it. I found the story to be very educational and eye opening. Great Job NBC!
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4-11-2006 @ 12:19PM
purpleslog said...
Basically they outsourced the sting part to experts.
So what?
Big Media like NBC has plenty of problems (NASCAR, heh), this isn't one of them.
This is a non-story.
Reply