Mug shots are vital parts of news stories

July 5, 2020

The San Francisco Police Department announced last week it will stop releasing mug shots of people arrested unless those people pose a threat to the public. The decision comes in an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes, police Chief Bill Scott announced. He said the department no longer will release booking photos of suspects to the media or allow officers to post them online. Booking photos, of course, are taken when someone is arrested. They often are made public whether or not the person is prosecuted for the alleged crime, which some argue can undermine the presumption ...

‘Valley Grows’ returns to Vindy on Mondays

June 28, 2020

“It’s a murder hornet,” the headline in Monday’s Vindicator warned. Sure, that might sound frightening, but “only if you’re a bee,” it continued. The story detailed the recent arrival of native Asian “murder hornets” to America’s northern Pacific coast and what it could mean to already struggling colonies of honey bees, if and when the giant hornets make their way to Ohio. It was written by David Sprague, an Ohio State University Mahoning County Extension Master Gardener volunteer. The story headed a page and a half of other interesting stories about ...

Case renews respect for First Amendment

June 21, 2020

The thought that kept flashing through my mind Monday was, “And I thought things were tough here.” I was reading a shocking Associated Press story about award-winning journalist Maria Ressa who apparently had been critical of the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and who now will spend up to six years in prison, convicted of libeling a wealthy businessman on the online news site, Rappler Inc. Ressa, CEO and executive editor of the Rappler, was accused of libel in a 2012 story that linked the man to illegal drugs, human trafficking and murder without getting ...

Police-complaint openness big part of reform

June 14, 2020

In Ohio, like most states, residents may easily access a public database of disciplinary records involving any educator licensed to teach our youth in the state of Ohio. Same goes for medical doctors, psychologists, dentists and even lawyers who practice here. Easy public access to this information is critical. We all need to be informed of those we trust to care for us and our children. Yet, across America, complaints against police officers are often kept secret. There is no massive database of disciplinary records or complaints of misconduct. Former Minneapolis Officer Derek ...

Some police teach, allow neck restraints

June 7, 2020

By now, we’ve all seen the hard-to-watch video depicting former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin calmly kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed George Floyd. Chauvin remains in the position for several minutes, appearing undaunted by Floyd’s pleas and even when Floyd falls silent. Similarly unfazed are other Minneapolis police officers who stand around while Floyd falls unconscious. Floyd ultimately died, setting off nationwide protests, including those held last week in Warren and Youngstown. In the video, officer responses to the arrest appear calm and measured, as if ...

Despite past outcomes, keep on planning

May 24, 2020

Little did we know when my eldest son, a senior at Youngstown State University, headed off in March to Fort Lauderdale for a last hurrah during spring break with his college friends that it REALLY would be a last hurrah for college. I recall my mother asking in the early days of the coronavirus leading up to his trip if her grandson still was planning to travel. Believe me, there was little chance my son, like most carefree college kids, was going to cancel his plans. He was in Florida when I received word via a press release to area media from YSU President Jim Tressel that the ...