European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 30, 199 1the stars and stripes a Page 13 commentary Deni Elliott us treatment of crime victims needed Many women have reported alleged rapes in the past several weeks. One because she identified her alleged rapist As the Nephew of sen. Edward Mkennedy d-mass., has had special treatment by the press. Abc first told us her name the new York times repeated it the next Day and told us More details an accounting of her traffic violations neighbors speculations about Why she did no to Many the father of her child and the times analysis of How the woman grew from a midwestern High school girl with a wild Streak to a Palm Beach woman of Means. No one had to Peep in her windows to get this information although reporters did that too. The record is Public. A a a this kind of information is available on All of us. But  by some newsrooms to share those facts with their audiences has a nation wondering again about what people need to know about alleged victims. And wondering what they need to know about suspects. A it is not that it is so difficult to make or justify some rules. It is just that the rules that make sense conflict with the Way that things Haye always been  is not the first time that newsroom tradition has gotten in the Way of fairness and consistency. First newsrooms should treat victims of rape the Way that they treat other victims of violent crime. Suspects should be identified when charged. And few people deserve to have their dirty laundry summarized in the news columns. Lets take these rules one at a time. The need to treat All victims alike became apparent to me after a talk with a victim of what is called a Domestic  when i met her she was Media shy and court weary. Her sex husband had been found guilty of various charges relating to the night that he came Back to the House begging for a second Chance. When she said no he beat her cracking her ribs and blackening her eyes. The woman a physical scars were Long healed when i met her but she was bruised from her recent Battles with opposing counsel and with the Community. A people come up to me at the office and say a How could this happen to a smart woman like you a a she said. A they act like i deserved  a i wish that he had raped me too a she said. A at least then they would no Nave put my name in the  rape victims Arentt alone in feeling vulnerable re victimized and stigmatized. These feelings Are shared by most victims of violent crime. If the victims sensitivities Are going to dictate news policy in the instance of rape they should do so in other cases As Well. Newsrooms should treat All victims of violent crime As they treat most survivors of rape. Give them All the Choice of being identified or not. Newsrooms should treat alleged victims alike but they  treat any of them As though they Are suspects. It a a. A a a a. A a our reasons for naming those charged with crimes before they go to court before their guilt or innocence Arnold Sawislak is decided is based on a historical fear. In framing our Constitution and designing an open government our ancestors protected us from a society in which secret police grab citizens from their Beds with no accountability. Police records Are open people charged with crimes Are identified. If other citizens know that name they can come Forward with Alibi. If they know the name they can provide additional evidence for conviction. Naming those charged with crimes protects the person charged and the Community at Large. Calling the victim by name protects no one. Nor is there often Good reason for naming someone before he is charged. If the police arc doing their jobs charges will be brought Only when there is pretty Good reason for thinking that a crime has been committed. Is something wrong with the investigation is a police cover up in process but a Day or two after the alleged event is hardly enough time to judge that a cover up has occurred. Neither victims nor suspects deserve to be treated like criminals. Or like politicians. It can be argued that we need to know everything we can about the people who commit major crimes on the basis that the More we understand about the criminal mind and background the More we can do to prevent crimes. A a a it can be argued that we need to know everything we can about politicians on the basis that leaders who have accessible secrets Are open to blackmail. Reporting tradition has included relatives of poll Ticiano As those whose lives Are fair game. But tradition in t moral justification. No justification can be found for divulging personal information about other people in the news even if that information is Public record and is interesting. Think about the wealth of Public information available on All of us birth marriage and death certificates civil criminal and probate court records Drivers License information including traffic citations As Well As the information on the card property records and assessments voter registration records which May include address phone number or social Security number As Well As party affiliation. Publication of irrelevant but interesting information used to be what separated the weekly gossip sheets from mainstream news sources. But the recent new York times behaviour illustrates How computer records May change All of that. Thanks to government computer tapes and computer literate reporters information that used to take Days or weeks to accumulate now takes minutes and hours. It has always been Public but it has never been easier Roget. Ease however is not moral justification. The reason for publishing information that is going to Hurt has got to be better than a a we be got  in an Era when less is in the private realm news organizations need to be More judicious in their selection of Public facts. A a. A the Baltimore Sun a r. Elliott director at the Institute Lor the study of applied and professional ethic at Dartmouth College writes a monthly column for Finouse a journalism newsletter a a a a a a  a a. Quot a a a. A a a civil rights should be above cheap partisanship during the lengthy negotiations that Halleck a Republican from Indiana to control the White House and can use the the Story going around Washington resulted in the 1964 civil rights Bill re get the answer Dirksen would t divulge. Veto to Stop most legislation they done to was that Allen and his group were presenters cornered Senate Republican that incident offered two lessons. The like. For another the Liberal Wing of the sure to end the negotiations by some eader Everett Dirksen and peppered first was hot news Dirksen loved to be democratic majority now is much older other business interests and by the White Lim with questions about a key provision devious the second was that even when and weaker. House in the 4 persons of chief of staff in the legislation. The favourable momentum was at its Peak last year the Democrat controlled John Sununu and counsel c. Boyden a the answer to that a the Illinois sen civil rights was the kind of  Congress passed a civil rights Bill that. Gray. Allen denied being contacted by Ator intoned sonorous by a lies locked in simply could not become Law unless re president Bush said was no Good. He be the White House. The bosom of  he would say publicans As Well As democrats and toed it on grounds that it would Force a the withdrawal of Allens group was no More and the reporters scurried off House leaders As yet As Senate bigwigs Cial quotas on employers. He offered his bad news for the country because the to consult their sources and their old were on Board. Own Bill which the democrats and civil kind of Compromise process it was i testaments to try to divine what a vol magi on paper the democrats had votes rights organizations rejected As too Yak solved in was precisely the kind of thing Nous eve was talking about. To spare to pass any civil rights Bills they to solve the problem. / v As a happen for Progress to be one reporter ran into Clarence Mitch wished. But in fact there were enough this year the civil Rigits a headers made on the nations thorniest problems Ell the a act lobbyist who worked southerners and conservative Republic sought to make an end run around the civil rights is certainly one of them. With the republicans during the civil cans to Block All such legislation. Only a White House by working out a Compro whether the while House had a rights struggles. Asked what Dirksen a coalition of both parties and All regions Mise with the business round table a co  in Hgt Rivil right  biblical reference meant Mitchell and interests could win. And it took be Anition of 200 companies. The Democrat grinned and told the reporter he was con got nation among All parties affected to the negotiations were going along Well Congress ought to go to work to get suiting the wrong Book. Create such a coalition. When suddenly the  with them started again. The Issue is just too a look in the congressional directory that apparently still is True even Drew. At amp to chairman Robert Allen important and too dangerous to get Hung under House minority Leader a he said though the political landscape in Wash said the business group got a a signals up on cheap partisanship. And that is the reporter took one look and headed in ton is vastly different from 1964. For from politicians that a they done to want us what it looks like we have Here to the office of rep. Charles Abraham one major difference the republicans involved.�?�. United press Impf Nanoni