Mugshots and Social Responsibility

    NEW YORK, NY, November 21, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Mugshots from arrest records are a popular way of getting readers because they have a high consumer appeal and give readers a visual description of the arrestee. The people have the right to know, and the people have an appetite to know; however, many people wrongly argue that publishing arrest records and mugshots is socially irresponsible. There is no ethical dilemma when it comes to publishing arrest records and mugshots. At its simplest, a mugshot is nothing more than a visual description of an arrestee. Media ethics or moral principles are an open social concept of what is right and wrong that is mostly voluntarily applied by a publisher based on the organization's values. Thus, the conscience of the journalist or the news media outlet will largely determine where they set their ethics bar in regards to social responsibility for the publication of mugshots. As the maxim goes, with great power, comes great responsibility. This is especially true of when applied to publishers.

Publishing mugshots is completely legal and protected by various state and federal laws, yet recently publishers of this type of content have come under intense scrutiny, mainly because arrestees don't like to see their names and faces in the news. Mugshots.com believes that the newsworthiness of each arrest record requires that it be reported in the public's interest. What good are public records that no one sees? In Mugshots.com's view, no one is above the law, so the goal is to do the right thing consistently with every entry within "The Mugshots.com Database", not just when it is convenient. Moreover, "The Mugshots.com Database" seeks to present balanced information about the accused and to that extent, works hard to provide supporting links to the entries in the database as well as the ability of users to add comments to reflect the present time.

Publishing mugshots of criminals, fugitives, sex offenders and other arrestees provide a genuine public service, especially when the publisher tries to provide as much information as possible about the circumstances of the arrest. At times a publisher may only offer names and charges of the accused without any further details. Mugshots.com tries to provide a detailed summary of the incident leading up to the arrest and any other information whenever possible. This is the socially responsible thing to do, as well as a valuable public service, because it provides the public with context and specifics that they can use.

Socially responsible publishers like Mugshots.com work hard to present the stories of the accused fairly and accurately. Mugshots.com is mindful at all times that the individuals in the database are innocent until proven guilty. Mugshots are part of the arrest record and confer no greater guilt than the arrest itself. It's unfortunate that the stigma is that the accused is already tainted by public opinion from the moment that they are first arrested, even if later they are acquitted. By publishing any and all arrest records, Mugshots.com and other publishers hope to further educate the masses that an arrest is not a conviction.

As the Unpublisharrest.com policy details, Mugshots.com operates on a strict no solicitation policy where Mugshots.com or contractors will never proactively contact the people in the database about unpublishing services. Most people who contact Unpublisharrest.com to request unpublishing are not falsely accused individuals, but rather people who are trying to hide their past by reducing the accessibility of their public arrest record. Given the nature of the crimes some people are accused of, it is socially irresponsible to unpublish their arrest records. In the instance where a request to unpublish is approved under the Mugshots.com policy, it is a goodwill gesture or courtesy that Licensor ("The Mugshots.com Database") has elected to undertake, not any other sort of obligation. At no time is Mugshots.com is required to unpublish arrest records that were legitimately published and are legally in the public domain.

Everyday publishers grapple with what is the ethical thing to do when they receive requests to unpublish arrest records and stories that were accurate at the time that they were published. That is why having policies in place that can be consistently followed are so important. It is not just a matter of the accused privacy rights or embarrassment; but rather a matter of credibility and accountability. News reports about criminal cases reflect the facts released, observed and filed as part of the case from arrest onward, and as such are truthful and accurate. It is a historical snapshot of events unfolding so media ethics demand that publishers be socially responsible and rightly deny requests to unpublish accurate arrests and criminal charges. If there is an error, it can and should be corrected immediately with an acknowledgment. Once such records are published on the Internet, they are generally indexed by search engines in order to appear in search results.

It is easy for the average person to complain about unethical or irresponsible journalism when the person does not understand what responsible journalism is. Unethical journalism encompasses actions like spreading gossip, inciting panic, ignoring facts, and refusing any accountability for its reporting. Mugshots.com does none of these things. As a socially responsible publisher, Mugshots.com uses its powerful position to ensure appropriate delivery of balanced information to its readers.

Leading sites like Mugshots.com are intimately familiar with the challenges and changing circumstances regarding mugshot usage that require new solutions; thus, they are best able to self-police in order to offer quick, flexible, low-cost dispute-resolution procedures without government interference. Mugshots.com tends to promote ethical behavior, good practices and solutions for specific compliance problems. It is a model to be followed and a reflection of what people can expect when dealing with a professional brand.

Chase Johnson
877-413-9378

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