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Deception for Journalism's Sake: A Database

Deception for Journalism's Sake: A Database

Nellie Bly of The New York World

A gathering of the undercover and experiential reporting of Elizabeth Cochrane, later Seaman, who wrote under the pen name of Nellie Bly.

Nellie Bly, posed as

Asylums Undercover

Since the 1870s, journalists have been posing as patients or attendants to expose horrid conditions and treatment inside mental hospitals. Nellie Bly, incidentally, was not the first. 

asylums, insane asylum, posed as, worked as

Medicare and Medicaid Fraud

Medicare and Medicaid fraud have been perennial reporting topics since the 1960s, often requiring undercover techniques to amass specific details.

fraud, medicaid, medicare, posed as patient, presented as patient, scam, undercover

Deep Encounters with Religious Groups

In efforts to get inside the fold, reporters have fellow-traveled with religious groups, posing as members or prospective recruits.

Christian, evangelicals, posed as, presented as, religious right

Watchdogs in the Public Interest

Waste, fraud, graft, laxity, dilapidated conditions, corruption: Reporters have often used undercover tactics to investigate.

graft, insurance, lobbyists, posed as, poverty programs, trucking, vote fraud, Welfare, worked as

Exposing Predators

Across the world, journalists have used undercover techniques to expose individual predators and as well as major sex crime rings.

Undercover in U.S. Political Campaigns

Going undercover as volunteers or invited guests has gotten reporters an inside look at some U.S. political campaigns. So has shadowing the candidates in their off-hours. 

Barack Obama, campaign, George Bush, Hillary Clinton, presidential, U.S. political campaigns, worked as