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.