The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Ever since Nellie Bly feigned insanity to document the conditions of asylums, the media have celebrated undercover journalism. It seemed like you couldn't go a couple of weeks during the 1970s and 1980s without journalism stings attempting to bring down some manufacturer, retail outlet or other entity.
More recently Barbara Ehrenreich has gone undercover for Harper's as a maid, a waiter, a Wal-Mart employee and a nursing home assistant. And the media loves her work.
But when pro-life activists went undercover to reveal various problems at abortion clinics, the media response has been quite the opposite. Mostly they've ignored the stories -- such as that various abortion clinics are happy to arrange sex-selection abortions even if it violates the law or that clinics are willing to help people exploit underage sex rings.
I suspect the media are doing that because of their own fervor for abortion rights. But I also have problems with the undercover journalism.
Undercover journalism almost always involves deception. And I don't believe it's moral to lie to get a story.
The excellent online journal Public Discourse ran a series of essays discussing this topic last year. You can read essays against the practice, such as Truth, Love, and Live Action and essays in support of it, such as In Defense of Live Action.
Christopher Tollefson is back on the topic this week with his Lies and Truth and Lies and God. He ends the latter essay:
As I have argued before, lying always involves intentional damage to the goods of personal integrity and community; and we now can see that it is also always incompatible with a virtuous orientation toward the goods of truth and religion. And these considerations do not even yet raise questions of justice, which are often implicated in the wrong of lying. The use of lies in service of a cause of such overwhelming importance as the saving of unborn human children from willful destruction is thus, as tempting as it is, nevertheless a temptation that the virtuous, and all who are committed to genuine human goods, will resist.
What do you all believe? Can such undercover journalism, particularly in service of saving lives (as opposed to uncovering fraudulent selling practices at grocery chains), be justified? And on what grounds?
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Dec '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I am a believer in the idea that "Thou shalt not bear false witness" only obliges the a believer to tell the truth to those to who have a right to it. In any form of combat be it boxing, MMA, chess, paintball, war, or journalism deception of ones opponent is a powerful and necessary tool.
The whole basis of the show "To Catch a Predator", law enforcement efforts against child predators, and the work undercover law enforcement agents in general is deception. I believe there is a strong ethical case for lying to uncover the truth.
Edited on June 19, 2012 at 4:30pmDec '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Rahab?
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
So this Sunday in Bible Class, we learned (or were reminded) that Boaz -- husband of Ruth -- was the son of Rahab. One of the women in the class -- an immigrant -- was telling us how much she loved the twin stories of being open to contributions from foreign women.
Not that this has anything to do with the thread.
The thing is that I'm hugely in favor of undercover spy work. I wish we'd do more of that and less of the large-scale warfare stuff. I need to figure out a consistent ethic.
Jul '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I thought that Nellie Bly was a good example of where investigative journalism (in the author's term - "using self-deception") was a value for society. I don't believe that it's an either-or situation.
Certainly the conditions in Bly's lockdown were deplorable, and changes were made in the mental health system in terms of oversight. Unfortunately, Bly didn't continue this arc of career, and is more famously known as a stunt journalist (her most famous being her trip around the world), and there's a big difference. She was certainly one of the most important female journalists of note in American history, and became a name throughout Europe, as well.
I would say the same about Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe with ACORN. Misrepresenting your credentials can serve a greater good, as long as you are clear what the goal is, and the consequences can be.
Dec '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
If a man were hiding Jews during WWII, and asked by the Nazis if he knew where there were Jews, what would be the virtuous choice? Lie or no? I think the answer should be obvious, the preservation of life is the higher priority.
May '12
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I am no longer a great fan of Jon Stewart, but I enjoyed the segments where correspondents from The Daily Show interview and let the subject hang themselves with a rope of their own making. The correspondents mostly echo in question form what the subject has already said, or ask questions designed to clarify what is implied - and let the subject weave still more noose.
James O'Keefe, it seems to me, does not so much deceive as present himself as ridiculously as possible on the side of his target. If they take him seriously, and hang themselves, that's their problem.
The recent Planned Parenthood video does some of that too. The woman seeking counseling makes outrageous statements that would make Jerry Springer throw her off his show.
I look to the Ali G interviews for a kind of standard here. If you are stupid enough to not realize he is taking the piss out of you, you deserve the ridicule. Mind you, that stopped working - after an extraordinarily long time.
Edited on June 19, 2012 at 4:46pmMay '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Mollie, your fears are unfounded.
If you were to openly ask Planned Parenthood, "Will you do an abortion based simply on gender selection?" and they will answer, "No."
Lila Rose's deception reveals a greater truth and therefore is justified.
Oct '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
"Thou shalt not bear false witness" really applies to making false accusations. The undercover reporter, the detective, the counterterrorism expert is seeking to bear true witness, by uncovering truth. Deception in the service of greater truth is standard operating procedure.
Winston Churchill's aphorism is exactly on point. "In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies."
Nov '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Well, one can argue that deceit that is technically truthful is still a lie, but one has to hand it to the O'Keefe folks that they are careful to avoid "direct" lying. For example, in their stings demonstrating that dead folks are on the voter rolls, they do not say "I am John Doe", they say, "Do you have a John Doe?" Now, they're clearly being deceptive -- there's gotta be some deceit, or it ain't "undercover". But they can claim, on technical grounds, not to have lied. I think their concern rests more, however, with actual laws. They read carefully what is permitted within the law and stay within the boundaries, though they may stick a toe over from time to time. They also avoid doing some stings in certain states with stricter rules.
Nov '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I think Limestone Cowboy is onto something, when he speaks about bearing true witness. This, after all, is the purpose of undercover journalism. I am uncomfortable with lying, but in some contexts is the very purpose not to bring out truth? And ... the lie is temporary. No good undercover sting perpetuates their deception -- revealing the deception is part of the story.
Jun '12
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
There are virtuous lies, and the ones told to Planned Parenthood are among them. As is the lying to the nazis example. We must be careful, for it is a slippery slope, but to say that the deception of undercover reporters is always equivalent to bearing false witness is wrong.
Jul '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
We live in a culture of image conscious liars. I have no issues with sting operations. I had someone visit me as a fake patient once and ask me to do something highly unethical. I refused and he asked again more emphatically and sweetened the pot to which I asked him if he'd prefer the police called or his hide whooped if he spoke again. There is usually no worry if you exist ethically yourself so I did not take it personal.
Edited on June 19, 2012 at 4:59pmDec '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I am unclear on the difference between deceiving an opponent with my words to get them to reveal a vulnerability so that I can launch an attack on their reputation vs me feinting with my body so I can launch an attack at their face.
To me this is not an issue of using "unsavory" means to a just end. Deception is one of the most basic foundation of combat between creatures. I am unclear on how one can uphold the idea that physical violence is sometime necessary and just, while also holding to the idea that lying is always immoral. Lying and deception is inherent to the successful application of violence between creatures.
Edited on June 19, 2012 at 5:01pmJun '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I'm old enough to remember watching journalism stardom built on a series of awkward, but successful, undercover operations. That's what 60 Minutes was in the early years.
Apr '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I don't really think I care how people get the information for their journalism...what I think is important is that no matter how much you lie, and how many laws you break to get your information the story that you publish should be truthful. Now one can make a rather convincing argument that being a liar to get info you might just lie about it afterwards too...
The big thing is that being a liar, thief, etc. for the sake of journalism should not give you any kind of immunity from prosecution. If you don't think your story is worth the trial maybe it isn't.
Edited on June 19, 2012 at 6:16pmFeb '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
EJHill: Mollie, your fears are unfounded.
If you were to openly ask Planned Parenthood, "Will you do an abortion based simply on gender selection?" and they will answer, "No."
Lila Rose's deception reveals a greater truth and therefore is justified. ยท 1 hour ago
EJ's point is a very good one. In fact, PP has been asked about sex-selecting in abortion and has said they condemn it. So if they are liars, how can it be proven without catching them in their lie? And if, by catching them in their lie through an act of deception, we can prevent MY TAX MONEY from being given to these evildoers, and thus prevent me from being unwillingly complicit, good.
My biggest stressor is not the lying the pregnant woman engages in in the video, but the topic of conversation. I mentioned this in a previous thread, but sitting there calmly discussing killing my unborn child because she was not the correct sex to please me would be very stressful. Deceiving those who were willing to kill my child for $$$$ would not bother me one bit. They are doing evil, and deserve to be shown to be doing so publicly.
Dec '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Valiuth: Now one can make a rather convincing argument that being a liar to get info you might just lie about it afterwards too...
. ยท 1 hour ago
Edited 1 hour ago
I don't think you can. The idea that because an FBI agent lied about being a 12 year old boy online to catch a pedophile, their testimony is untrustworthy worthy is absurd. People have always made a distinction between how people act in combat and how they act out of it.
Sep '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
Mollie Hemingway, Ed
The thing is that I'm hugely in favor of undercover spy work. I wish we'd do more of that and less of the large-scale warfare stuff. I need to figure out a consistent ethic. ยท 4 hours ago
Allow me to tout a former professor of mine, who still teaches at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. He is a former CIA officer of many years, in the clandestine service for most of the period. He wrote Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying. As a devout Catholic, he too, struggled with the morality of spying/deceit. I highly recommend the book for those thinking about these issues.
Oct '10
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
I agree with Nyadnar17 that deceit is an essential tactic in combat and therefore indispensable in our war with the left.
Mollie, as a Christian how do you view Jacob deceiving Isaac to steal Esau's blessing? Is the establishment of Israel based on an evil act?
Jun '11
Re: The Ethics Of Undercover Journalism
It has been said that we Americans are able to sleep peacefully in our beds because highly trained soldiers (and spies) are willing to do violent things to our enemies on our behalf. We condone this violence because, sad to say, there are certain people in the world that need to be killed in order that we may live in peace.
I condone O'Keefe style deception because, in my opinion, there are certain people that need to be deceived in order to uncover the truth.
If ACORN wasn't using taxpayer money to corupt the election process they wouldn't need to be deceived. If Planned Parenthood wasn't killing millions of unborn Americans every year they wouldn't need to be deceived.
If such deception is evil, it is a necessary evil.