On publishing names of minors
May 2, 2013
By Mike Weland
Publisher

I recently published the name of a 12-year-old who, in court, entered an admission of guilt to a criminal act.

I was immediately informed that publishing the names of minors is illegal at worst, unethical at best. As a publisher, I assure you it is not illegal. As to ethics, journalist have disagreed.

The main complainant, who took pains to expressly inform me I had no permission whatever to publish anything written or implied, requested I delete the child's name; authorities assured the family that the child's name would not be revealed.

As a journalist, I'm not often included in such negotiations; authorities who promise immunity cannot speak on my behalf. If it becomes public record, I have the right to publish. Contrary to popular belief, I typically lose advertisers in such matters rather than gain them.

Publishing news that is to be heard and trusted is not easy, nor without cost. I did not want to publish this child's name. I am aware his life is going to be worse because I named him; his friends and family now stand in the public, as well as the legal eye.

Personally, I respect him for admitting his mistake ... and I pray his honesty and the admission that he made a mistake is considered by the judge. He has disrupted his young life, for whatever reason, and he's taken responsibility. That speaks highly of this young man's character. By so doing, we know who scared and disrupted school and threw a town into panic.

We can breathe a sigh of relief.

It was just a kid. No harm meant, but his small action threw a town into turmoil.

Two other kids have been implicated. This journal has not published their names, and I have been chastised. As a journalistic and legal standard, there is a difference,

Both deny guilt, and in our system of jurisprudence they must be considered innocent until otherwise proved.

I respect them for taking advantage of their rights to remain silent, to stand trial. Be they proven guilty in a court of law, this journal will name them.

Even if it costs advertisers.