Conversations with Nana

I read with horror and tears Sunday’s story about the two year tracking of a child rape ring that spread across two continents and caused the arrest of 43 so far. Denise Lavoie’s excellent journalism, from the clever opening paragraph through the step-by-step forensics was engaging and chilling.

But as I read about the accidental yet intricate set of clues that led to the criminals’ unraveling, I couldn’t help but think that this part of the story was, for the casual reader, really only entertainment, albeit fascinating and as well crafted as any segment of Law and Order. Isn’t it possible that this kind of investigative information, so precisely laid out, will also be read by other predators and used to hone their skills at avoiding detection?

I’m brought back to the old question, when does effective journalism cross into sensationalism (not in this case), or, in this case, too much information?

8/5/2012

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