Kentucky GM Explains Why They Didn't Use Suspect's Name Or Picture

/
AP_18023605772864.0.jpg

When a 15 year old started killing classmates at Marshall County High School in Kentucky it was a big story for TV stations in the area and across the country. 

WPSD (Paducah) is about 20 miles from the school and the station had crews all over the story. 

But when it came to naming the 15 year old shooter, WPSD didn't do it. 

They also held off on using pictures of the victims. 

Much of this information could be found on social media, but not on WPSD's air. 

WPSD GM Bill Evans tried to explain the station's decisions in a note posted on the station's website.

Here's what he wrote:

Journalism and creating a post on social media are different.

In our effort to be transparent, I want to share with your why WPSD Local 6 has not used the name or picture of the 15-year-old Marshall County student who faces murder and attempted murder charges. The reason is simple: the suspect is a juvenile. Our policy is to not name nor use the likeness of juveniles in our reporting. Are there exceptions to this policy? Of course. The journalists in our newsroom discussed the issue. But at this time, we do not believe those exceptions have been met.

The Marshall County Attorney has said he would work to certify this juvenile suspect as an adult in the court. That is a process we will cover, and should the 15-year-old become an adult in the eyes of the court, he will be named publicly by us.

We have also refrained from using pictures of those we have confirmed died in the attack or were wounded. It is our policy to request permission to use pictures and/or video that we did not produce or that are found on social media sites. Simply, if we didn’t take the picture or video, we do not own the rights to the content. We work behind the scenes to gain those permissions, and once we do, we ensure that proper photo credit is given.

The journalists in this newsroom have followed the social media posts and comments just as you have. We know there is much being written, rumored, and speculated. But, as journalists, we are charged with reporting the truth as fully as possible. It is our duty to investigate, ask tough questions, and report with compassion and respect. You can review the guiding principles of WPSD Local 6 and the Society of Professional Journalists here:

https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Thank you for trusting my team to keep you informed.