TV Station Says Reporter Crossed Ethical Boundary by Setting Up Man’s Arrest

In an unusual public admonition, the general manager of KNSD-TV (Channel 39) said Friday that one of his reporters overstepped ethical bounds by arranging the on-camera arrest of a man wanted for violating parole.

Reporter Paul Bloom “crossed the fine line between reporter involvement and actual participation in this story,” Neil Derrough, the station’s general manager, said in a press release.

Bloom, who reports a regular “Crime Watch” segment for the station, lured William Hammond onto the air Feb. 3 with a promise to discuss homeless issues. Hammond is president of the local Coalition for the Homeless and an active lobbyist on behalf of the homeless.

Bloom asked a few questions about homeless issues at the start of the segment, but the questions soon turned to the issue of Hammond’s parole violation. Hammond, who was convicted of possession of marijuana in 1985, had failed to report to his parole officer since April and was wanted by authorities.

Shortly after the interview began, several police officers barged into the studio and arrested Hammond.

Bloom, a one-time anchorman at the station, defended his participation in the arrest during an interview last week, saying, “The truth is that this man is a wanted criminal who was supposed to be back in jail and wasn’t.”

“I am not acting as an advocate of the police,” Bloom said in the interview. “I am acting as an advocate for law and order. I am an advocate for the public getting involved. I am against people sitting on their duffs, letting the police do all the work.”

He could not be reached for comment Friday.

Derrough, however, suggested in his press release that the incident was “a matter of concern for this station, those concerned with the ethics and independence of journalism and the community at large.

“We feel it is possible and desirable for journalists to become involved in the stories they report and at the same time maintain their independence and integrity as observers. Unfortunately, in this case we feel the reporter crossed the fine line between reporter involvement and actual participation in this story.”

KNSD News Director Nancy Bauer approved the scheme after much debate among station officials, Bloom has said. Some of his colleagues, who requested anonymity, said after the incident that they had ehtical problems with it.

In a telephone interview Friday, Derrough said he expected no further actions against Bloom, but declined to comment further.

Kevin Brass contributed to this story.