To Tell The Truth: The Resurgence of Undercover Journalism

Several years ago, “Dateline NBC” had a series of recurring specials called “To Catch a Predator.”  The hidden camera series set up traps for those wishing to engage in sexual activity with minors.  Airing at a time when social media platforms were just beginning to explode in popularity, an employee at the Watchdog group Perverted Justice would create a profile on a chat room pretending to be a minor.  Then, the decoy would wait for an adult to initiate contact.   The decoy and the adult would then exchange a series of messages using the chat room, with many of them containing sexually explicit content.  The two would then arrange a meeting at a house that was rented out by the folks at “Dateline NBC.”  After arriving at the house, the show’s host Chris Hansen would greet the unsuspecting adults and confront them about their behavior.  “To Catch a Predator” did not come without its share of criticism; as some argued that it was inappropriate for a TV program to engage in activities that are best reserved for law enforcement.    

Nearly a decade after the final installment of “To Catch a Predator”, a new generation of brave journalists is trying to expose dishonesty through similar hidden camera stings.  Unlike “To Catch a Predator”, these undercover operations are not financially backed by major news networks. These sting operations are being met with much more resistance since they are not directed towards sexual predators but towards the elites.  In 2015, the pro-life group Center for Medical Progress released a series of videos showing Planned Parenthood officials callously discussing selling fetal tissue for profit. CMP members completed the undercover operation by posing as potential buyers of fetal tissue.    Planned Parenthood and its supporters immediately accused the Center for Medical Progress of editing the videos to make the “women’s health organization” look bad.  Planned Parenthood ultimately paid no price as a result of the videos.  Instead, charges were brought up against CMP’s founder David Daleiden and his associates but most of them have since been dismissed.     

 

The most recent batch of undercover videos to make headlines shows officials at Project Veritas having conversations with employees of CNN as part of an ongoing project called “American Pravda”; which attempts to expose the dishonesty of mainstream media outlets. The first video documents a chat between a Project Veritas official and CNN Supervising Producer John Bonifield.  When asked why the network is so obsessed with the Russia probe, Bonifield replies “Because it’s ratings.”  He later says that the Russia story is “mostly bullsh** right now” and that “The President is probably right to say, like, look, you are witch hunting me.” Bonifield basically admitted in the video that all the ethics people learn (or used to learn) in journalism school mean nothing, saying that “This is a business.”  While the actions by the officials at CNN do not violate any laws, they certainly raise questions about the integrity of the mainstream media. The second video shows Van Jones saying “the Russia thing is a big nothing burger”.  Like Hillary Clinton, CNN employees apparently have public and private positions.  The most recent video, released just this morning, shows CNN Associate Producer Jimmy Carr saying how he really feels about the American public.  He referred to American voters as “stupid as sh**”, echoing comments made by Obama Care architect Jonathan Gruber.  He then went on to insult Kellyanne Conway’s physical appearance, saying she “looks like she got hit with a shovel”.  Had Carr been a right-winger insulting the physical appearance of a left-wing female, he would have been vilified by both the left and the right.  Just look at what is happening right now to President Trump after he commented on MSNBC Anchor Mika Brzezinski’s physical appearance in an early morning tweet.  If that’s not a double standard, I don’t know what is.  

 

 

Unfortunately, the undercover videos released by Project Veritas and the Center for Medical Progress are unlikely to change very many minds in this hyper-partisan era.  Those who love Planned Parenthood will stick by it no matter what; and those who despise Planned Parenthood will feel vindicated.  The people on the right who have always believed that CNN is “ very fake news” will applaud the undercover video footage while those on the left will do everything they can do dispute the integrity of James O’Keefe, the head of Project Veritas who has faced a variety of legal battles as a result of his undercover journalism.  This type of undercover journalism would not be necessary if we did not live in a society plagued by dishonesty.  Since the mainstream media has abandoned its Constitutionally-protected commitment to delivering the truth, it is up to independent journalists to fill the void.  It’s safe to say the mainstream media is anything but thrilled with their new competition; as it signals the end of their monopoly in the field of journalism. While it’s true that many of the independent journalists are activists with pronounced political biases, at least they’re up front about it.  They don’t pretend to be objective like the MSM.  If the MSM would just admit their biases against President Trump and conservative values, it would be a lot easier for non-liberals to take them seriously.