The codes we work within
Two widely used codes frame our approach. The Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics asks journalists to seek truth and report it, minimise harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent. It specifically cautions against identifying criminal suspects before formal charges and asks for compassion toward those affected by tragedy. In the United Kingdom, the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code requires that in cases of grief or shock, enquiries and approaches be made with sympathy and discretion, and that publication be handled sensitively.
The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, based at Columbia Journalism School, publishes guidance on interviewing survivors and bereaved families. We draw on it when deciding whether and how to include personal accounts.
Two documented failures
Richard Jewell · Atlanta, Georgia · 1996
Cleared Jewell, a security guard who helped evacuate Centennial Olympic Park before the July 1996 bombing, was named in the press as the focus of the FBI investigation within days. In October 1996 the U.S. Attorney's office informed him in writing that he was no longer a target. Eric Rudolph pleaded guilty to the bombing in 2005. Jewell pursued defamation claims against several outlets.
Christopher Jefferies · Bristol, England · 2010–2011
Released without charge Jefferies, the landlord of Joanna Yeates, was arrested in December 2010 and released without charge. Coverage of him was so damaging that in 2011 the High Court found the Daily Mirror and The Sun in contempt of court under the strict liability rule. He also received libel settlements from several newspapers. Vincent Tabak was convicted of Joanna Yeates's murder in October 2011.
Both men were innocent people turned into characters in a story before any legal process had run. Their cases are central to why we refuse to profile people who have not been charged.
Contempt and active proceedings
In England and Wales the Contempt of Court Act 1981 creates strict liability for publications that create a substantial risk of serious prejudice to active proceedings, regardless of intent. Proceedings become active, broadly, from arrest or the issue of a warrant. Scotland applies similar rules under the same Act. The United States has stronger press protections under the First Amendment, but pre-trial publicity can still lead to changes of venue, jury sequestration or appeals. We do not publish commentary on the likely guilt of anyone in active proceedings in any jurisdiction.
Writing about victims and families
- Lead with who the person was, using information families have made public or that appears in court records.
- Avoid graphic detail of injuries unless it is essential to understanding a court finding.
- Do not publish images from crime scenes, autopsies or private family archives.
- Respect legal anonymity: complainants in sexual offence cases in England and Wales have lifelong anonymity under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.
- Name the offender only as the record allows, and avoid making them the protagonist.
Language checklist
| Avoid | Use instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Killer", before conviction | "Charged with murder" | Matches the legal status. |
| "Shocking twist" | "A court later found…" | Removes suspense framing. |
| "Got off" | "Was acquitted" | Respects the verdict. |
| "Monster", "evil" | Description of proven conduct | Labels obscure evidence. |
| "Police believe X did it" | "Police said they arrested X on suspicion of…" | Attributes the claim precisely. |
Readers as participants
Online true-crime communities have helped identify missing persons and unidentified remains, often in partnership with NamUs, the U.S. National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. They have also harassed innocent people. In 2013, after the Boston Marathon bombing, online forums wrongly identified several people, including a missing student, as suspects. We encourage readers to send information to investigating agencies, never to publish names, addresses or speculation.
Terminology notes
"Alleged"
Use it for conduct, not identity: "the alleged assault", not "the alleged attacker" when the person has already been named as charged.
"Cold case"
An unresolved case without active new leads. It does not mean the case is closed or abandoned.
The responsibility of a crime story is not to entertain at someone else's expense. It is to inform accurately, with the people at its centre kept in view.