Public Safety Reporting Policy

Guiding principles

Newsroom resources are finite. We must choose only the most significant incidents and cases to bring to higher public notice.

Coverage decisions are guided by who is impacted. People personally affected will often weigh heavier than property crimes. There's also the question of the impact of the crime in question. A vacant house fire or an intentionally set garage fire may not rise to the level of newsworthiness for WGLT, but a string of several such fires suggesting a pattern may.

We should also look at crime not in isolation, but in the wider context of socio-economic factors that offer solutions, not just problems or process.

What we cover

WGLT reports on crimes that serve as an illustration of trends in the community, region, or state, and how those patterns relate to what goes on in Bloomington-Normal and central Illinois.

WGLT reports on crimes that shine light on a failure of government or community institutions. An example is a pattern of child abuse and neglect left undetected for a lengthy period by state and community child services workers which demonstrates holes in the system. Another example would be when an institution fails to detect or promptly deal with a sexual predator who is an employee and or in a position of authority over children.

WGLT reports crimes involving elected or appointed public officials if the allegations or conduct affect the public interest, is a violation of the public trust, or is relevant to voter choices at the ballot box. These could include even non-felony allegations and crimes in some instances.

In addition to the above, WGLT covers:

• Homicides
• Fatal fires

• Traffic incidents if...

  • Someone is killed
  • Involves an elected/public official (i.e. officer-involved, DUI/DWI)
• Elected / public official’s arrest

• Gun violence if...

  • Someone is killed or injured
  • Police shoot someone
  • A child is injured
  • Shots fired near a school, hospital, mall or other highly populated area that makes it a substantial public safety issue.
  • Pattern of shootings in the community that puts members of the public at risk.
• Kidnappings
• Truly unusual crime
• Domestic violence involving serious or life-threatening injuries to children

When names are used

People arrested or charged with felonies should be named. If an arrestee/defendant is named, WGLT has an obligation to report on the resolution of their criminal case. See Courts.

WGLT does not name juveniles in criminal cases, even if their case proceeds in adult court. Defendants who turn 18 during their proceedings may be named on a case-by-case basis.

WGLT does not name victims unless there's an extraordinary circumstance. Those would need to be discussed and approved on a case-by-case basis.

Mugshots

WGLT does not use mugshot photos except in rare cases, such as a manhunt involving an at-large suspect who is a risk to the public.

Mugshots add little to the public record. And they may have an outsized impact on the subject of the photo, long after a case has been adjudicated and is not publicly relevant.

We think it is ethical and responsible to generally avoid mugshots without harming our commitment to accurate journalism.

Suicides

WGLT does not typically report on individual suicide cases and should not name the people who take their own lives, even in cases that do merit coverage because they reflect a societal pattern that WGLT believes is in the public interest to highlight. It is possible WGLT would name a suicide victim if there were absolutely no way to avoid it or if the person involved is a public figure and the suicide is important to understand that person’s public role. This exception should be a really high bar.

Courts

If WGLT names an arrestee/defendant, it has an obligation to report on the resolution to their criminal case. WGLT’s News Director (or designee) shall maintain a list of active cases involving named defendants that includes the frequency of checks on their current status. WGLT will then, at minimum, report on the resolution of their case (plea, verdict, dropped).

The most serious cases may merit additional coverage, up to and including trial coverage. The baseline coverage for trials would be opening statements, closing arguments, and verdict. During trials, ongoing communication with lawyers on both sides is important. They are usually willing to keep a respectful reporter informed of testimony worthy of intermittent coverage.

WGLT does not cover tedious procedural developments in pending cases. The exception may be a post-conviction case that has not seen even a status hearing in years. Motion filings should be monitored in high-profile cases to determine if attendance at the hearing is worthwhile. Final pretrial hearings should be attended to catch any last-minute plea deals and schedule changes.

Sourcing

Initial coverage of crime almost always relies on police or prosecutors as sources. They are the first responders and those who make decisions whether to charge someone with a crime.

In those cases that do merit follow-up coverage, however, WGLT should find balance by seeking defense attorneys and non-institutional context.

Lawsuits

WGLT considers coverage if a lawsuit involves a major employer, a well-known person in the community, or a government body. The threshold to cover is quite high.

Most lawsuits are settled, so coverage should include a resolution to the case, something that requires a reporter to keep the case on their radar.

Lawsuits against government bodies will not ALWAYS merit coverage and will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Civil rights cases against county and state agencies are worth following if they state a reasonable claim that can be explored further with a plaintiff’s lawyer.

Story Removal / Takedown Requests

Many chapters of a person’s life do not remain relevant or important for the public to know and undue harm can come to a person’s life or reputation if digital records persist long after an incident loses public relevance. WGLT recognizes this as a general truth. This “Right to be Forgotten” policy strikes a balance between the duty WGLT has to inform the public and the harm it might do to an individual later.

Submit your takedown or change request.

As a matter of editorial policy, takedown requests will be rarely granted. A panel of WGLT Newsroom staff will vet all such requests. If available, the reporter on the story in question will also be consulted. If the person making the request alleges our work is inaccurate, the corrections and clarification policy will come into play.

When we consider takedown requests:

• If prosecutors drop previously filed charges
• If prosecutors never file charges following an arrest
• If someone is under threat of physical harm because of the existence of the story
• If the case has been expunged or sealed
• If the case has led to executive clemency

There may also be situations in which fairness requires an existing story to be updated or follow-up coverage, rather than a story removal.

Here’s what we typically do not consider: We won’t remove names or articles in the case of serious violent crimes, sexually based crimes or crimes against children leading to a conviction. We also won’t remove names or stories in cases of public corruption or in cases where people hold a position of public trust, such as doctors, police officers and educators, when those cases lead to a conviction.