In the October 7 issue of The Famuan, the news section ran a story titled “Three arrested in credit card fraud scheme.” In the story, the writer reveals the names of several people that were involved in a credit card scandal.
The mug shots plastered next to the story may have looked familiar to you, because they are students. Although I don’t approve of the actions perpetrated by the accused, I’m not a fan of publishing stories without extensive information. The student newspaper is not a venue to expose people you may have had a class with.
Did anyone actually go to the Registrar’s Office to see if those accused were actually enrolled in school and what their affiliation is to the university and community? Were any representatives from the Circle K or even the accused contacted for the story? What about those affected? Are we going to start blasting other students and faculty members with blotched pasts? If we are going to set a standard of cruising through mug shots to see who looks familiar for a story, then we might as well become a tabloid pamphlet. It must have been a pretty slow news day for editors to dig up two-week old mug shots from the Tallahassee Democrat just to fill the space.
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