Time For Reporting Restrictions on Police Enquiries IMO
Discussion
Time for Tougher reporting restrictions IMO.
Watching the unfolding events in Bristol has convinced me that we need restrictions in this country on the reporting and media coverage of 'live' Police enquiries.
Look at almost any high profile Police enquiry (usually a murder of a pretty white woman/child/infant - but thats another debate) and you'll see graphic reconstructions, live reporting of the Police's activities and then mass media coverage of suspects arrested.
Its absolutely absurd to have information published about a suspect in an enquiry. For a start, imagine if this guy is innocent??? There are now a minority of people who'll forever associate this guy in Bristol with being a murderer. Fine, if/when he is charged with murder then thats announced but nothing more than that IMO.
The time to release all the information is at the conclusion of any subsequent trial.
The media is shooting itself in the foot here because the Govt will no doubt use this sort of coverage to bring in all sorts of draconian reporting laws and probably sneak in the privacy laws its wants to as well.
Watching the unfolding events in Bristol has convinced me that we need restrictions in this country on the reporting and media coverage of 'live' Police enquiries.
Look at almost any high profile Police enquiry (usually a murder of a pretty white woman/child/infant - but thats another debate) and you'll see graphic reconstructions, live reporting of the Police's activities and then mass media coverage of suspects arrested.
Its absolutely absurd to have information published about a suspect in an enquiry. For a start, imagine if this guy is innocent??? There are now a minority of people who'll forever associate this guy in Bristol with being a murderer. Fine, if/when he is charged with murder then thats announced but nothing more than that IMO.
The time to release all the information is at the conclusion of any subsequent trial.
The media is shooting itself in the foot here because the Govt will no doubt use this sort of coverage to bring in all sorts of draconian reporting laws and probably sneak in the privacy laws its wants to as well.
Edited by Marty Funkhouser on Friday 31st December 13:29
Its not the speculation on these forums that concerns me as much as the information and pictures released by the information media. This guy has had his photo published all across the globe now. The papers have interviewed everyone who has ever met him and printed an enormous amount of unsubstantiated information about him. How does this help the investigation? How does it help this guy go back to his life if, god forbid, he is cleared? The media wont be printing any apologies. Just because something is interesting to the public does not make it in the public interest.
jmorgan said:
The media camping outside the flat will not need sources in the police. They have gone OTT in my opinion but I would not want to see restrictions. I get the feeling a quiet news day led to one up manship with the press and it got out of hand. The murders in London get scant coverage.
possibly because a) they are not as unusual events and b) the victims usually dont have blonde hair and blue eyes.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff