A distraught man holds three hostages in their Baltimore home and the public is riveted by the TV coverage. But they are not getting the whole story. To assist the police, avoid aggravating the gunman and protect the hostages, various news outlets cooperate by withholding an exclusive phone interview with the suspect, keeping his criminal history off the air and holding back when they know one of his hostages is about to escape. Eventually, the police rescue the other two hostages alive and unhurt, killing the suspect in the process.

Today, many feel the media goes far beyond its duty in its quest to get the breaking news, the sensational story or the hot interview. The charges: violating privacy rights, intruding on the courtroom process, using government agencies as a conduit to generate footage and higher ratings, convicting suspects in the press, and even sometimes interfering with law enforcement activities. This show will explore the issue of how media coverage is allegedly influencing crime and justice.