A young girl and boy, ages 4 and 5, were riding their bicycles on a quiet street in their East Side neighborhood, when they knocked down an 87 year old woman. The woman suffered some injuries and was taken to the hospital. Three months later the woman died but with no related causes to the accident. The Times saw the report by The New York Law Journal and decided to publish a story that included the children’s names as well.
Although one editor claims that it is a news organizations responsibility to “provide information to readers, not withhold it,” I felt that naming the children was in poor taste. At the time that the story was published, the case had not yet been tried and nothing was figured out, so why should these children be completely thrown under the bus before things are settled. These are children who do not understand what is happening, who can’t defend themselves against those who read the article and offer criticism. I feel that these two children are going to grow up believing that they killed someone. There’s a psychological aspect here that should have been considered.