Publishing public records isn’t always responsible journalism

Every week, the Paso Robles Press publishes the “Red Light Roundup,” an exhaustive list naming every person arrested during the prior week along with the particular crime that led to the arrest. Although the feature states that suspects are innocent until proven guilty (albeit in very small print), that disclaimer does not undo the reputational harm caused when a person’s name appears beside words such as DUI, theft, drug possession, or domestic violence—especially when the final disposition of their case is “not guilty.” An arrest is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Yet the accusation receives publication while the outcome receives none. Charges may be dismissed, reduced, rejected by prosecutors, or resolved by an acquittal. When that happens, it would stand to reason that every effort would be made to announce the final verdict. I can think of no reasonable argument to the contrary. I offer two solutions to this problem.

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