It is without question some of the most difficult material I deal with every day.
We call it police news.
Every day we report incidents and arrests from local police departments. As you might expect, it's some of the most widely read material we print and post online every day, sparking the most conversation and reaction.
It also routinely causes me the most aggravation.
That's because very often those involved in these incidents are not especially happy about seeing it splashed all over the pages of the newspaper, or on our website.
They often claim innocence, insisting the police got it wrong.
Sometime, not all that often, they are right.
When that happens, we try to rectify the situation by playing the story in which the suspects are cleared in the same manner we did for their arrest.
It happened again this week.
Two young men were charged with an incident.
The story, including their names and photos, appeared online and in print.
I received several emails defending the young men, saying the police got it wrong, and questioning how we reported the story.
It's simple, the material we get is based on the findings in the police reports. They give the information to us, including the charges that were filed.
Yes, I will admit it is one-sided, that being the side of the police. We often don't get the other side of the story, from the suspects. If those who are charged with a crime want to talk, we certainly will listen.
The story clearly indicated the young men simply were charged, it does not mean they were guilty. That is to be decided.
Actually, several people did not even think it would get that far. They insisted this was a case of mistaken identity, and that the charges would be dropped.
So I had our reporter check with the police. They told us they have no intention of altering the charges, at least at this point.
Several people believe we should change the way we report stories, specifically that we should not report on them until the cases make their way through the court system.
They have a point, and it's one I've thought about for some time. Right now I'll stand with the way we report the news. It's not perfect. Sometimes mistakes are made. In those instances, it's up to me to make it right. I certainly will keep an eye on this case. If it indeed turns out that these young men were not involved, I will make sure they are given the same treatment as their arrests.
Right now, that's not the case.
That is not going to make their friends happy, either with the system or the way we report the news.
I understand that.
It's part of the business.
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