Bad TV news idea gets reporter charged with attempted kidnapping at hospital nursery.

[LiberalHeart]

Hey, here's an idea: Let's go to a hospital nursery and find out just how well they protect the babies. And then let's figure out what to do about the reporter who could go to prison for this stunt -- for up to 40 years.

I hope this is all ironed out. I don't see how this can be considered an attempted kidnapping.

http://newsgrinder.blogspot.com/2007/03/file-this-under-bad-tv-news-idea.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Didn't the idiot have anything better to do? Sure, kidnapping

babies from the hospital is an epidemic problem that needs to be researched right away. :eyes:

[Clark2008]

2. Well, as a parent, if some person other than hospital staff

tried that with my soon-to-be-newborn, I'd kick their asses. Screw the law.

[ComerPerro]

3. LMFAO. Well, I guess that answered her question, right?

[LiberalHeart]

4. Hmm, you're right! Film at 11...

[gatorboy]

5. I dunno. If it was my child, I'd be pretty pissed.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. is it ratings week or something?

I mean, it is like there is no real news going on, right?

[LiberalHeart]

9. Having worked in a TV news room, I can envision how this idea was born...

They are always looking for ways to create a local tie in to a story that got lots of national coverage. News is, first and foremost, a business and this is the kind of report that -- even without the arrest -- would have been heavily promoted on air, and it would have brought in viewers by the ton. There would have been ominous music with a voice/over saying "How safe is your newborn? WXYZ News goes deep inside St. Elsewhere Hospital to find out -- and the results will shock you."

[Warpy]

7. Well, I guess this reporter found out how good security really is

and how seriously people who work around newborns take maintaining it.

Perhaps she'll discuss such matters with the hospital security team next time.

The charges will be lowered. There will probably be a fine. If it's large enough, she'll be canned.

Advice to reporters out there: don't do this at home.

On edit: the kidnapping of newborns did happen frequently enough that steps like the drastic ones of locking down the whole ward had to be taken. Most kidnappers didn't make it out the front door.

[LiberalHeart]

13. She won't get canned. She had station approval.

[DaveJ]

8. She should have let the administrators in on it beforehand

I thought that's how they normally did it.

[LiberalHeart]

10. The TV station would have wanted the element of surprise and...

...no chance for special measures to be implemented prior to the test. Also, I doubt many hospitals would agree to the test without being absolutely certain they'd pass it.

[DaveJ]

12. I know that would make it harder

But it should be possible to work within the system.

The administrators could clear it with their bosses beforehand, just say they're doing a security evaluation. But yeah, you're probably right. Hospitals never want to admit to being imperfect.

[Buzz Clik]

11. I'm with the "serves the reporter right" crowd.

When you take a baby out of a nursery that doesn't belong to you, it's kidnapping. It isn't funny, and it is not journalism.

[LiberalHeart]

14. She didn't take any babies. She just asked questions.

[Buzz Clik]

15. My bad.

Nevermind.

File this under O for overreaction.