Undercover Journalism

Hodge says the caper is part of "a long history of sting operations" by journalists. But that undercover tradition has faded in recent years. No newspaper today would do what the Chicago Sun-Times did in the 1970s, setting up a bar to entrap crooked politicians. Fewer television programs are doing what ABC did in the 1990s, having producers lie to get jobs at a supermarket chain to expose unsanitary practices. NBC's "Dateline" joins in stings against child predators, but by tagging along with law enforcement officials.

The reason is that, no matter how good the story, lying to get it raises as many questions about journalists as their subjects.

Crossing the Line

Why do journalists keep making political contributions?

The issue has surfaced again with a lengthy report by Bill Dedman on MSNBC.com, replete with lame-sounding excuses from the donors, who overwhelmingly gave to Democrats. Among the examples:

· George Packer, who covers Iraq for the New Yorker, gave $750 to the Democratic National Committee: "My readers know my views on politics." New Yorker writer Mark Singer, who profiled Howard Dean in 2004 and then gave $250 to Dean's America Coming Together, says he felt good about his support for "getting rid of George Bush, who has been the most destructive president in my lifetime."

· Guy Raz, who as a CNN correspondent in 2004 was embedded with U.S. forces in Iraq, gave $500 to John Kerry's campaign: "I did not cover U.S. news or politics." No, only the biggest issue in the campaign. A CNN spokeswoman says the network was unaware of the former reporter's donation and that it violated network policy.

· CBS "Sunday Morning" correspondent Serena Altschul gave $5,000 to the Democratic Party in 2004. A spokeswoman says the network now bans such donations.

· MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, gave $4,200 to a GOP House candidate in Oregon. "Joe hosts an opinion program and is not a news reporter," a spokesman says.

· Gideon Yago, who covered the last two presidential campaigns for MTV and donated $1,450 to Wesley Clark's campaign, Dean's group and the Democratic Party: "I don't understand. Things that I do as a private citizen? I mean, what the [blank], man?"

· Forbes Assistant Managing Editor Jean Briggs, who donated $1,750 to the Republican National Committee: "You call that a campaign contribution? It's not putting money into anyone's campaign." Actually, the RNC funnels cash to candidates.

· Newsweek health correspondent Anne Underwood, who gave John Kerry $1,000: "I really don't want to participate in this." Click.

· Beryl Adcock, Washington news desk chief for McClatchy Newspapers, gave $1,650 to Kerry and the DNC. She offered to resign when her bosses found out but was kept on.