By Desiree J. Hanford
The New York Times
Published 9/17/2007
Excerpt:
Some less partial observers — journalism professors — also said they thought
the paper may have shown poor judgment.
Publishing the jurors’ names could expose them to pressure from advocates on
both sides of the death penalty, said Christopher Hanson, who teaches journalism
ethics at the University
of Maryland. Newspapers need to balance the public’s right to know with the
potential risk of harm to jurors, he said.
One alternative would have been to have given substantive details about the
jurors, but no names, said Robert M. Steele, a faculty member at the Poynter
Institute, a journalism school.
The newspaper also could have waited until the proceedings were complete, he
said.
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