E-Media Tidbits

The editors of the Ventura County Star faced a fascinating online dilemma this week involving a story about a killing spree (four dead and five injured) that ended in the suicide of the shooter in a Wal-Mart store Tuesday morning. The newspaper's website reported the Tuesday incident shortly after it occurred, but because police hadn't released the suspect's name, it wasn't included in the Star's report. (The police knew, of course.)

According to assistant managing editor for new media and technology John Moore, reporters figured out the name of the suspect Tuesday morning, but couldn't get confirmation. "One cop gave us the old 'wink and nod' to tell us we were probably right, but that wasn't enough to publish," he says.

Meanwhile, a few hours later and with the suspect still unidentified by the Star website, a woman using the Comments feature of the site wrote: "I think the shooter may be a Toby Whelchel. Mr. Mazin (one victim) had a restraining order against the man that expires Dec. of this year." She also posted links to various court documents to support her contention.

As Moore explains, "She was correct. But we weren't ready to print the name. And that caused concern among many of our staff members. Should we take down the comment? What if it's not the right person?"

The website did not remove the woman's comment -- because editors were convinced she was right -- and in another four hours the suspect's name was officially confirmed and published online.

Moore traded e-mails with the woman and found that she had been following the case closely and had heard enough clues to enable her to do some Internet sleuthing -- using freely accessible websites and databases -- and figure out the suspect's name in about 20 minutes. Unbound by traditional journalism rules like making sure she was right, she posted the name.

Says Moore, "We're still talking about allowing our readers to post information with specific names online. It's an interesting dilemma." I'll say! What do you think the Star's editors should have done with the woman's posting? Did they do the right thing by leaving it up prior to officially identifying the suspect on the news site?