To Catch a Predator's Chris Hansen, Victim of Internet Hoax

Chris Hansen, a "Dateline" NBC reporter and Host of the TV series "To Catch A Predator" was reportedly arrested on child molestation charges on September 3, 2010. This breaking news story has quickly been identified as a hoax, an internet prank by 4Chan and Gawker.

Critics of the show call into question the tactics and alleged stunts the show publishes. Complaints of the program range from baiting possible molesters and publicly exposing their behavior to pretending to catch molesters. Some criticize the shows premise as a form of entrapment and also claim the show is a hoax in itself.

A lawsuit was filed against NBC due to a story Hansen ran regarding Bill Conradt in 2007, who later killed himself, was eventually settled for $105 million. "To Catch A Predator" was quietly taken off the air in 2008.

The main accusation against the show has been that the network encouraged men to portray molesters while not actually being molesters. The show is purported to use actors posing as criminals, offering the show as a newsworthy exposé.

How do hoaxes affect people like Hansen and their career? If NBC is hiring people to portray criminals, the recent prank could be considered a statement against the show, staff, and NBC's credibility.

In 1990 ABC ran a story on the show "20/20" featuring the supposed star of "Our Gang" William Thomas otherwise known as Buckwheat. The show related the experiences of the actor after leaving the series as a child. The interview focused on the trials and hardships of Thomas and how he ended up bagging groceries at a supermarket.

This report ended up being a hoax as Thomas had died in 1980 after working as a film lab technician. The ABC producer, Lynn Murray, was subsequently fired after Thomas' son sued the network for negligence.

In 2004, Dan Rather aired a story on the show "60 Minutes Wednesday" regarding President Bush's Texas Air National Guard records. The records cast Bush in a negative light and suggested that Bush used family connections to cover the matters up.

Rather immediately received criticism for the story and the records were soon to be discovered as fraudulent. The records appeared to have been made using MS Word which indicated the bogus nature of the documents. Rather had to apologize publicly.

The Rather Memo incident supposedly had no relation to Rather retiring but it certainly had an effect on his credibility for providing newsworthy stories. The Murray Buckwheat incident directly impacted her career due to improper reporting tactics.

Although Hansen was a victim of a prank, it calls into question again the quality of investigative reports and poses potential damages to stakeholders involved. In Hansen's case the internet prank seems to be designed to focus on alleged poor reporting and credibility. Whether correct or not, scandalous stories have a negative impact on those involved.

Sources

Foster, K. (2010). How Did 4Chan and Gawker Get Chris Hanson "Arrested" for Child Molestation? Retrieved September 3, 2010 from: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2010/09/how_did_4chan_a.php

Marconi, M. (2010). Chris Hansen Arrested Arrested For Child Molestation A Lie: Wikipedia Hoax. Postchronicle.com. Retrieved September 3, 2010 from: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212321442.shtml

Murphy, J. (2004). Dan Rather Statement On Memos. Cbsnews.com. Retrieved September 3, 2010 from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/20/politics/main644546.shtml

Weinstein, S. (1990). '20/20' Producer Resigns Over Buckwheat Interview. Los Angeles Times Retrieved September 3, 2010 from: http://articles.latimes.com/1990-10-12/entertainment/ca-2106_1_william-thomas