Before any undercover operation, meticulous planning is necessary.Use of hidden cameras-spy cams without planning and preparation may ruined a reporter’s carrier and badly damage the image of TV stations.As an investigative reporter,we should know how and when to use the hidden cameras-spy cams.I think when I use deception to gain access for reporting,I should maintain my cover.Therefore,I personally take some precautions such as I behave like them,learn their lingo and use my contacts to get access.I think that without preparation and proper planning, we should not go into the field.I remember one incident where I interviewed a woman secretly, though she knew that I’m a reporter,threatened to sue me for defamation.she accused me of using a hidden camera to tape her.After that,I became cautious.
It takes time -four ,five months or even more to materialize the entire operation.First, a strong team headed by an experienced journalist closely monitor the entire operation.Review the progress every day.He must ensure that junior or less experienced reporter will send into the field along with an experienced reporter.Legal experts should review everything from time to time,its legal aspects,tapes of sting operation and should have the power to remove the unacceptable parts.Above all you should have a strong pretext and deception so that you can convince your subject.But, its another point that despite all these precautions including maintaining journalistic ethics, follow the law properly,you could still be in trouble(read law suits).Operation Duryadhan,operation Chakravuh -these are not the code name of any military backed operation against terrorism,but sting operations were carried out against greedy politicians by TV channels in India.