Re: Media Ethics Discussion -- COM101 Mass Communications

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Date Posted: 13:28:00 12/13/08 Sat
Author: Emily Cardella
Subject: Re: Media Ethics Discussion
In reply to: Richard Lenoce 's message, "Media Ethics Discussion" on 17:59:45 11/21/08 Fri

A couple months ago the Standard Times published pictures each day of people in court for drug charges. The Standard Times thought by doing so they were increasing public awareness about the community�s drug problem. I do not agree with the Standard-Times publishing these pictures. These published photographs have gotten the biggest public response, by readers finding the pictures positive and helpful. An ACLU lawyer stated that it violates ethic to take pictures of individuals only accused of a crime. I totally agree with this ACLU lawyer, I do not agree with publishing these photographs in a newspaper. Individuals who get arrested and are arraigned in court are simply accused, not convicted. What will happen when the court case is dismissed and the defendant is announced innocent? It�s too late, the picture was already published and many readers have already read and heard about it. This innocent defendant now might have to possibly deal with losing their job, reputation, etc. Also many court cases end up with the defendant being falsely accused. The innocent person will be paying the price for something they did not do, while the guilty individual is roaming free. How is this individual supposed to get up and walk out of their house without feeling they have to walk on eggshells? Now when someone sees this person they are automatically going to think they are being involved with drugs. Police might see this person as a target and think they got away with the court case one time and try to get this individual for drug charges again. I believe these pictures and stories should be published after the court case is said and done, and the defendant is found guilty of the crime or drug charges.

By the journalists publishing these photographs they are helping themselves and themselves only. The journalists were not helping the police by publishing these photos. The police working in this area already know who to look for and who the �bad guys� are. I think by publishing the stories and photographs after the court case and after the defendant is announced guilty, then it will help police. It will allow readers to gather information about the guilty individual and hopefully find more evidence or others involved in the case. By the journalists publishing this photograph they are also not helping the public. The public doesn�t need to know what the people in court look like. The public need to know and should be reading about what is going on and why the person is in court and what they are getting arraigned for. It�s the journalist�s job and position to display the story to the public, not the person�s face of who is getting accused. By the journalists publishing these photographs they are helping themselves, they are attracting the media and more readers. Other papers do not display photographs of individuals being arraigned in court, so by this one specific paper doing so, the media will want to read the story and see the picture.

By publishing these pictures it will not stop drug use. From my experience with seeing people who abuse drugs, I think drug use is more prevalent today than it�s ever been. I believe increasing the penalty when being convicted of drug use might allow individuals to think twice. I think it is unethical to publish photos of people accused of drug crime. Journalists should be giving readers the story about what is going on and how to prevent drug crime, not pictures of someone merely being arraigned for a court case, with the possibility of being innocent.

Works Cited
http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/ethics/aiding-law-enforcement/fairness/

http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/ethics/aiding-law-enforcement/newspaper-joins-war-against-drugs/

http://www.barryblacklaw.com/content/view/22/1/

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Replies:

Re: Media Ethics Discussion -- Brittany Vumback, 07:41:41 12/14/08 Sun