I’d like to elaborate on our policy on identifying crime suspects, which was a Hot Type topic in your May 24 issue.
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Our policy states, “We identify crime suspects only if they are charged, or we know they are about to be charged, or if there is some other compelling reason to do so.” The latter aspect of the policy allows for unusual circumstances, such as, for example, if a political figure was under investigation; but for the most part, the policy hangs on whether authorities have made a determination to file charges.
As a newspaper, we have a keen sensitivity to the impact of what we publish. We believe it is our job to make the world a little bit better place. That philosophy guides our policies and our decision making. We strive very hard not to be intrusive. We use care to avoid harming people unnecessarily. We make decisions related to this virtually every day, and as anyone who has been in a newsroom knows, usually these are fairly subtle decisions. We do all of this while at the same time working hard to inform our readers as well as we can.
