Last week, there was a tragic crime committed in Wilton. Like other news media, GOOD Morning Wilton covered what happened.
But unlike other media, after reporting that police identified the victim and named the suspect they’d arrested, we chose to back off from any further articles on the case. We didn’t publish additional details laid out in the arrest warrant. We didn’t write about what happened in the courtroom at the arraignment. Nor did we try to further the story with details on the victim and his family or the suspect.
Here’s why:
I operate GMW differently than other news outlets. I try to take a holistic look at what benefits the community and what questions need to be answered for the public good: Was there a need for the community to know there was a police action happening and why? Was there any risk to the public, or a need to let community members know they were not in danger? Had a major crime occurred and were the Wilton Police on top of it? I reported what had happened: a serious crime had been committed and reported, a person died, the police detained and later arrested a suspect, the individuals were identified, and the public was safe.
Once the initial situation was in hand, once it had been established that the police had the one person of interest in custody, once the answers to what had happened were available, what remained?
What remained was a very tragic situation for a young family. Did they need the gory details splashed all over for everyone to see? Several other outlets have repeatedly retold the story with very few new additional details, so it’s possible to read those elsewhere over and over for anyone who wants to. GMW did not need to add to this family’s suffering. They’re private with very little online presence and digging up photos or details seemed more intrusive than necessary.
What also remained was courtroom video of the suspect… great for curious rubberneckers but unnecessary, considering another Wilton family with complicated private issues was involved.
This was also a difficult investigation for Wilton police officers, who don’t often have to take on such a tragic case. As a resident, I know them well as human beings behind the badge. Yes, it’s their job, but what we reported told enough facts of what they had done to keep the community safe, and for now, that was enough.
The case will play out and several other news outlets will keep covering the story, so if people want to read more of those details there are ample places online to find them other than in GMW. If any developments impact the public’s need to know — not. the want to know — GMW will report them. I’m more inclined to publicize anything the community organizes to help this family, rather than continue reporting on the ongoing prosecution and adjudication or intrusive family details. But for now, with GMW’s limited resources of manpower and time, and the delicate balance of trying to help the community as a whole, this is how I’m approaching this story.
A few readers have emailed to ask why I wasn’t covering, as one put it, “our first murder” in over a decade. It’s not “our” murder. It’s a tragic situation for a private family, not a ‘story’ for GMW to tell or benefit from.
As always, please reach out to editor@goodmorningwilton.com with any questions or comments.
Heather Borden Herve
Editor/Publisher
GOOD Morning Wilton
Hey Heather, Thanks for the thoughtful explanation of your/GMW position – I firmly believe that your decision is the correct way to go – thank you.
Thank you, Heather! I absolutely agree with your perspective, and I appreciate your explanation here. After reading the initial details, there is nothing more I need to know at the moment. I hope for some resolution for the family in the future.
Thank you for your thoughtful, professional, and careful coverage of a tragic event here. These are difficult decisions.
Heather, your position and comments are spot on. As a journalist, I can image how you need to weigh facts, issues, or suppositions with care—and then report accordingly. You said it well and at some future point there will be information that ‘needs’ to be known along the way of soothing grief and finding closure for the family and the town.
We can all benefit from reporting ethics as you’ve just described – so rare at a time when discretion, sensitivity and respect for personal privacy are hard to find. Thank you.
I will never forget the tragic situation in our town in May of 2012 and how the news media sensationalized it. I knew that family well and it was heartbreaking for them. Heather, you have my respect and admiration for the way you have chosen to cover this tragedy.
I think it would be helpful to some members of the community to report that the victim was a black man, since this is possibly racially motivated.
Kudos! Your sense of decency and professionalism are certainly unique in today’s journalism, and are to be applauded. Thank you.
(From a long time Wilton resident and GMW subscriber)
Heather, I respect your decision to protect the privacy of our neighbors at this extremely difficult time in their lives. Thank you.
100% agree. There is nothing else that I have seen about this crime that is “need to know” as far as I’m concerned, and to your point, if someone feels compelled to *want* to know, there are other places they can go gawk. You used the words “rubberneckers” and “intrusive.” That’s exactly what it becomes when every breathless irrelevant (to anyone but the victim’s and assailant’s families) detail is laid bare for our vicarious 24×7 reading pleasure. Thank you for drawing the line where you do.
Thank you Heather! I appreciate your position. This has been heartbreaking news and what we needed to know was reported!
Heather,
Thank you for your compassionate comments and rationale on how you and GMW are treating this tragic event in our town. As you said our collective focus should be in supporting these families in helping them heal.
Thank you for reminding us all to be better…