Dangers of ‘citizen journalism’
The media cannot just assume that it’s all true merely because the man was arrested.
SOCIAL media went ballistic this week after a top cop in the Hibiscus Coast Municipality was arrested on numerous sexual allegations involving children.
The man’s identity is probably common knowledge by now as his photograph and name appeared on mobile and various online sites. However, the Herald decided to stick to the letter of the law and withhold publication of his identity until he had been asked to plead in court. He is currently in police custody and will appear in court again on Monday.
One might ask: Why not publish his name if it’s already out there?
Some editors might well have decided that the story was big enough to risk it… ‘publish and be damned’. After all, this is an alleged sexual pervert that we are talking about. It would be very difficult for someone like that to sue for defamation.
But, to be fair, we don’t know that yet and we can’t just assume that it’s all true merely because he was arrested. The allegations are obviously serious enough for the police to take the man out of circulation, but it is still an ‘investigation’ at this stage.
If, by chance, it turns out that this has all been a terrible misunderstanding, then the man would already have been branded for life, along with anyone close to him.
The Herald has to be accountable to the law, even if faceless ‘citizen journalists’ who feed the social media don’t.
* This column was written by branch manage Bevis Fairbrother as editor Colleen Haggard is on leave.
