When reporting on allegations of sexual assault against women, most news organizations will identify the alleged perpetrator but will not identify the name of the alleged victim without express permission from the victim. Some argue this policy is unfair to the accused and allows women to make false accusations without any accountability. Others argue that identifying the victim is too privacy-invasive, will essentially victimize the woman a second time and discourage women from coming forward.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
-
Transparency vs Privacy in the US The Current State of Transparency vs Privacy in the US Most Americans* are concerned about their personal ...
-
Introduction A national DNA database would collect data from millions of citizens across the country and store each individual’s genetic s...
-
(Audible, N.D) Who is Edward Snowden and What did he do? Edward Snowden started working for the Central Intelligence Agency in 2006, where...
Personally, I agree with the policy that a victim of sexual assault should remain anonymous in the press to protect them and encourage others to come forward if they have also experienced sexual assault. However, I also think that news organizations are accountable for responsible reporting (meaning they have done in-depth reporting and have diverse sources). I found this tip-sheet for journalists covering sexual assault articles and think it has some good points. https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2017-03/nsvrc_tip_sheet_reporting-on-sexual-violence-tips-for-journalists.pdf
ReplyDeleteHannah: thanks for the link to a very instructive document. I encourage everyone to read it.
DeleteI agree with what Hannah had to say on this issue, while there is a risk to baseless allegations gaining traction, it is on the news organization responsible for reporting the allegations. If there is no basis for the claims made, and an organization reports it as fact regardless, then I think that is a pretty clear presentation of someone in a false light. Likewise in our current political climate it seems that many men are more upset by those making allegations than they are by any possibility of truth to them, and so naming who made the allegations can actually be quite dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the policy that sexual assault victims should be to press charges anonymously. Victims of sexual assault, as Eugene Volokh's article "When Should Plantiffs Be Able to Sue Anonymously?" noted, tend to be at a higher risk of retaliation for speaking out against their abusers. They need that extra degree of protection as a guarantee of their safety if they risk speaking out. Further, I do not think false allegations are a prevalent enough issue to warrant forcing victims to come forward publicly.
ReplyDeleteI also definitely agree that when reporting crimes, it's best to keep the victims' names anonymous. It's often already hard enough for them to disclose these kinds of information to their close friends for support, much less the media for anyone to see. If the investigations are still going on and there's no clear proof about the crime, I think that it'd also be a more ethical practice to keep the criminal's identity anonymous as well, so just reporting on what might've conspired and the current facts until more is known. But either way, I definitely think that the victim has all the rights to remain anonymous and should not have their privacy intruded on, which just adds so much more to what they have to go through already.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the anonymity policy for alleged victims when alleging sexual violence against another individual. At the end of the day, it is not the public's or media's buisness to know the details of a personal and sensitive crime such as sexual assault. Anonymity allows alleged victims and alleged abusers to avoid potential ridicule and abuse from those in their lives who are not involved in the case. Additionally, public outlast at either the alleged victim or the alleged abuser can cause confusion in the case. For instance, if an alleged victim feels immense public ridicule, they could be fearful to continue to push for a case against the alleged abuser.
ReplyDeleteI feel this is dependent on the situation. I do agree that the victim should not have to give their name. Some people don't want to be labeled as a victim of sexual violence. On the other hand I believe that if the accusation is false then the name of the accused should be released, so people can see what bad stuff they have done because accusing someone of sexual violence is a very strong accusation and should not be used for gain. It should be used to punish those who have committed sexual violence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the policy. It's certainly tough that this makes it easier for false accusations, but I think I value the protection of actual victims more. I also agree with what some people have said here that news organizations should be careful of what they say and should promote truth, not outrage. If they release names of people who are later found to be falsely accused, they should correct that as best they can.
ReplyDeleteI feel like anonymity should be granted to those who are accusing a person of sexual violence if they want it, because many people don’t necessarily want that to be something that is publicly known about them. I don’t feel like they have to disclose it especially it’s not something that they chose to do/have happen to them. I can understand the dangers of false accusation, but I feel that the safety of the accuser is more important until it’s proven, or even suspected in some instances, that it was false because there is violence implied in the relationship between these two people.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree that the victims should remain anonymous. Certainly if the jury found the defendant not guilty, then the same should be publicized, as well. Although this may prevent victims with weak cases from pursuing legal action although they have been legitimately harmed, it also continues to protect individuals who need further protection and will disincentivize false accusations as the publication of a previously anonymous case may bring further public and press attention to it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the policy. Without anonymity many may feel intimidated or ashamed if they have to tie allegations to their real name. Many of the accused are high status people that have power over the accuser which is often how they are victimized in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI think allowing the victims to remain anonymous will make them more likely to speak out, potentially stopping others from being exploited. Journalists have the responsibility of making sure their stories are credible and newsworthy. Often these people are in positions of power and habitually abuse multiple people. It may only take a few anonymous accusations for others to come out publicly with their stories, which is the movement was named #metoo.
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the issue of privacy, in terms of concealing the victim's identity, I believe that the cons of this method outweigh the pros. For one, it protects those who are falsely accusing individuals of said crimes and enables a culture in which name-baiting or false accusations become routine. I believe that in the issue of privacy, the victim's name should be concealed, if the person they are alleging the assault with is not of notoriety or fame. In this instance, it could be seen that it is necessary to ensure the repercussions of the those falsely accusing, and the justification of those who are true in their claims.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the policy. I believe that victims should be able to seek justice without having to expose themselves to the public, especially when it comes to sexual assault. This policy protects them from retaliation and from having to relive the experience constantly due to the public knowing who they are. I also think that while it is an ongoing case, that the accused should also have privacy unless it seems likely that they are a danger to the public that must be identified.
ReplyDelete