- Home
- News Grid
- Local News
- Green Hawk
- Business
- Politics
- School Zone
- Nonprofits
- Missing Pets
- Multimedia
- Arts
- Movies
- Outdoors
- Sports
- News Releases
- Columnists
- Blogs
- Opinions
- Classifieds
- Advertise
- Donate
- Partners
We’re Not One to Name Names
Tuesday’s news that 10 people have been linked to the start of the Tea Fire has ignited speculation almost as fierce as the flames themselves, if inquiries e-mailed to me are any guide. The question readers — including my 16-year-old daughter — are asking is why haven’t any names been released?
If you’re looking for a long dissertation, sorry; you’ll have to ask my buddy, The Professor, Craig Smith.
Law-enforcement agencies and prosecutors have their own standards and policies, and Sheriff Bill Brown can articulate them far more effectively than I. Noozhawk’s policy, as outlined in our 52-page Noozhawk Style Manual, is that we do allow the publication of the names, ages and city addresses of people who are arrested for a crime. But we also adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ 1996 Code of Ethics and will “be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.”
So, what’s our underlying standard? Fairness — for the suspect, for the victim, for law enforcement, for the defense, for our readers ... and for our publisher’s liability insurance carrier.
In this current case, as our Sonia Fernandez reported, authorities did not identify the individuals, citing the ongoing investigation. For now, there’s nothing more we can say.
Comments
Noozhawk's comments are moderated, but by posting here you accept your responsibility to follow our rules as part of Noozhawk's shared online community. Please keep your comments civil and helpful. Don't attack other readers personally, and do not use vulgar, abusive or discriminatory language. Use the "Report Abuse" link if a comment violates these standards or our Terms of Use.
Weather: Fair 54.0º
Search Noozhawk »
