Notifying Next of Kin

[Orleander]

I read this at abcnews.com.
How can they release her husbands name, say he killed his wife, and then say her family hasn't been notified yet? Don't you think if her family reads this they will figure out she has been killed? :confused:
______________________________________________

James Kevin Pitts, 31, of Sheffield Lake, Ohio, was booked into the Pierce County Jail late Wednesday for investigation of murder, jail booking records showed.....

The woman's identity was withheld pending notification of relatives. .

Troyer said the woman had apparently been dead several hours, adding the Pierce County medical examiner's office would determine a cause of death.

The couple's 9-year-old son was picked up from school Wednesday and taken into protective custody until he could be reunited with relatives, Troyer said.

"He's obviously going to be traumatized," Troyer said. "He's lost his mother and now he's lost his father."

[txinvestigator1]

ooops

[Jynkxxie]

Don't you think if her family reads this they will figure out she has been killed? :confused:

Yep.

[corporal716]

The way I read it, is that the media got the information from public records. They knew darn well they were not given the name at the press release for a reason.

Another example of Irresponsible reporting. They just want their story and to be the first with it. They don't care who they hurt or what damage they may do. :mad:

[oscarmitre]

Agreed corporal716. General question - is there any way sanctions can be brought against them or does the First Amendment protect them from sanction? I ask because in Australia the only recourse a person here has (eg a cop accused of misbehaviour, spread all over the paper, found innocent etc) is to go the Press Council. Even if the Press Council finds against the organisation or journalist they hit them with a feather. It hardly encourages responsible journalism.

[ngcsubutterbar]

good question, I guess if Spike Lee can sue over his 'name', you may be able to do something, but I don't really know, and if this is how the family finds out it will be sad indeed.


speculation of course, but it is possible the police told the paper they were going to talk to the family before the story going to be printed?

[oscarmitre]

Always possible butter - and a good point. If it happened in my jurisdiction - and taking the point you made - there would be two inquiries. One would be the Press Council and the ritual laying of the feather on the responsible editor as "punishment". Then there would be the inquiry into the police action and the dropping of the ton of bricks on the copper responsible. I know I sound defensive but that's what happens here.

If someone released information to the media that they shouldn't have then they should be dealt with of course - but also the SOPs need to be revised, if indeed that is what happened. But the media also has to accept some of the blame as well in this case. Anyway more info might come to light.

[corporal716]

Freedom of the press. If its true or they word it right, they can print it or say it. No matter where they got the information.

[oscarmitre]

Is there no restriction on what they can publish?

I mean I know there is big blue going on right now about CBS showing those pictures of Princess Diana but in this case it's the privacy and feelings of ordinary people (the relatives) which have been trampled. I mean what would be wrong with the media stating that a 31 year old man from Sheffield Lake, Ohio was arrested...blah blah blah? Probably preaching to the converted here but you have to feel for the family.

[corporal716]

If its not a lie they can say it. A lot of the time they will use the word " alleged " to cover them selves. Basically if the story is not complete fiction they can report it the way they want.

[oscarmitre]

Thanks for the information at least I understand the legal background a bit better now.

[mcsap]

They didn't say her name but danced around it enough that there is NO doubt who died. Truly trashful journalism. Their "penalty" will likely more come from the deceased woman's family than anybody else.