March 21st, 2008
Suspect IDs
By Andy Schotz
Should criminal suspects be named in print if they haven’t been charged? This piece (http://www.minnpost.com/davidbrauer/2008/03/19/1203/on_arrestees_local_media_increasingly_naming_names) explores the issue well through some Minnesota news organizations. One important note, though. The reference to the SPJ Code of Ethics was not right. SPJ does not list or characterize any section of the code as automatically being more important than any other. Journalists should consider the guidelines they believe are relevant to the decision at hand. A balance of competing interests might be necessary.