By
Bob SteeleNelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values
Boom…
I looked over at the TV in my office this afternoon and saw JonBenet Ramsey's image on the screen along with that ubiquitous "BREAKING NEWS" graphic.
On CNN: "Possible suspect in JonBenet Ramsey killing arrested last night in Thailand… Suspect to be brought back to U.S."
I see the young girl dancing in that video we saw so often a decade ago when her body was found in her home in Boulder, Colo.
The memory of
Richard Jewell flashes in my mind.
I flip among the cable news channels.
On
MSNBC it's a "BREAKING NEWS" graphic: "JonBenet Ramsey case solved?"
On
FOX News the graphic says "ALERT: MAN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION W/JONBENET RAMSEY CASE."
Images of
Richard Jewell flash in my head.
I surf the Web to see what the journalists in Colorado are doing on this.
Denver TV stations had the story up on their Web sites.
KUSA's story was written by their veteran investigative reporter Paula Woodward. Shortly after,
Denver's CBS affiliate, KCNC, had a story posted.
The Denver Post and the
Rocky Mountain News started out with
stories from The Associated Press. The lead of one AP story: "Federal officials familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the man was being held in Bangkok on unrelated sex charges."
This development brings back front and center one of the highest-profile murder cases in this era. And it creates some significant challenges for journalists in Denver and all over the country.
With my remote, I switch to MSNBC, where legal analyst Dan Abrams is saying: "We've got to be a little careful because we haven’t heard from the Boulder DA office yet." Twice in a minute, though, he's telling viewers that "you heard it first here on MSNBC."
Then, at about 5:12 p.m. Eastern time, I hear FOX News name of the suspect and report that he "is going to be brought back over the weekend."
Back on MSNBC, Abrams says: "I heard through the grapevine, according to a source close to John Ramsey, that this is a 41-year old school teacher who is also a sex offender.” Abrams says he has the suspect’s name but he’s going to hold off on using the name. Then he says, “This is somebody I can tell you that the Ramseys have talked about for a long time.”
Ironically, I now hear the voice of
L. Lin Wood, the attorney for the Ramseys, as he is interviewed by MSNBC. It's ironic because Wood also represented Richard Jewell when he was tried in the court of public opinion in the case of the Atlanta Olympics bombing.
By 6:45 p.m. Eastern time, MSNBC and the
Rocky Mountain News had also reported the murder suspect's name, but
The Denver Post,
The Washington Post and
The New York Times had not. Within the next hour,
The Denver Post had reported the name but
The Washington Post and
the Times still had not. By shortly after 3 a.m. Thursday, the Associated Press was quoting a Thai official, Lt. Gen. Suwat Tumrongsiskul, as sayng that John Mark Karr, 41, had admitted to killing the six year-old beauty queen.
Decisions, decisions. When to use a name. How to describe a suspect. What images to use in what ways.
I remember the frenzy around the Jewell case. The chase by journalists. The pursuit of
Richard Jewell, who was eventually exonerated in that case.
The cautionary bells are ringing in my head.
Journalists must pursue this development in the Ramsey case with vigor.
But they must also be exceptionally careful.
They can't let competitive zeal cloud their good judgment.
They can't let their zest for a story undermine their responsibility to verify information.
They can't let their desire to break new pieces of the story compromise their independence. They must respectfully challenge every statement made by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors.
And, even as a suspect is scrutinized, the journalists must remember the time-honored mantra of "innocent until proven guilty."
Remember the Richard Jewell case.
Remember how some news organizations portrayed Jewell with imagery and words in a way that suggested his guilt.
Journalists covering this case must be extremely cautious.
Now I hear Lin Wood mentioning Richard Jewell's name, saying he was his lawyer for almost ten years. Wood also mentions the Ramseys, whom he represented in the face of allegations that they were responsible for their daughter's death.
"These are special people I represent," he says. "They are individuals who were never charged with a crime yet were tried and found guilty in a court of public opinion. It's mighty tough… fighting law enforcement and a lot of media folks."
Now I hear the news anchors using the word "caution." A CNN anchor says: "This could turn into nothing."
How will the journalists measure up in this case?
What will be the fate of the suspect in the justice system?
In the court of public opinion?
It took me awhile, but I finally figured out the...
