Vicky Nguyen KRON 4 NBC News Bay Area’s Reporter’s alleged to have gone too far in covering the story-of-the moment:
Stories of sexual misconduct are rampant of late, and for good reason: media economics. Online search for content under the term “sexual harassment” are at the highest level ever for that topic in the history of Google Trends.
What that translates to is local news outlets trying to jump on the gossip gravy train and immitating the worst of the National Enquirer in the process: stories about sexual harassment that are not backed by fact but only by innuendo, all the time taking a huge risk of earning a defamation of character lawsuit based on psychological harm. But it’s done all for advertising revenues from ads like the ones that appear on the Vicky Nguyen – KRON 4 News pages associated with the story.
What Vicky Nguyen is accused of doing is going on Twitter in pursuit of comments by teenage girls at Presentation High School, what’s called a “private, Catholic, college preparatory school for girls established in 1962”, and located in Mountain View, Ca. It all started when Kathryn Leehane, a former student, published an essay in The Washington Post reporting her frustration after telling teachers and police in 1990 of an alleged sexual misconduct act done to her and to another female student by an instructor who was not named, and who has since died.
That opinion piece was seen by many students and parents at the same Presentation High School caused two other current students to step forward with a new series of reports – one that the San Jose Mercury News writes was serious enough to call police.
Two Presentation High School teachers were put on paid administrative leave.
As happens quite commonly today with this kind of story and social media, rumor ran far head of facts. Parents called for an investigation and launched an online petition, and out of that came a new round of unfounded accuations. And KRON 4’s Vicky Nguyen.
Trying to get their piece of the story, KRON dispatched Vicky Nguyen to work, and just that she did: first locating, then cyber searching, then tweeting out to contact already scared and confused teenage female students at Presentation High School. Why? Ms. Nguyen, undoubtedly encouraged if not directed by her assignment desk editors, wanted to interview them – many claim without Ms. Nguyen seeking parental consent.
In addition, Ms. Nguyen showed up at the school search of the teenage female students, and also teachers, to interview – on camera and without parents present. Moreover, KRON’s reporting worked to point an accusatory finger at Presentation High School’s Principal Mary Miller. That prompted this email from Ms. Miller to parents and students of her school:
Dear Parents and Students,
I want to bring to your attention to a matter we find improper and disturbing. Within the last 24 hours, Vicky Nguyen (a reporter from NBC Bay Area News) direct messaged at least one of our students asking to speak to them off the record and does not indicate what she would like to discuss. This reporter has also begun following Presentation students on Twitter. We consider this action incredibly unethical and against journalistic integrity and acceptable code of conduct. Attempting to contact minors for interviews without parental consent displays a lack of good judgement and crosses obvious boundaries.
Of course, students are free to speak with the reporter. Parents, we thought you should know what is occurring. We intend to reach out to NBC with a formal complaint. If you find this behavior unacceptable, I encourage you to do the same.
Sincerely,
Mary Miller
Principal
PRESENTATION HIGH SCHOOL
2281 Plummer Avenue • San Jose, CA 95125 • (408) 264-1664
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