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Suspect-description restraint prompts debate [Sacramento Bee often censors race of alleged perps]
Sacramento Bee ^ | Sept. 23 2007 | Armando Acuna

Posted on 09/25/2007 12:23:31 AM PDT by freedomdefender

One of The Bee's most controversial practices for several years has been when and how the paper identifies the race of suspects in crime stories.

The paper has set a high standard, allowing the use of race only when it is accompanied by a detailed physical description or when reporting a serial crime or when using police sketches of suspects.

The bar was set high to avoid racial stereotyping caused by vague or unreliable racial descriptions provided by police, crime victims or witnesses.

Not surprisingly, critics through the years have accused the paper of political correctness, and the issue's volatility has ebbed and flowed, sometimes lying dormant for months only to arise anew in the wake of a particularly heinous crime.

It's burning white-hot now in the aftermath of the slaying in Sacramento of a young father and his 7-month-old son and the paper's reluctance until several days had passed to provide racial descriptions of the suspects.

Now, the paper's policy is under review, according to Executive Editor Rick Rodriguez, who is leaning toward modifying the policy to allow the use of race as part of a general description of suspects. ...

I would like to hear your thoughts about this via an online chat. To participate, please go to www.sacbee.com/public and I will post your questions and observations....

You can contact the Public Editor by mail at P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852; by e-mail at publiceditor@sacbee.com; or by calling him directly at (916) 321-1250.

(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: mediabias; sacbee
This is typical liberal lunacy. If a suspect is at large, how can people know whom to look for - or how to protect themselves - if the "news"paper censors the news and withholds vital descriptive information? If these liberals editors don't want to stereotype, why do they give us the sex of perpetrators? Why not just say, a "human" shot two people. Telling us it's a "man" plays into stereotypes!

The good news is, these liberal censors at newspapers -McClatchy in particular - are dinosaurs, about to gasp their last breath. McClatchy is losing money big-time. Well deserved.

1 posted on 09/25/2007 12:23:33 AM PDT by freedomdefender
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To: freedomdefender

I shouldn’t say McClatchy is losing money. Their profits are down. That’s what I meant to say.


2 posted on 09/25/2007 12:25:24 AM PDT by freedomdefender
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To: CondorFlight; doug from upland; NormsRevenge; calcowgirl; ElkGroveDan; blam; Army Air Corps; ...

ping


3 posted on 09/25/2007 12:40:21 AM PDT by freedomdefender
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To: freedomdefender
Why is it "liberal lunacy" to list the race?!? It seems to me to be a good thing that they are considering change of policy.

As a side note, one nice thing about Sacramento is that you can access a website that maps crime locations. You can find out where the crime clusters are for burglaries, etc. It would be nice if this were done by all states and cities.

4 posted on 09/25/2007 1:01:49 AM PDT by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: freedomdefender

Why even claim that a human being did it? That’s anthrocentric. The actual news is that a person was stabbed repeatedly, cut into little bits, packed into plastic bags and buried next to a river. Maybe snakes did it. :)


5 posted on 09/25/2007 1:01:49 AM PDT by sig226 (New additions to the list of democrat criminals - see my profile)
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To: freedomdefender

bttt


6 posted on 09/25/2007 1:24:35 AM PDT by AnimalLover ( ((Are there special rules and regulations for the big guys?)))
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To: freedomdefender

These idiots don’t care that by not mentioning the race of suspects who are still at large, they’re endangering the lives of innocent people of ALL races.

I agree that they’re only considering changing the policy because they’re in decline. The only reason CNN hired Glenn Beck and allows Lou Dobbs to make sense is because they need them to compete with FOX.


7 posted on 09/25/2007 6:47:53 AM PDT by puroresu (Enjoy ASIAN CINEMA? See my Freeper page for recommendations.)
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To: freedomdefender
By the most amazing coincidence, I am celebrating my 1 year anniversary of freedom from the Bee.

http://knewshound.blogspot.com/2007/09/celebrating-my-freedom.html

Incidents like this only validate my decision.

Cheers,

knewshound

http://www.knewshound.blogspot.com/

8 posted on 09/25/2007 6:56:35 AM PDT by knews_hound (In order to not be banned, I no longer discuss Politics here.)
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