Lorana Sullivan-one of my favourite Investigative Journalists

Lorana Sullivan whom I consider as one of the finest Investigative Financial Journalist of all time.Another reason why I consider her as one of my favourite Investigative Journalist is that Lorana worked as a freelance writer and researcher for The Observer(London)and other publication in Britain and the US.She started her carrier for her hometown paper the Elmira Star Gazette in 1961.She studied at Cornell University and Cornell Law School.She also attended School of Journalism of Columbia University.After getting a Pulitzer travelling fellowship,she worked as a reporter for The Sunday Times in London.
After returning to US, as a reporter for various newspapers like Providence Journal Bulletin in Rhode Island,Wall Street Journal,The Sunday Times,The London Observer,she unearthed major financial irregularities such as the financial dealings of Mohamed Al-Fayed after he acquired Harrods.Like Ida Tarbell,the pioneer American Investigative Journalist,Lorana exposed major high profile financial frauds.
After her premature death at the age of 61 years(1999),the Lorana Sullivan Foundation was established to improve the standards of Investigative Journalism.The Foundation who sponsors the London Investigative Journalism Summer School,provides two scholarships a year for students.

Ida Tarbell,the pioneer Investigative reporter

I still remember that when I first read the book 'The History of the Standard Oil Company',I was in the ninth standard.I was fascinated by the detailed research by the author .Later, I learned that Ida was America's most respected journalists of earlier part of the twentieth centuries.I visualized that I would some day be an Investigative Reporter.I found that the author Ida Tarbel (857-1944)was the most respected American journalist in the earlier part of the twentieth century.The lady became my inspiration.In this book she unearthed the illegal way by which the business tycoon John Rockefeller monopolize the then oil industry.Ida Tarbell spent much of her time searching documents,archives. Documents played a major role for muckrakers.Ida proved that 'document oritented' Investigative Journalism is much more authentic.American President Theodore Roosevelt introduced the term muckrakers for the reporters who dug up the shit.She tried tried to exploit her professional credentials for the sake of her personal gain.She even bluntly refused many coveted posts that was offered to her by the us government.I feel sad when I hear that Journalists of my genre use their connections for their monetary gain.

http://www.history.rochester.edu/fuels/tarbell/MAIN.HTM

Salute to Nellie Bly,the dare devil Investigative Reporter

Today,I dedicated my blog to Nellie Bly,one of the finest Investigative Reporter of all time .Bly, the young Investigative Reporter of Dispatch and later Joseph Pulitzer's The New york World specialized in undercover reporting.Bly's journalism style was marked by her first hand tales of the lives of ordinary people whether in mental asylum or in factory which employed child labour.This piece is for those who are not yet familiar about this outstanding reporter whom I idolized from my child hood.

Elizabeth Jane Cochran born on May 5, 1864,home of Mary Jane and Judge Michael Cochran in Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania, but shortly after her sixth birthday her father died.They faced severe financial crisis.When Elizabeth,was 18 years old she wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a editorial . George Madden, managing editor of the Dispatch was so impressed by the letter that he placed an ad in the Sunday edition of the paper asking that she introduce herself. The following day, Elizabeth met Madden and soon joined as a reporter of the Pittsburgh Dispatch.Elizabeth first article was not impressive,but Madden recognised the her potentiality. When Madden decided to make her a permanent member of his staff, he suggested a pen name for her, as it was quite improper for a woman to write for a newspaper at that time. After several brain storming session with his staff,he found a suitable pen name for her Nellie Bly after a song "Nelly Bly" written 35 years earlier by Stephen Collins Foster, one of Pittsburgh's native. From day one,Nellie focused her attention on women's rights issues. She was the inventor of investigative reporting and an expert at under-cover work. She posed as a poor sweatshop worker to expose the inhuman conditions under which women worked. When shop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the the paper, Nellie was put on an unimportant beat(fashion). She responded to her new assignment by taking a six-month working vacation in Mexico. She continued to write articles for the paper which focused on poverty and political corruption in Mexico. Eventually,the respective government expelled from the country.

Returning to the United States, she concentrated on New York City where she wanted to work for one of the city's top newspapers.
Four months after arriving in New York, Nellie found herself still jobless and penniless. Nellie did'nt want to go back to Pittsburgh, she went to meet Colonel John Cockerill, managing editor of the New York World and presented her ideas.
In September 1887, Nellie admitted to a mental Asylum on Blackwell's Island as an undercover reporter. Nellie continued her undercover reporting for the New York World until 1888,When Newyork World's top brass decided to send a man around the world in less than 80 days. Nellie, took it as a challenge to do it in less time for any another newspaper if they did not agree to send her instead.
On November 14, 1889, Nellie Blys started her world-wide journey on the Hamburg-American Company liner Augusta Victoria from the Hoboken Pier. Bly's travel experiences were published daily in the paper and appreciated by readers.After,Seventy-two days, Nellie arrived home. But dismayed and by the lack of appreciation from her employers, Nelliesubmitted her resignation. In 1893, Nellie made her comeback at the New york World. Her reporting focus mostly on women oritiented issues and fighting corruption in high places.
On April 5, 1895, Nellie married a man named Robert Livingston Seaman 40 years her senior and retired from journalism. Seaman was a millionaire industrialist. After Seaman's death, Nellie focused all her energy to run her late husbands company, The Iron Clad Manufacturing Company.
In 1914, Nellie went to England to escape her financial problems because of the bankruptcy of her company for a few weeks. While in war-torn Europe(World war1), she reported the war from behind the scenes.She returned home after 1919, and again restarted her journalism career, for the New York Evening Journal.
On January 27, 1922 , Nellie Bly died at the age of 57 of pneumonia.For her excellent undercover work,visit: http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bly/madhouse/madhouse.html

Pix:(above) U.S postal stamp on Nellie Bly.

We should have a good khabari

I had no other clue except that the guy has a automotive shop just beside a police station in Pune.But,there are so many police stations divided by different zones.It was a herculean task for me.How I find him,I wonderedShamir(name changed ), shifted his base from a hilly town in North Eastern region of India to Pune after duping scores of people.He duped people and collected money by impersonating a 'commander'of a millitant outfit of North- East.First I download the details of Pune police stations from their website.After that I collected the names and addresses of automotive shops in and around Pune.I also collected the addresses and phone numbers of Khandelwals living in Pune.Then I randomly dialled automotive shops in and around Pune.My boss told me to find out that man,what he does and his connections.I got in touch with my contact in Pune.Suddenly an idea floated up in my mind -there must be an association of that particulatr community in Pune which he belongs.Meanwhile,I found that there is an automotive shop beside Pune Police headquarter.After a frantic search i found the secretary of a Samaj(Society) and collected his phone number and told him that I need some information about that man who belongs to his samaj.My Pune contact assured me over phone that though he is not able to locate that man yet,he is hopeful that he will find him soon.I called up a guy,who had some underground connections and explained my purpose.Later in the day,my contact informed me,he locate a person who has a automotive shop near a police station but he was not yet sure about the identity of the person.He told me that he needed few more days to identify the person.Two days back,the secretary of the Samaj informed me over phone that his men locate Samir has a thriving business in Pune.I thank God then spend the rest of the night by instructing my contact on yahoo messenger.Still,there was hope,I thought.I was excited.Few days later,my contact informed me that he took the photographs of the man and emailed me the photographs.I instantly recognise the man and instructed my contact to find out his address.Few days later,he informed me that the man lives with his wife and two children in Bhandarkar Road,North Pune and after that it was easier for me to got every details of the man.Then,I realize that we should have a good khabari(Informer).

Don't tell my husband you called me

I always enjoy my undercover reporting.Whenever I got chance,I went underground.I always fascinated by the stories that most of the beauty parlours in small towns are involved in sex trade.So, to get a first hand knowledge,it was necessary for me to get involved in related trade.Luckily,I got a job as a sales representative for a little known company deals with beauty products.I started visiting various retail outlets and beauty parlours in suburban towns.To my utter surprise, I found that most of the parlours in the outskirts of the city turned into brothels.In ladies parlours presence of male customers puzzled me.Then,I found that these beauty parlours mainly deal with these type of customers.In Howrah,I visited a small ladies beauty parlour.When I approach the ladies inside the parlour,they told me to wait . A small room separated by a curtain.I noticed the movement of shadows behind the curtain.I heard the ticking of the clock hanging in the room.I have been waiting for more than a hour.It was about 7:30 on a warm evening.My curiosity grew,I've discovered that ladies indulged in sex with clients.Then a middle aged man,completely drunk, entered the room and told me that customers who visited his parlour didn't need any beauty products.They only want entertainment.He was right.Beauty parlours in small towns are involved in sex trade because they don't get steady customers throughout the year and they found that it is lucrative enough to resist.Here I met a young chirpy girl. I want to know her family background."Don't tell my husband you called me,don't tell him you have my phone number",she begged.Hey,don't worry, from today you are my close buddy,I assured her.The face of the girl was wreathed in smile.Few weeks later,at about 3 A.M I woke up and headed for the bathroom.When I returned to bed,I got a call from that girl.....She desperately needed help from me.I rescued the girl with the help of a NGO from the clutches of her husband who was a pimp and forced her to enter into the flesh trade .But that's another story.
I get lots of story ideas by going underground and when possible,I use my insider knowledge to cover a story.

You can produce excellent visuals by using ordinary cameras

I always believe that it's not the camera its journalism.You can produce excellent visuals by using ordinary and cheap camera.As I wrote in my earlier blog that though, I personally believe that content is the king in any television production,minimum production quality should be maintained.Now online editions of newspapers in America and other countries use videos along with still pictures and even try to compete with Television Networks.I really impressed by the works of photo journalists of newspapers in USA who turned into videography and have done excellent job.Here,I quote Andy Plesser from Bee.tv where he describes that its not the size and the price of the camera,its the skill of the person behind the camera that matters:
With hand held cameras, video reporting is a natural extension of print reporting and holds great advantage for newspaper publishers, says pioneering news producer Tammy Haddad.
In the world of innovative television news producing, Tammy is at the top. She has produced “Larry King Live,” “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and others. These days, she’s reporting on the presidential campaign as a contributor to Newsweek.com with her small Sanyo video camera.
I caught up with her at Advertising 2.0 last week in New York. She explains the ease of shooting and uploading with her device. Moreover she noted that the camera can augment print coverage and can be much faster and less intimidating than a full news crew. And, she says she can file much faster -- and takes glee in beating an ABC News team a few weeks back.
Newspapers, with legions of print reporters, are positioned to expand in video coverage, Tammy says. The equipment is not expensive . Tammy’s Sanyo costs less than $800. Flip by Kara Swisherand CNET News.Dan Ferber is under $200.
Washington Post has trained nearly 200 staffers in how to use video cameras.
I'm in Hollywood today with my Nokia95. I also have a LA-based cameraman shooting in DV to bring you the production quality you expect from your purple channel. But these smaller devices will fill an important spot it the news ecosystem.
In India still photographers of newspapers be prepare for the day when they will simultaneously handle still photographgraphy as well as videography for their websites like their counterparts in America and other western countries.

Be prepare for the worst

Meticulous planning is necessary for any sting operation.It takes time -four ,five months or even more to meteralize the entire operation.First, a strong team headed by an experienced journalist closely monitor the entire operation.Review the progress every day.He must ensure that only junior or less experienced reporter will send into the field along with an experienced reporter.Legal experts should review everything from timee to time,its legal aspects,tapes of sting operation and should have the power to remove the unacceptable parts.Above all you should have a strong pretext and deception so that you can convince your subject.Your contacts should be active particaptants in the whole process and obivously a steady flow of fund to carry out the operation.But, its another point that despite all these precautions including maintaining journalistic ethics ,follow the law properly,you could still be in trouble(read law suits).Operation Duryadhan,operation Chakravuh -these are not the code name of any millitary backed operation against terrorism,but sting operations were carried out against greedy policitians.Operation Duryadhun where 11 MPs accepting money to ask questions in Parliament. Another TV channel came out with yet another expose highlighting corruption among MPs in selecting the projects for Local Area Development Scheme. Conducted by a Cobrapost.com(an online Investigative news portal headed by ex-Tehelka reporter Aniruddha Bahal) and Aajtak investigation, 10 Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha members were caught on camera as they accepted money from the team of a non-extistent body called the North Indian Small Manufacturers’ Assosciation (NISMA) for asking questions in the Indian Parliament.The MPs were Narendra Kushwaha (BSP), Anna Saheb M.K. Patil (BJP),Y.G. Mahajan (BJP),Manoj Kumar (RJD),Lal Chandra Kol ,Dr Chhatrapal Singh Lodha (BJP),Pradeep Gandhi (BJP),Suresh Chandel (BJP),Chandra Pratap Singh (BJP),Ramsevak Singh (Congress) Manoj Kumar (RJD).
I quote Aniruddha Bahal from his article appeared in Cobrapost.com.

The MPs submitted questions on NISMA’s behalf and some of them were selected—and their answers given—in the Parliament’s rigorous balloting system that reduces chances of questions being taken up to something akin to a raffle. Some of the questions were rewritten by the middlemen taking us to the MPs concerned before being put in Parliament, some came nearly verbatim and only certain sections of some were picked up by the Parliament staff. The COBRAPOST team also has in its possession many, original signed forms of MPs, blank as well as filled up, which weren’t submitted but set aside as evidence.From the start it was my assessment that in order for a reportorial team to remain undercover for a long duration it would be prudent to have a woman reporter as the primary asset on the field. Their biggest advantage in undercover situations is that even in an extreme atmosphere of suspicion they have greater chances to evade a search for hidden camera equipment then men and for all the right reasons. Besides Suhasini Raj, the reporter, who was inserted in the field with an alias of “Namita Gokhale”, had a past selling insurance and was a fast talker. Never at a loss for words, she ended up doing an extraordinary job on the field, surviving several anxious moments when many middlemen and even MPs got their antennae up. The fictitious front under whose umbrella the COBRAPOST team operated was NISMA, ostensibly an organization out of Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, that lobbied and worked for the interests and welfare of Small Scale Industries (SSIs). That was, in a nutshell, our story. Even though on several occasions I was tempted to enter the field much earlier than I actually did, I held back realizing that it wouldn’t be prudent for there was a chance of somebody recognizing me. When I did eventually take the field with an alias of “Navratan Malhotra”, executive director of the ‘fictitious’ NISMA, I was armed with a ludicrous wig and even more ludicrous glasses.There were seven principal middlemen, namely, Harish Badola, Chandrabhan Gupta, M.K. Tripathi (alias Chotiwala), Mohan, Dinesh Chandra, Ravinder Kumar, Vijay, and some others. While Harish was our conduit to three BJP MPs (Anna Saheb M.K. Patil, Y.G. Mahajan and Chhatrapal Singh Lodha), Gupta introduced us to three MPs (Lal Chandra Kol and Narendra Khushwaha of the BSP and Chandra Pratap Singh of the BJP), Mohan Mani lead us to one (BJP MP Pradeep Gandhi), Vijay took us to two MPs (Ramsevak Singh of the Congress and Suresh Chandel of the BJP), and Ravinder Kumar (BSP’s Raja Ram Pal) and Chotiwala (RJD’s Manoj Kumar) to one MP each. Dinesh was the middleman who sent us across to four other middlemen—Gupta, Vijay, Ravinder and Mohan.
Another important sting operation carried out by Star News-Detective Inteligence Guild(DIG)showed a former Goa Chief Minister and Lok Sabha member Churchil Alemao, former Union Minister and BJP MP Fagan Singh Kulaste and one Samajwadi Party MP and another supported by SP involved in accepting money to allot work for the MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) Scheme.Alemao, a Congress MP from South Goa, who discussed commisson in two meetings, is asking the undercover reporters in third meeting to open a bag full of money as commission for a project to popularise Konkani language. The former Chief Minister demands an advance of Rs. Two lakh, but on suspicion grew,he threatened the reporters at which the team backed out.The sting operation also shows Yuvraj Siingh, Personal Secretary of Fagan Singh Kulaste, a former Union Minister, taking money on behalf of BJP MP Chandra Pratap Singh, who was also exposed in the sting operation'Operation Duryodhan'.
From these two successful operations,one can understand that deception play a major role in any sting operationn.As I mentioned earlier proper planning and co-ordination between reporters and contacts is a must.An Investigative Reporter should always remember that what happens if his or her cover is blown?So,be prepare for the worst.

CNN-IBN should have telecast the tapes

The left has pulled the plug on the government over N-deal and the congress led United progressive Alliance(UPA) faced trust vote in the house of the people on July 22.The trust vote victory was one of the most successful operation ever organised by the Congress and its allies-a neck to neck fight becomes a 19 vote majority for the UPA is a major victory for the government.But, in which manner the BJP MPs' flashed wads of Rs.1,000($20)allegedly paid to them as bribe by UPA floor managers,shocked the nation.But media experts questioned the role of the network who has claimed that it posses tapes showing bribes being accepted in exchange for their votes for the UPA.
According to media reports,on Monday(July21)afternoon,a BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh was approached by the UPA floor managers to bailout the government.He immediately informed a senior BJP leader and a plan was chocked out to entrap the UPA.TheBJP itself recorded the conversation usin a hidden camera.Then they approached a leading TV network(CNN-IBN) and the editor approved it.the whole conversation between a Samajwadi party(S.P) leader who visited the three BJP MPs'and the handover of Rs.1 crore($25,000)as advance -every details were captured by the hidden camera.Then they hand over the 'sting operation' to the channel.But,the channel made a U-turn -decided not to telecast the tapes -hand over the tapes to the speaker.Purists believe that the channel violate the journalistic ethics.they should have telecast the tapes.If they approve it then what prompted them to take this decision.Is it the desire to upkeep the sancitity of the parliament or something else, they wondered. Here, I quote an article posted in the website of India Media Centre where they questioned the decision of the network:what happened on Tuesday(July22) just two hours before the crucial vote on Dr Man Mohan Singh's motion of confidence, when three MPs disgorged bundles of cash on the table of the House, sounds a bit bizarre both on the part of the political class and the channel concerned. CNN-IBN which had done a sting declined to telecast the sting operation they carried on the attempts to bribe the BJP MPs, instead deciding to handing the tape over to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.Is it the job of a TV channel to provide proof to any Constitutional authority, in this case the Speaker, before it could telecast the news to its viewers? Does this not give handle to critics to allege that the channel was silenced? In fact, in a panel discussion in another channel, this was hinted. It is possible that the channel might have felt that it was taken for a ride by unscrupulous politicians and thus the whole episode was quite fishy. So, it was not fair to telecast the tape since the channel itself was not convinced about the authenticity of the whole operation. In such a case there was no need for the channel to hand over the tape to the Speaker. The editor-in-chief of the channel gave quite a righteous bite that the channel did not want to be part of the bitter political battle. For the last one week, politicians and the media have been making allegations that lot of money is changing hands. Politicians especially from the UPA, named parties from where there will be abstentions or cross voting to bail out the UPA. In many discussion forums on the channels, the media was taunted for not doing anything to investigate these charges and the anchors were only asking "Where are such huge amounts coming from?" When CNN-IBN did a sting to expose such dirty operations, why did they feel shy of telecasting the news, especially in the context of the channels outsourcing such sting operations in the past for an astronomical fee? A statement from the channel says "While trying to investigate deeper into this trail, we realized that the issue needed further probing and we could not at this stage telecast it without further verification". If the job was only half done, why did the channel decide to hand over the incomplete tape to the Speaker? What purpose does it serve? The statement further says: "We are also aware that as the matter involves honourable members of Parliament and involves a question of parliamentary privileges, the media needs to be extra cautious before airing or telecasting any such news". This is quite funny. The "cash for query" sting and scam involving MPs Constituency Development Fund, related to "honorable members of Parliament" and the channels that telecast these sting operations received applause from all quarters. No channel was punished for breach of privilege. Why did CNN IBN develop cold feet on this sting, especially when it claims "Whatever it takes"? Is the reluctance to telecast due to the fact that the concerned MPs preempted the channel by disclosing the "Cash for Votes" operation on the floor of the House violating an understanding? Telecast of the tape, after the operation was exposed on the floor of the house, would give the impression that the channel was in cahoots with the BJP and was trying to support the BJP in the murky political scenario. If the bribe episode allegedly by the SP was true, the channel should not have bothered about the after-effects of telecast and should have stood by the truth. Only then, their tag line "Whatever it takes" would be credible. Otherwise, it is only a verbal jugglery. "Publish and be damned" is the idiom media men are taught right from the journalism schools. How far is this relevant today? That is the crucial question. Probably, before publishing/telecasting, we have to think twice or more of the consequences or how the telecast material would hurt one set of politicians or the other.
Other TV channels should learn lessons form the entire episode.

Loaded with spy-cam I met her boss

It was an extremely hot June evening,but I was comfortable inside one of my haunting grounds,a small bar in Central Calcutta.After waiting for 15 minutes, my contact, a 40-year old small time trader entered the bar and sat beside me.He is favourite among the crowd and the bartenders.I remember,three summers ago, around this time, I met him at the same bar for the first time and became my close buddy.We were chatting for a long time over a glass of vodka .After that,I didn't see him for several weeks,until I got a SMS from him ,suggesting that we meet up at a restaurant after two days.There,he came over to meet me with a chirpy young lady who was a part of a well organised sex racket.Later,loaded with spy-cam, I met her 'boss',a middle aged man in an undisclosed location.My anxiety grew when I found that he was not comfortable with me and became suspicious about my identity and ordered his armed henchmen to search my body.But,luckily with the timely intervention from that lady and others present at the room,I survived.
Here,I want to quote Ashish Kira from a piece where he described the ordeal he had faced as a undercover reporter when he extensively investigates the involvement of Hindu fundamentalist in Gujrat carnage 2002 for Tehelka.:....At the appointed time,I walked into the high-cellinged reception room of the Vadodara BJP office.Half an hour later, Dhimant Jain walked in, a sort man in his late 30s with a newly-acquired punch.He was fixated with Muslims,whom he evidently considered the root of all evil.....Struggling between pursuing files and answering a near-incessant phone calls,he was most hospitable,offering me water,then tea,then showing me the way to the toilet(where I switched on the two spy cams I wearing)....A few minutes later,Dhimant Bhatt's driver steered the car off the main road and turned into a narrow,deserted,kutcha road.As the car stopped outside a desolate,one-storey house,another car pulled up and two men got out.Bhatt and these men went into the house and told me to wait.I had two spy-cams on me and all it needed to blow my cover was a body frisk.I prepared for the worst......These are the common professional hazards we face every day.

There are a wide range of high quality spy cameras.These spy-cams can be hidden in almost any object and produce high quality picture resolution.Spy camera can be easily connected to a VCR or TV. Because of it's small size, this spy-cams can also be hidden anywhere including body parts.Smaller and lighter than a cigarette lighter but records hi-resolution video via its pin hole spy camera at the touch of a button.But,as I mentioned in earlier blogs that before using hidden cameras-spy cams we should be more careful about its legal consequences.Here, I quote Robert Lissit, a former TV news magazine Producer from his article appeared in American Journalism Review(March 1995).
Some producers and reporters who use hidden cameras say they adhere to strict guidelines and cite numerous stories that couldn't have been done any other way. But unfortunately the cameras often are used as a substitute for thorough reporting. Moreover, some journalists say hidden cameras shouldn't be used at all. They say they're unethical, and can result in stories that constitute a serious invasion of privacy. Privacy law has never been as well-defined as libel, and still hasn't been conclusively established by Supreme Court rulings. However, airing audio recorded during a hidden camera investigation is prohibited in some states by laws requiring the consent of both parties to record a conversation. And in California, a judge is threatening to bar ABC News from using hidden cameras in private workplaces in the state. Had that been the law in New Jersey, CBS News wouldn't have been able to record in Joel Rachmiel's office. Some journalists fear cases like the one in California as well as the threat of lawsuits may force reporters to stop using hidden cameras altogether. The news media have utilized hidden cameras since 1928, when the New York Daily News sent a photographer to Sing Sing Prison with a small camera strapped to his ankle to secretly photograph an electrocution. Fifty years later, the famous Mirage Bar story pretty much brought an end to newspapers using hidden cameras. The Chicago Sun-Times, in collaboration with a watchdog group, the Better Government Association, set up a saloon monitored by hidden cameras to document licensing inspectors soliciting bribes. The Sun-Times was roundly criticized for the sting and Chicago papers no longer use hidden cameras. In fact, most newspapers no longer consider them appropriate. "Papers can't really show a story through pictures," explains Jeff Kumer, investigations editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We have to show the story with words." Over the years other network and local reporters routinely shot pictures from vans with cameras hidden behind curtained windows. But the impetus for the recent proliferation of hidden camera stories came in 1989, when ABC's "PrimeTime Live," using new miniature cameras, developed an innovative reporting style. Investigative producer Robbie Gordon used hidden cameras to uncover patient abuse in a health care facility in Houston, in Veterans Administration hospitals and in a day care center . These were dramatic stories that received favorable attention from the press and attracted large audiences. Without hidden cameras, says Gordon, the stories would have been impossible to do.Gordon had used hidden cameras years before, but they were bulky and hard to work with. In the early 1980s0 she snuck a large camera into a hospital emergency room in a suitcase. "It made so much noise when it started up," Gordon remembers, "that we all had to cough to cover up the sound." By 1989, though, Toshiba and Elmo had started producing cameras the size of a lipstick. When carried in a wig, a hat or a stuffed toy, they couldn't be seen or heard. And unlike the previous generation of cameras, micro miniatures can deliver an extremely clear picture. They're also relatively inexpensive: A camera and lens cost less t0. By 1991, the success of "PrimeTime Live," the new cameras' convenience and relatively low cost, and the promise of higher ratings convinced other network shows and local stations to embrace hidden camera technology. That's when major ethical questions started cropping up again. In 1992, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies took official notice of the growing use of hidden cameras by adopting guidelines drawn up at the institute. A year later SPJ published a handbook, "Doing Ethics in Journalism," which recommended that hidden cameras be used only for stories of profound importance when there's no other way to get the information, and when the information outweighs the potential harm caused by the deception. SPJ distributed the handbook to thousands of newsrooms. Some of the "bad work" Rosen worries about includes poorly conceived stories, stories where the final result doesn't justify the inevitable invasion of privacy that goes with the technology, and ones in which stations rely on a quick hit with a hidden camera in lieu of thorough reporting.
I mention the article to make you understand the nitty-gritty of using hidden cameras-spy-cams.Here,in India even and junior and inexperienced reporters use hidden cameras.

A good Investigative reporter can not reveal his source

My sources are my friends.They trust me a lot and without any hesitation they pass vital information to me and I always prefer to go undercover for my assignment their knowledge of the darker side of the society come as a handy.I treat my sources as my friends.I chat a lot with them and try to solve their problem.I believe that a good investigative reporter can not reveal his source.He prefer to go to jail rather than reveal their identity.Few years ago,one of my source brought a young lady to me.He introduced the lady as a call girl.After that we regularly met and she revealed 'trade secrets'to me.She believed me a lot and I always protected her identity.But now she withdrew from it entirely.She formed a NGO and helping destitute children.As an investigative reporter first I try to built up confidence and then persuade persons to talk on camera.I tell them that I have nothing to do with their criminal activity or criminal background but I try to highlight their plight-they trust me a lot and openly tell their story on camera.Despite my best effort to built a co-ordial relation with them,sometimes they put me in trouble.Here, I want to recall one incident where I was compelled to take action against one of my contacts.Few months ago,my source a husky guy came over my office and struck up conversation with me and pull pranks-then he told me that he needed one of my mobile phones to capture some videos for me.As I trust him, I hand over my mobile phone to him and he promised to return it after finishing his job.But two -three days later when he didn't return my mobile, I tired to contact him,found that his mobile was switched off.I didn't remember his home address.I was at my wits end.After waiting for ten-twelve days,I informed the police.Though it was not a strong Case because I willingly gave it to him,they considered the case seriously.Rajiv Chatterjee a young officer of Lake police Station nab him from his hideout after three months and several rounds of raids.I later learnt that the guy involved in white color crime and earlier police booked him on several charges.
Despite these types of setback, I still trust my sources and regularly meet them.I follow the footsteps of Pete Shellem, a chain-smoking investigative reporter of Patriot-News of Harrisburg,Pennsylvania who meets sources in bars and knows most of the bartenders by name.When his immediate boss or any other person from his newspaper needs to find him for a question on a story they know where to find him.By his tireless effort four innocent people were freed from jail after serving several years in jail.Hats off to his temperament.

She accused me of using a hidden camera to tape her

As an Investigative Reporter,I often go undercover.I admire investigative reporter,Neille Bly who preferred to went underground for her stories.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. I keep certain things in mind before any undercover operation.
What I do if my cover is blown up?
Can I lie to maintain my cover?
What happens If I see a crime being committed?
So,I prepare myself.Few years ago,i went underground to unearthed a sex-racket.I took a job at a message parlour.For this purpose,I underwent training as a masseur.As a freelance reporter,I believe that I have to 'protect' myself.It is unfortunate that I got minimum help from my employers.As an investigative reporter,we should know how and when to use the hidden cameras-spy cams.I think when I use deception to gain access for reporting,I should maintain my cover.Therefore,I personally take some precautions such as I behave like them,learn their lingo and use my contacts to get access.I think that without preparation and proper planning we should not go into the field.I remember one incident where I interviewed a woman secretly, though she knew that I'm a reporter,sued me for defamation.she accused me of using a hidden camera to tape her.After that,I became cautious.Before any undercover operation meticulous planning is necessary -use of hidden cameras-spy cams without planning and preparation may ruined reporter's carrier and badly damage the image of TV stations.

some insensitive reporters sensationalize their stories

As a freelance reporter,I have no right to comment on others but,I feel sad when I find that some 'insensitive'reporters unnecessarily sensationalize their stories.Here, I want to mention the sensational double murder case in Noida.Police had found Noida school girl Arushi's body in her bedroom on May 16 morning.Later,Hemraj their 45 year old domestic help also found dead.First, they suspected Hemraj for Aarushi's murder.Even they circulated pictures of the 'massing servant'.But,Noida Police top brass were embarrassed when the 'missing servant' they had confidently accused of killing the school girl turned up murdered .Every time media savvy top officials of Noida Police came up with new theories and murder alibi.Then, they arrested another domestic help Vishnu Sharma,having worked for Talwar's (Aarushi's parents Rajesh and Nupur Talwar,both well known Dental Surgeons of Delhi) for twin murders because,according to Police,the Talwar's had angered him by replacing him with a man called Hamrej who was murdered along with Aarushi.Then,Noida police claimed that they had crack the murder mystery and arrested Rajesh Talwar,father of murdered school girl.The police said the motive was to prevent Aarushi from revealing Rajesh's affair with colleague Anita Durrani,also a dentist.Rajesh was also angry with his daughter for having an 'affair' with Hemraj.News channels blindly quote Noida police.The news channels conducted media trial of the little girl,who was not their to defend herself.Noida double murder case is the biggest crime story after Nithari serial killing case of 2006 where from 2005 to the end of 2006 at least 19 children-all from poor families went missing from Nithari,a slum in Noida,near Delhi.Repeated complaints by parents of missing children to the Police didn't help a single missing child.After the intervention of High Court, the police found skeletal remains of children buried in a drain running behind affluent businessman Moninder Singh Pandher's Noida house.Initial investigation revealed that pandher,along with his domestic help Surendra Koli,had sexually abused and killed the children.News channels have reported a jump in their viewership ever since the news of the double murder broke.People are interested to know about who killed Aarushi.From the first day, Noida police mishandled the case.Every time they arrested someone or made up a 'story',media specially News channels blindly follow the theory.In the Arushi murder case,the police made the mistake of not taking timely action and missed out vital clues.Though,news channels questioned the 'mishandling' the case by the police,they compete each other to improve their TRP.For instance,on May 23,the day Aarush's father was arrested and Police claimed it to be honour killing, the Television Rating Point of Hindi news channels jumped overnight.Noida police claimed that Rajesh killed her daughter because he had found them(Aarushi and their domestic help Hemraj) in an objectionable but not compromising position.Few days back I got an e-mail from a lady.She wrote me that her 8 year old daughter asked her some 'embarrassing' questions -like Aarushi's 'affair' with Hemraj and extra-marital affair of Rajesh talwar with Anita Durrani.After CB took over the case from noida Police,they arrested Rajesh Talwar's compound er Krishna and Durrani's domestic help Raj Kumar and questioned Aarushi's mother Nupur Talwar,their friend and business partners Anita and Parful Durrani and a neighbour's servant Vijay Mondal.
In these type of cases, I always remember the advice of senior journalists.I personally avoid putting the camera and boom into someones face without asking their permission.I walk down to the person without my crew and tell him or her who am I and express my condolences.i show them how concerned or sympathetic i am.After Spending sometime with them,I tell them that though I know it's a difficult time for them but at the same time it's might helpful for others if the subject talk on camera.Here,I want to quote Veteran Photojournalist Angela Grant:I think it's a matter of convincing the person that you're trying to tell their side of the story. When I interview people who have lost a loved one, I tell them that I want to ask them questions about the person and create a sort of memorial to them. People usually like that idea ... It's an honor because you're saying their loved one is valuable, his or her loss was tragic, and the person is worth remembering.If they say no the first time, I'll sometimes ask again and just make sure that I explain what I'm trying to do. If they say no a second time, I'll say okay, I'm sorry for your loss. Then I leave them alone. Try to get another family member to talk.

Investigative reporters should work quietly

Before every assignment,I feel the urge to follow the procedures mentioned by Radio &Television News Directors Association(RTNDA)such as:
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?
Though this guidelines are adopted by an American organisation keeping in mind the American perspective and legal system, but I think that Investigative Reporters of other countries who use hidden cameras-spy cams regularly should follow these guidelines.
Here,I want to quote few paras from an article appeared in southasia analysis.org written by a former Indian Administrative service officer B.Raman. He asked several unpleasant questions regarding the massive use of spy cams in sting operations in India.Serious Investigative journalism is replaced by sting operation.
* 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?

Through computer-generation techniques one could create a make-believe picture of something, which is far from what actually happened.If the expert opinion confirms the authenticity of the recordings, stern action must be taken against those figuring in the recordings.I think that investigative reporters should work quietly relying on their own instincts,their overall knowledge and their own confidence.No one feel their presence.That's the difference between a general reporter and an investigative reporter.

Don't disturb natural environment

Though, I personally believe that content is the king in any Television production,minimum production quality should be maintained.I,here like to mention the shows based on crime-investigation in local TV stations in Calcutta.Everyday,one of such shows closes with uninterrupted praise for their Anchor-producer-Director(all rolled into one)-projected as social reformer who fights for justice.Though the show became popular,I personally don't like their presentation.Anchor as well as reporters are basically arrogant,disrespectful.They often cross their journalistic ethics.To cover these type of sensitive stories,one should avoid usual equipments such as tripods and lighting instruments.So that,subjects can forget about camera's presence.To shoot in the environment friendly situation,subjects can express themselves naturally.I always remember that journalists are not social reformers,we are mere informers.Whether is is hard news or soft news,tell the story visually.Local crime-investigative shows follow the same pattern.In 30 minute show,they drag a single story-sometimes,viewers feel irritated-bored.If we have enough footages-cutaways,various angle shots( according to vetern news videographer Angela Grant, always try to get at least four shots of every single thing we want to shoot.),we can create impact in mere 180 seconds or 240 seconds.We can easily put 3-4 stories in 30 minutes format.We should be cautious to cover a sensitive story-someone who has just lost his or her loved one or a accused person or one who has been an eyewitness to a tragedy.The question that a senior Journalist ask for himself is how do I do it and still retain my journalistic ethics.Don't ever shoot anybody without his or her permission-I agree with others that this strategy doesn't apply to most other situations,but I myself apply this strategy where emotions are running high and the person whose visuals we want to take,is an ordinary person not a public figure.

TV stations follow CBI blindly

Last year,a major news story that dominated the local Tv stations in Calcutta for several weeks was the death of a bright young man.His body was found dead beside railway tracks near Calcutta.I narrate the story in a nutshell.Rizwanur, 30, was found dead between Dumdum and Bidhannagar Road railway station on 22Th September 2007,body covered with injury marks and head smashed a month after marring local business tycoon AshokToddy's daughter against her families wishes.
The youth had accused lalbazar, head quarter of Calcutta police of pressuring her wife to return to her father and threatening to arrest Rizwanur for kidnapping if she didn't ,according to his family and an NGO whose help he had sought.According to the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights,Rizwanur's complaint said that Assistant Commissioner(anti rowdy section) Sukanti Chakraborty and deputy commissioner(headquarter) Gywant Singh had tried persuasion. Later City Detective Chief Ajay Kumar issued the arrest threat on September prompting the girl to go back for seven days to Todi's Saltlake home from where she never returned.Later,all the accused police officers including Police commissioner were transferred.
Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya ordered a CID(criminal Investigation Department) probe into Rizwanur's death.Later, the case was handed over to Central bureau of Investigation(CBI).TV stations tried to compete each other -live footages -sensationalize the whole issue-even cross the journalistic ethics-violating people's privacy.They follow CID later CBI officials blindly and 'hijack' people related to the case who were questioned by the central investigative agency,to their studious.But,unlike Tehelka, a magazine, conducts independent investigations on several high profile cases,local TV stations avoided independent investigations on this particular issue.For instance,in Nithari murder case after a four-week-long Investigation, Tehelka exposed that police had helped Moninder Singh Pandher,Nithari's serial killer to cover up the entire episode where at least 19 children missing from Nithari, a slum in Noida near Delhi from 2005 to 2006.Their sting operations blew the cover up.But TV stations of Calcutta by and large avoided independent investigations and blindly followed the theories of CBI.They could have done the investigation by obtaining call details of Rizwanur and others closely associated with the case from the service providers and conducted their investigation independently like traditional muckrakers.

Muckrakers spent much of their time searching archives

With the advent of technology,miniature and less expensive cameras are available in the market,TV stations now able to cover stories that they earlier avoided.Usually,Newspapers don't need pictures for this kind of stories.Newspaper reporters work quietly and write a copy based on their observations.Earlier,Broadcasting Journalists and their crews faced difficulties due to their heavy equipments.Though,occasionally newspapers,magazines use hidden cameras,spy-cams but it's not necessary to use them.In India,Tehelka,a magazine deals with serious issues often use spy cameras to prove their points.Now,online editions of newspapers in America and other countries use videos along with still pictures and even try to compete with Television Networks.In Broadcasting Journalism,'sting operation' where reporters loaded with spy-cams,hidden cameras cover sensible stories but the way they use spy-cams,hidden cameras to create drama.They can do the same thing by using the traditional methods of reporting.Though,I believe that we cannot cover certain stories without using spy cams,hidden cameras,often methods adopted by reporters,producers cross journalism ethics.Deceptions,provocations play a major part of any sting operation.In recent Aaj Tak(a major Hindi News channel in India) carried out a sting operation where K.Jyothi Kumaran,secretary of Indian Hockey Federation(IHF) allegedly took money from reporters posing as businessmen who want to organise an International Hockey tournament,to inducted a young player in the national team.Though,the intention of the 'sting operation' was to expose serious wrong doing,but reporters lured K.Jyothikumaran by offering him money.The channel could have done the same story with traditional methods used by muckrakers.Muckrakers spent much of their time searching archives,documents.The word muckrakers was introduced by American president Theodore Roosevelt for the Investigative reporters who dug the shit.

We don't have any watch dog like print media

The print media in India,have a watchdog in the form of the Press Council Of India,which may not have the punitive powers,but can give warning and sought explanation from media professional and media houses.But, there are no such watch dog for the electronic media.TV news channels often ignore the basic code of conduct.Last year, a national news channel carried out a 'sting operation' where they falsly implicate a mathematics teacher of Delhi claming that she was luring students into the flesh trade.Later,Police found that she was was framed and the reporter who conducted the 'sting operation' was arrested . The Editor's Guild of Indioa set up a sub-committe to consider the draft broadcast Services Regulation Bill and Content Code for the electronic media has come up with or more about code of ethics please check:www.rtnda.org (then click code of ethics onthe suggestion for a code of ethics for news and cuttent affairs channels.But,until such thing happens,I recommend that we should follow the code of Ethics and professional conduct adopted by Radio TV News Directors Association(USA).As a Investigative Reporter,we often use hidden cameras or spy cameras.
Before using hidden/spy cameras we should follow this procedures:
What is the role of video in the story?Is it essential?Does it bring real value?
Is it necessary to use a hidden camera in this story?why?
Have you used all traditional means to investigate the story,including interviews and reviewing public records,databases and documents? and much more.