A.J Diaz Pols 300A 001 Prof.

Morill 11/16/10 Reporting Watchdogs To truly uncover a story one must investigate every aspect surround the story to show the world the truth. Truth is what makes news so important to societies and everyday lives, if we are given false news we then cannot form accurate opinions about the world around us. One of the more in depth types of news is called investigative reporting where a reporter tries to do three things: uncover the hidden meaning, report on relevant issues to society, and to make the story their own creation. This is one of the most important aspects of our current news system because it brings to light things that have been hidden. For example, the F.D.A wants to regulate Four Loko and similar caffeinated alcoholic beverages on the market due to their danger because of reporting. Another example of investigative reporting uncovering the truth behind a story would be how pediatricians will prescribe heavy medication to children who are acting out. These stories showed the viewer a problem in society and when the reporter fully investigated the incident they were not only able to make people aware of an issue, but they also dug up the issue. The first story regards a current energy/alcoholic drink that is popular amongst college students. The drink Four Loko is served in 24oz cans and has 12% alcohol content; it also contains as much as one full cup of coffee. The report outlines that the drink has caused multiple deaths and hospital visits throughout the country and that

several states has called to ban the product. What many people may not have known was that many of the people who are victims of these deaths are people who are still teenagers. While underage drinking is a common occurrence, the product has been specifically targeted to young drinkers many of which are not mature enough to handle such a strong drink. The report also outlines doctors stating that the addition of caffeine impairs the ability of the drinker to tell when theyre drunk. What is the level at which it becomes dangerous? We dont know that, and until we can figure it out, the answer is that no level is safe(NYtimes). This unknown information about how caffeine affects us when we are drunk is key to understanding why these types of drinks are so dangerous for the public. This interview shed light onto a matter that is killing people and could prevent future death if enough people know about it. Investigative reporting showed not only that these drinks are killing young people, but why it is killing them and it could very well continue to cause health problems. The second story started out with a child who was causing trouble for his mother and his school teacher with his temper-tantrums. To solve the problem the mother went to the local pediatrician for help. The pediatrician diagnosed the boy with bipolardisorder, depression, and other psychological disorders. The doctor then prescribed heavy psychological medication to help with these disorders. The story then turned to a specialist in child psychologically who owned a free clinic for mentally disturbed children. She told the reporter that the boy was far from bi-polar or depressed and even said that this was a horrible mistake by the pediatrician since it could have a huge impact on the child's development. The camera then shifts our attention to the

pediatricians office where one of the names of the drug that was prescribed was on the playing blocks for children. The doctor in question refused to give a on camera interview, but stated that the child was deeply disturbed and was correctly diagnosed. This story was showing how drug companies push doctors to prescribe as many drugs as possible to their patients so that they make a profit. This kind of behavior in doctors needs to stop since theyre suppose to help the people and not drug companies bottom line. This was all made possible by investigative reporting. The fact that this reporter interviewed: not only multiple parents of doctors who have experienced this kind of treatment, experts in psychology, and the doctors who prescribed the medication made this story much more important to the viewer. Investigative reporting is on the decline in todays media since it has to contend with: opinion columnists, bloggers, celebrity columnists, sports columnists, and other forms of news entertainment. Investigative reporting is the kind of news that makes us as a society aware of important issues that could very easily affect our lives and if we allow it to diminish as a type of news we could be in trouble. West Virginia mining incident could have been prevented if someone were to investigate the safety protocols in their mines. Investigative reporting goes beyond the daily satisfaction of entertainment and instead tries to show a side of reality that could potentially change lives.

Works Cited Goodnough, Abby, and Dan Frosch. "F.D.A Expected to Act on Alcoholic Energy Drinks." The New York Times. 15 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/us/16drinks.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=us>. Harris, Shayla. "Medicating Children." The New York Times. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/editors-choice/1194811622184/index.html>.