Journalists Can't Hide News From the Internet

Hugh Pickens writes "Robert Niles at the Online Journalism Review discusses the issues surrounding the recent tragedy involving a MySpace user. A newspaper reporting on the story didn't name the woman, citing concerns for her teen daughter. Bloggers went nuts, and soon uncovered the woman's personal information. Niles writes: 'The lessons for journalists? First, we can't restrict access to information anymore. The crowd will work together to find whatever we withhold ... Second, I wonder if that the decision to withhold the other mother's name didn't help enflame the audience, by frustrating it and provoking it to do the work of discovering her identity.'"

Comments

Re:Whatever, stalking mods

[pipingguy]

When someone posts your address online over an alleged crime or slight, and you're the one whose tires are slashed or who has to confront a crazed gunman breaking down your door, you'll understand.

Has this happened to you or anyone you know? If not, stop the fearmongering.

there wasn't going to be a trial

[circletimessquare]

the local da was not going to press charges

with all the heat, they say now they are going to review the case

and there is no fuzziness about guilt here, the perpetrator is known and fixed

given that, the victim's parents decided to go public, against the advice of their lawyers, for exactly this effect: wide public knowledge and shaming of the perpetrator, and to warn people about what kind of mainpulations can go on

what's cringewothy about any of that? you talk about ethics and morals, when what was ethically and morally wrong was the perp getting away with this heinous crime, and no punishment in sight... until the blogosphere went nuts. so it was a good thing that the internet went nuts over the story, not cringeworthy