To print or not to print?
 

Rarely do I seek personal opinion on these boards, but you all are well thought and certainly opinionated enough :D, so I'd like to get your opinion on something I'm struggling with.

As a few of you know and most probably don't know or don't care, I am editor of a newspaper in Tennessee. Our state has one of the most detailed sex offender registries in the country. Names, photos, DOBs, crimes committed and last known residence for each sex offender - violent and non-violent - is contained in a registry maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and available to the public via the Internet. Recently, we've been under some "pressure" to print those names in the paper periodically . . . like once monthly or even weekly.

First, my personal feelings on the sex offender registry: I don't necessarily like it. Someone who commits a sex crime, especially a sex crime against a child, can rot in hell for all I care. But the people on these registries are people who have served their time; supposedly, they've paid their debt to society. I view a sex offender registry about the same way I view laws prohibiting gun possession by convicted felons: If a felon cannot be trusted to have a gun, he should still be in jail. Likewise, if a sex offender cannot be trusted to be turned loose to "disappear" in the community, he should still be in jail. On the other hand, we don't give life sentences for most sex offenses, and statistics show that 80% of all violent sex offenders will be a repeat offender. Too many times we hear news reports of children who have been abducted, molested and murdered and when the perpetrator is caught, it is someone previously convicted of a sex crime. So I suppose a SOR is an unfortunate necessity.

That said, there are issues both for and against printing these names in the paper. First, reasons NOT to print them: I don't like the notion of singling out a certain class of crime/criminals, and singling out a certain group (personally, I think that there is no group of criminals worse than those who take advantage of children, but rarely am I afforded my personal opinion in my work). I also don't like the fact that it is using the newspaper as a method of punishment; the purpose of newspapers isn't to shame or to punish, but to inform.

But then on the other hand, the newspaper's duty to inform and punishment or shame often overlap. If we refused to print anything that would punish or embarrass someone, I doubt we'd have enough news to fill the front page of the paper. Also, I have to go back to what I said in the opening about the number of times we hear about a child being molested or worse by a repeat offender who the parents didn't even know lived nearby. If a newspaper's duty is to inform, it would be a great injustice to our industry to fail to inform parents of potential dangers to their children. I have children, and if a sex offender was living a few doors down the street from me, I'd certainly want to know about it. We pride ourselves on printing everything the reader needs to know, and this would be an extension of that.

So there are both positives and negatives. Thoughts?

RE: To print or not to print?
 

I'll address just a couple of your points:

They've paid a debt. But, what they paid may notnecessarily equate to what was owed. Judges are notorious for letting folks off more lightly than they deserve.


Because of what I said above, there may be some who have to be let loose, even though they are still a threat. Just because they've served 3 or 5 or 20 years or whatever their maximum sentence was, doesn't mean they've been magically cured of whatever caused them to commit the offense in the first place.

BINGO.

You answered your own question with the second half of the sentence. I don't view it as additional punishment, I view it as protecting and serving your readers. They have a right to know if they or their children are in danger. What happens if you don't print, and someone's little girl is assaulted because the parents didn't know of the danger?

RE: To print or not to print?
 

It sounds like you have the option to NOT print this information in your paper. Speaking for myself, I would rather not shoulder the burden of having unjustly injured someone or made someone's life tougher. Therefore, I'm not seeking out the role of executioner or punisher. Yes, it is somebody's job to do this . . . but I know it ain't mine and I don't want it. On this basis, I recommend you NOT print the information in your newspaper.

My neighbor informed me that one of the kids that occasionally hung out with my son was on the "sex offender" list. We were concerned, as we have two young daughters. We looked into the story and learned that thiskid got drunk at a party at the age of 14 and pawed a 14 year old girl and it resulted in a conviction for a sex offense. Taking the story as true, we felt like our daughters were safe around this guy. The term "sex offender" really has a pretty broad meaning: it covers horrific, detestable acts but it also covers less damaging and less unnatural acts. I think this kid really had a lot of grief about being listed because most people don't look into the details or just prefer to take no chances. So this experience is in the back of my mind.

RE: To print or not to print?
 

Well what you could do is? Print this in your paper with a short heading of some sort. Sex offenders in Tennessee. You wouldn't have to print the names and people could go to that sight. Just click on county you or they want and all the info is there for your readers.

http://www.ticic.state.tn.us/SEX_ofndr/search_short.asp

RE: To print or not to print?
 

"Our state has one of the most detailed sex offender registries in the country. Names, photos, DOBs, crimes committed and last known residence for each sex offender - violent and non-violent - is contained in a registry maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and available to the public via the Internet. "

Simply publicize the factthat the sex offender registry exists. Tell folks how to use the database. Maybe a horror story or two about the child sex offender next door that no one knew about.

RE: To print or not to print?
 

If people are to lazy to go to the internet and check on these things, what good would it be to print in your paper? They must not be to concerned about these people then. Just print the link once a month in your paper.

RE: To print or not to print?
 

I guess my answer is right back at you. What type of paper do you publish? Is it something that comes out for the sole purpose of providing news, weather and sports or is it a tabloid type rag that makes its money embellishing the half truths that circulate about everything. My personal feeling is that any reputable newspaper would stay away from that type of journalism. My bet is your paper is more mainstream and just the fact that you are weighing your options show that you have a conscience and want to do the right thing. Good luck Ben!

RE: To print or not to print?
 

True. But then our area is a poor area, and a lot of people still do not have access to the Internet.

RE: To print or not to print?
 

I might not have a popular opinion on this but I wouldnt print it.We make it nearly impossible for them to fit back into society.Theres people charged with sex crimes for a variety of reasons, hell a 18 yr old high school student having sex with some in in the grade below him can be charged with rape, he shoulda known better perhaps but when I was 18 if a 16\17 yr old girlwas gonna put out I cant recall ever wighing the optins to much.

I new a kid here that used to babysit for a lady, the lady also got busted with a meth lab in her basement on 3 seperate occasions.Somehow after the first arrest she didntdo any time but the kid that babysat for her went to prison for child molestation that allegedly happend while watching her kids.Did he do it?I got no idea but i know she made a deal and didnt do any time.Second time she was let out and her ex-husband and sister got popped for drugs shortly after.Third time she did 5 years out of 20:eek:

Now they have to register andIowa instituted a law they cant live within something like 1000 yards of a school, daycare, or park.Where are they gonna live?That eliminated 3/4 of the towns in this state based on size alone.If theyve done thier time, are trying to fit into society, and havent re offended Im not sure what the problem is.I agree with them registering with the police dept, I dont think it should be open to the public forviewing.It creates more problems then its ever going to solve.Just my .02 cents.

RE: To print or not to print?
 

All you need is one women in the neighborhood with one computer. I promise you, the wholecommunity willknow about who is in their area living.:D