PAPER DETECTIVES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 8 April 1911, Page 9

PAPER DETECTIVES

ES'UUSH v. AMERICAN NEWSPAPEIt MEN. Triuis-Atlaiitki pressmen wens up in ,'iii'ni.s against what they termed the "English methods" of Inspector Dew. Jit America the pressman has unrestrained liberty, or, rather, complete license, and therefore is quite unable to comprehend the methods of secrecy followed in this country (says an English paper). It is only quite recently that our press has been taken into the conlidence of the police, and in no previous case has anything like the same information been granted so readily as in the Crippen ease, as the ollicials ot New Scotland Yard at last have realised the value of publicity.-, the criminal's chances of escape nutiimliy are greatly lessened when every man is a potential detective, and when full details appear in every newspaper. There is no doubt that the assistance provided by the Tress is of the greatest, value to the police, and numerous criminals have been run to earth of recent years through the instrumentality of the Press.

Across the Atlantic, however, the Press more frequently acts as a hindrance to the meting out of justice than as an aid. In fast, the newspapers frequently contain information as to how the criminal could best secure his escape. The reason is the keen avidity with which the newspapers seize upon every item of sensational interest —the keynote of American journalism being sensationalism. The ell'ect of the news published matters not at all so long as it is highly spiced and thrilling. Accordingly, when facts cannot be obtained, they are manufactured with the greatest readiness to provide a "full story." Every person of note in America submits to be interviewed by the. reporter, and will give information which no person of similar standing would ever dream of giving in this country. Thus a judge 1 will readily grant an interview, and state his opinion of matters under his consideration; in fact, when requested by a Press photographer, the judge will descend from his seat and will alloy? the photographer to take his place in order that a better photograph may be pro-, cured. Every American paper of note has its. •wn staff of detectives, and its own criminal investigation department. It is part of a pressman's duty to "shadow" certain individuals, and to ferret out information .which will create a sensation. The lives of private JndiYid.uais are pryed into with tne most unM-uSi-fa? effrontery, antf the most intimate details are published broadcast with a wealth of observations. Nothing is sacred to the reporter; the illness of his victim makes no difference; /ie will hammer at the door until he obtains admittance \and a "story." If, however, the information is not freely given, he will take good care that that individual is pilloried before the public; in fact, so mercilessly does he deal with the members of the general public that few dare refuse his requests. However innocent a person may be who crosses his track, that person has to suffer in the columns of the newspaper. The pressman is not faced with such grounds for libel actions as form a restraining iniluenco in the case of our own newspapers.

The moment a crime is committed, every person having the slightest relation to it is interviewed, and full details, with illustrations, are published. If the "story" obtained from an individual is not sufficiently interesting, things are set *o rights by the reporter putting any words lie thinks into the individual's mouth. Probabilities arc set down as facts, and there is much "intelligent anticipation" with the object of keeping the public interest nt fever height. By the aid of scare headlines printed in enormous letters the most trivial matters are made to.appear as though of national importance.

The danger of the whole business is due to the fact that the information is not published in the interests of justice, but to the interests of selling the paper. The reporter has no scruples whatever in giving advice to the criminals by stating possible means by which he might escape Nemesis. In fact, so long as the story is readable and likely to attract attention, the managing editor allows it to appear without any questioning, the result being such a state of affairs as would not be tolerated in this country. Each day the managing editor of a New York papers gives an "assignation" to one of his staff in connection with some sensational case. With unbounded check the reporter will obtain his story somehow—by invention or otherwise. The utter callousness shown would be dealt with in this country by a good kicking, or legal prosecution;' it is entirely passed over in America.

So great, however, is the position of the Press, that the police supply the representatives with full advance information, even though it may aid the jour-nalist-detective in beating the officials of the Criminal Bureau nt their own game, though the probability is that the tips given as to the movements of the police, would be more likely to defeat the ends of justice by posting the criminal with the latest actions of those on his track. In short, the American newspaper detective has become a social pest whose presence would not be tolerated in a land of really free people.