Scripps Station to Cutback on Use of Mugshots

Back in May of last year, FTVLive FIRST told you that Scripps owned WTXL (Tallahassee) is stopping a feature that drove a lot of traffic to the station’s website.

WTXL has long posted police mugshots on their website. But the station decided to step back from that practice and now another Scripps station is following suit.

WCPO (Cincinnati) says that they are cutting back on the use of mug shots with crime stories.

WCPO’s Senior Director of Local Content Mike Canan writes, “for most people who have been arrested, the police mug shot when they are booked into jail is the worst picture ever taken of them. The subject of that photo has likely not had a good last few hours. The person might be intoxicated, angry, upset.”

He goes on to say, “In other news organizations, the mug shot itself sometimes seems to be the purpose of the story. The person’s crimes are minor, but he or she had an awkward expression or a face covered with tattoos. Some journalist then decides that mug shot will be really amusing online and will allow the story to get a lot of pageviews on the website.”

“This strategy will probably work. But that’s not the type of newsroom I want to lead -- or even work in. That doesn’t seem fair or responsible to me. Somewhere in that process, the journalist forgets that this is a real person, not simply the butt of a joke,” Canan writes.

Will this become standard policy at all the Scripps stations?

Will other stations do this as well?

Time will tell….

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