Publishing of mug shots on newspaper websites stirs debate

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Palm Beach Post

Posted on Sunday, 06.28.09
Publishing of mug shots on newspaper websites stirs debate
Posting mug shots of suspected criminals is a popular feature of the Palm Beach Post newspaper website, but some question the practice.

BY JANE MUSGRAVE
The Palm Beach Post
When Tim Lowry goes to lunch, he packs his laptop.

As he plops it on the bar at Bru's Room Sports Grill in Boynton Beach, his friends, other patrons and the wait staff gather around to laugh and joke about the photos of the latest people booked into the Palm Beach County Jail to face criminal charges.

David Baker said he logs onto the site for pure entertainment. ''Some of the people are funny looking and ugly, to be blunt,'' he said.

Few would disagree.But a number of journalism watchdogs, civil libertarians and ethicists aren't laughing.
It has been called everything from ''journalistic malpractice'' to ``ethically bankrupt.''

Newspapers, particularly those in Florida, have discovered that the public has a huge appetite for jail mug shots. In May, the booking blotter generated about 52 percent of the 45.2 million page views to The Palm Beach Post's websites. For some sites, those hits can translate into ad sales.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1117521.html

[Ken Burch]

1. There's a paper published in Portland that's called "Look Who's Been Busted"

It's nothing but mug shots.

[Democracyinkind]

2. Ah. Journalism at its best. When will the times and post pick this up?

[DURHAM D]

5. In North Carolina its called "The Slammer".

[Speed8098]

3. Newsday has been doing it for years

I find it to be a disgusting practice. So much for "innocent until proven guilty". I think each newspaper that does this should be forced to post a front page apology to every suspect that gets found not guilty.

[Renew Deal]

6. Newsday has expanded it into many categories

Mug Shots
Car Accidents
Most Wanted
House Fires

And lots of other stuff. I look through them when I come across them. I am always astounded at the crime that goes on around me. You know why I look? I want to see if there's anyone I recognize and I want to know what's going on. The mug shots are mostly a problem for those that are innocent. The mug shots are one of those things we live with on the internet.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/photos

[Vinca]

4. Do they publish photos of people later found innocent of charges?

[Posteritatis]

12. Of course not; nobody accused of a crime can *ever* be innocent, after all (nt)

[Robb]

7. It's public record.

Either allow the public access to arrest information, and accept publication of names and photos of the result of police work, or deny public access to that information.

I promise you do not want to even BEGIN to limit the ways that information can be gathered and disseminated.

[rocktivity]

8. Aren't mug shots public record-just like police reports?

If so, embarrassment seems to be the only problem.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[ohio2007]

9. FBI posts in the post offices around the country and child/sexual predator info is available

on request or as some city school systems do, e mail the info to parents of children attending a school where a predator lives.

btw
Some people say it is unconstitutional do let people know a convicted predator is living near their children.

....just who are 'those' people ?

[cufford]

10. Public record vs the right thing

Sure, it's public record, but is it a good thing to do? That is the question.

Obvious, not everyone, perhaps even a large percentage, of those arrested and booked (and photographed) are not guilty of anything, yet publishing their image implies they are and can have lasting repercussions for that person in their community.

Also obvious is that the reason these publications do this is the same reason tabloids like National Inquirer publish what they do...to make money, and for no other reason. So it's not like they're doing it in the public interest or anything.

[Turbineguy]

11. The Dutch newspapers

only give initials.

I think it has something to do with "innocent until proven guilty".

[downindixie]

13. I get my info from the Sheriffs Dept

http://www.calhouncountysheriff.org/


It has photos of wanted,missing persons and sex offenders. It also lists inmates names.

[depakid]

14. I suppose that begs the question....

why?