Naming names is probably one of the toughest decisions a journalist has to make. Whether or not that was an issue for the Times is unknown but fact remains naming the toddlers left a lot to be questioned.
By rule, juveniles are not to be named in criminal cases but what about a civil issue? A civil issue as trivial as a 4 and 5 year old being accused of negligence while riding their bikes? Do these kids even understand what negligence is?
Adding the names provided no clarity to the story as Arthur Brisbane so clearly stated his opinion in the last three paragraphs of the article with the use of “I”. This too presents another issue in journalism. However, his opinion grounded the latter portion of the article, coinciding with the opinions of other editors.