CNN and the Fascination of Mugshots

After an entire semester of scouring CNN for unethical or irresponsible journalism I believe I found the answer to all their mistakes. CNN does not understand what responsible journalism is. This notion was made concrete after reading the article Media Taking Mug Shots -- Foreign, Familiar -- to Bank by Elliot C. McLaughlin.

McLauglin's article talks about our society's fascination with mugshots. John Watson, a suppposed expert on journlistic ethics stated:

"These are pictures of monsters who actually exist, and we can look at them from
the safety of wherever we are, and they disappear when we close the book."

I find it hard to take either the writer of this article or his source very seriously. Monsters? Did he really just classify anyone who is ever arrested and had their mugshot published as a monster? Maybe I need to check, but I don't believe we live in communist Russia where all people are guilty until proven innocent. In America being arrested does not prove guilt.

This article's largest flaw is the complete absense of any discussion relating to the impugnity of those arrested who are innocent. The focus of this piece is how fascinated we all are when we see that mugshot and this would be the perfect opportunity, if not necessary opportunity, for CNN make note of how these images can slander the innocent. It is obvious that, after we read the police logs or an actual article about an illeged criminal, our opinion of that person has been tarnished. Even after that person has been aquited of the charges many of us may not be aware of the person's innocense or at the very least will still hold some negative feelings. This article needed to explain the issue of reporting on those not yet convicted. Many people read the news everyday without thinking deeper into whether or not this person is truly guilty.

Works Cited
Media Taking Mug Shots -- Foreign, Familiar -- to Bank http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/08/mugshots.fascination/index.html