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When should journalists publish the names of victims?

5/18/11
by Dana Liebelson

Journalists are debating whether the names of victims should be published in the wake of two recent scandals.

Some news organizations have chosen to identify the woman who had a child with U.S. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger while working as staff in his home —others have withheld the name for privacy reasons.

The same has held true for the woman who accused IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempted sexual assault. Although journalists don’t typical publish the names of sexual assault victims, Slate/France controversially published the woman’s name with the intention of protecting her from further accusations.

Do you think journalists should have published the names of either of these two women? Why or why not?

How should journalists decide when to publish a victim’s name as part of a report?

Great article!

Submitted by CoolStoryBrah on 10/31/11.

Great article!

Interestingly touchy

Submitted by Anonymous on 10/31/11.

Interestingly touchy subject...but one that needs to be talked about. Thanks for bringing it up! :)

i think names in such cases

Submitted by Anonymous on 5/31/11.

i think names in such cases should be witheld, why further embarrass these women.? revealing the names just brings unwanted media to attention to these women, which they wanted to avoid,(that is why the stayed out of the media) but then i guess it boils down to a journalists ethics and morals.

Beenzu Bee, 2nd year journalism student at Limkokwing University

online media breaks ethics

Submitted by Anonymous on 5/24/11.

In both these cases online outlets named victims when traditionas media did not...then old media published names...now what? We need standards...

publish name

Submitted by Anonymous on 5/24/11.

I think that the problem of publishing the name of a victim is of a great etichal importance. As a journalist you have to know all the details and you have to be objective while you are writting the article. Even so, you have to know where is the line before hurting those persons because I think that neither the woman that had Arnolds Schwarzenegger child, neither the victim od Kahn wouldn't have wanted all the wolrd to be a part of their life. I think their name should have been kept as a secret.

Cristina Pirvu, reporter at Ziua de Cluj, Romania

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