Same, Same, but Different: The Use and Significance of Journalism Sting Operations in India and the United States

Abstract

In the journalism community across country boundaries, creativity and ingenuity are valued, and "enterprising" reporters are awarded prizes. Reporters gather news through interviewing, following tips, searching public records, digging into thick documents, canvassing and witnessing. Creative methods of newsgathering are not, however, universally praised. When reporters push the limits of traditional newsgathering tactics, the reaction can be discomfort and skepticism. One such controversial journalistic technique is the sting operation. In this study, I will examine: The practice of the sting operation in India and the United States currently and over the last thirty years, using the Chicago Sun-Times' Mirage Bar sting operation and Tehelka's Operation West End as the watershed instances of major sting operations. Why the responses in Indian and American media are so different, and How and when the two democracies' opinions diverged on the tactic. In the two chapters that follow, I will provide an analysis of sting operations in the news in India and the U.S. through a brief history of the sting operation in both countries. That history will demonstrate that the tactic is trending upward in India while it is common in the U.S. only in certain journalism circles, including local TV, consumer reporting and attempts to entrap sleazier targets. [From Introduction]