For decades, the “Police Blotter,” a list of names, ages and accusations of wrongdoing, has been a regular feature of local newspapers around the country, including the one you’re currently reading. Citizens check out the police blotter to get an idea of what is happening nearby, to keep tabs on their neighbors, or to judge the safety of their area. While such reports may be viewed as benign community updates, they are anything but harmless, especially to the people named in them. These reports can stoke bias, damage reputations and undermine the central premise of our judicial system: that we are all considered innocent until proven guilty.
Most news outlets, including The Reporter, get their information for crime blotters directly from local police departments. With limited resources to do additional reporting that might provide context for the items, newspapers wind up publishing a one-sided narrative controlled completely by law enforcement. Unlike in the judicial system, an accused person has no real opportunity to defend themselves in the “court” of public opinion. Worse, despite an acknowledgment like the one in The Reporter that a blotter item is not proof of wrongdoing, many readers tend to view such mentions as definitive proof that a crime was committed rather than simply alleged. The truth is, many of those named in these blotters eventually see their cases dismissed for lack of evidence or plead guilty to lesser crimes, but only in rare cases do the outcomes of these cases make the news.
While one’s appearance in a police blotter is no proof of guilt, the publication of a person’s alleged misdeeds is sure to damage their image, particularly in small towns where everyone knows everyone and gossip is a beloved pastime. The effects of an accusation of criminal activity can be life changing. The charge may appear in background checks. It will affect employment opportunities, housing applications, relationships with others and one’s public reputation. Even if a person is later found innocent, damages from such charges can follow them for years.
Another reason police blotters are harmful is they tend to stoke unjustified fears in communities.
“Crime blotters do far more harm than good,” notes civil rights attorney Alec Karakatsanis, author of the book, “Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News.”
“They focus the public on an extremely limited and selectively manipulated series of anecdotes that distort people’s understanding of safety.”
Karakatsanis explained that these blotters often ignore larger crimes, particularly the white-collar variety, and do nothing to counteract criminal activity. “The primary method of propaganda in any society is the selective curation of which facts to focus people on and which facts to ignore,” he added.
Supporters of police blotters argue that they promote transparency and allow communities to stay up-to-date on local incidents and possible safety concerns, giving them the opportunity to protect themselves and their families if needed. Moreover, police reports are public information, and residents have a legal right to know what law enforcement agencies are doing. In this sense, the debate over police blotters places two crucial democratic values - freedom of the press and the principle that we are innocent until proven guilty - into conflict. That said, just because newspapers have a right to publish this information doesn’t mean they should. In fact, letting readers know about mere allegations rather than actual convictions is arguably misinforming them.
Karakatsanis pointed out that transparency is not just about making facts available but also about which facts are cultivated, with what context and for what purpose. Law enforcement naturally tends to put out the information they want the public to see, projecting an image of effective policing that might not always reflect reality.
Police blotters may seem like a simple source of information, but in reality they can damage reputations, spread fear and weaken the idea of innocent until proven guilty. They allow law enforcement to shape a narrative while supposed scofflaws remain voiceless. By publishing police blotters, newspapers participate in a system that does more harm than good. So the sooner The Reporter retires the police blotter, the better. Otherwise, the name associated with a serious crime could belong to any of us - guilty or not.
N’dera Francis is a junior at SUNY Delhi studying communications. This story was published in partnership with SUNY Delhi’s Intro to Journalism class.
