“Reward!” There’s a word that captures people’s attention. It does mine, because I don’t understand why rewards are offered. Morally, of course, I should report any information I may have about a kidnapping, a child who has disappeared, an assault, or any other crime. It’s a part of my obligation to help protect vulnerable individuals around me. A reward, then, doesn’t enter into my decision as to whether or not to help–nor should it.
Take a look at the stereotypical reward-seeker. Movies and books depict them as unscrupulous, greedy, morally corrupt, and even physically unattractive. Their only motive is to get the money and run before the authorities discover that their information isn’t all that valuable. In fact, an offer of a reward typically causes a human tsunami of useless phone calls with weak, bogus, or conflicting “facts.” Who would want to be part of that group? And how trustworthy are they and their information?
Granted, in real life there are moral souls who earn the reward and really need the money to save their home, pay medical bills, or whatever. However, those are a small number.
Rewards may generate publicity to keep a tragedy in the news, but they do little else but bring out the worst in people.