Posted on 05/31/2007 6:11:42 AM PDT by jaydubya2
A top-notch investigative producer from Chicago is suing NBC over alleged ethical lapses involving the news series "To Catch a Predator." Marsha Bartel, who was fired last December after a stellar 21-year career with NBC (including 10 years at WMAQ-Channel 5), claimed she was forced out after blowing the whistle on the show for violating journalistic ethical standards and many of NBC's own policies and guidelines.
A copy of her lawsuit, filed in federal court May 24, turned up this week on thesmokinggun.com.
Bartel, 49, who now works with news anchor Mark Suppelsa as a special project producer at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32, is seeking $1 million in damages from NBC for breach of contract.
"To Catch a Predator" reports on sting operations that target men who believe they have arranged for sexual liaisons with minors online.
The setup usually involves the targets' exposure and humiliation on camera by nauseatingly smug host Chris Hansen. Then they're arrested by local police outside.
In her lawsuit, Bartel claimed that NBC pays a vigilante group called Perverted Justice to lure targets into the sting, and that the network's relationship with the group and law enforcement agencies crosses ethical lines.
Contrary to NBC policies and guidelines, the suit said, targets often are "led into additional acts of humiliation (such as being encouraged to remove their clothes) in order to enhance the comedic effect of the public exposure of these persons."
After Bartel became producer of the show and conveyed her concerns to her superiors, she was fired in retaliation, the suit said. She was told her firing was part of mass layoffs at NBC.
In a statement, the network said Bartel's suit had no merit.
"We have been transparent about our reporting methods, including the role of law enforcement and Perverted Justice," NBC said. "Although the reports have been subject to some controversy, audience reaction has been overwhelmingly positive."
When he was a reporter, Mark Twain got the following advise from an editor.
>>The setup usually involves the targets’ exposure and humiliation on camera by nauseatingly smug host Chris Hansen. Then they’re arrested by local police outside.<<
This show has always appalled me, and I do think that Chris Hansen displays a sick glee in humiliating these men. The dangerous part is that so many people will think that this show is handling the problem, when in fact, it is very likely teaching would be pedophiles to hunt smarter.
Also, it’s pretty sick or petty or I don’t know...just really wrong that the cops hiding out back watch the entire exchange take place and when the sick slob is walking down the drive, they move in like gang buster SWAT teams. Nice.
Cops as actors. Everybody needs their 15 minutes of fame.
There is another thread here today about the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the top reasons was the ever growing need for the Gladiator type sports. That’s what this sick program is about, and in the Netherlands, there will be a new “reality” game show where a dying woman’s kidneys are the prize. All of it is just wrong and bad and lessens the importance of the issues.
“nauseatingly smug host Chris Hansen”
I stopped reading right there.
This gal may have a case but Hansen and NBC have done a service to the country. I hope they keep exposing the perps.
When they first started the series, the police departments were not involved. I suspect when police are notified of the sting going down, they want part of the action.
I don't care if it is sensationalism spurred on by the producers.
This predator needs the his family, friends, coworkers, community and the world to see him as the dangerous pervert he is.
Actually, from what I have heard, many of these same tactics are used in non-telivized stings because it helps prove intent.
An oxymoron.
But these guys aren't doing that. No minor is corrupted. What, actually, did they do?
ping
I'm in quite a quandary here.
You are absolutely RIGHT! Their favorite line is “This is the first time I have EVER done anything like this.” I watched it once and they caught the same guy twice in two days. Too funny
Your logic is flawed. Your logic says that a child must be raped before we can stop the crime of rape. If you threaten the President's life, they will not wait until you pull the trigger to arrest you. Conspiring to commit the crime is a crime. Clearly these guys were there to commit the crime.
That was the naked guy I think. He proved the point about the importance of the show.
The predators should have been shot in the head the minute they showed up for their “dates.”
Entrapment.--
(1) A law enforcement officer, a person engaged in cooperation with a law enforcement officer, or a person acting as an agent of a law enforcement officer perpetrates an entrapment if, for the purpose of obtaining evidence of the commission of a crime, he or she induces or encourages and, as a direct result, causes another person to engage in conduct constituting such crime by employing methods of persuasion or inducement which create a substantial risk that such crime will be committed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Conspiring to commit entrapment is a crime.
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