European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 19 2007 stars and stripes Page 19 opinion name Duke accuser and assault victims by Joann Armao the Washington Post Washington it has been years but i still remember the ache in the mans voice he and his wife had been victims of a violent crime it was newsworthy and the washing ton posts metro Section which i headed then was readying a Story Why is our name important the Virginia Man asked As he pleaded that we not identify him or his wife i had a Flashback to that phone conversation As i read about the vindication of three former Duke University Lacrosse players accused of raping a 28yearold woman not Only were All charges against the Young men dropped but the North Carolina attorney general went so far As to say that the crime that was alleged never took place now an editorial writer and separated from news decisions i wondered How newspapers including my own would handle the question of whether to name the discredited accuser the Washington Post the new York times and the associated press continued to Grant anonymity to the woman while newspapers in North Carolina the new York daily news and Many web Sites not Only published her name but also a photograph be confess to being somewhat of an extremist in my View that the role of news papers is to report not withhold information essence who and what a Story is about Are important names give humanity to events and help in our understanding would Don Imus hateful words have had such sting if we had not known who their intended targets were the identity of people at the Center of the news should be withheld Only under the most dire of circumstances and for sound reason otherwise we Start Down a slip Pery slope in my years As a news editor i some times agreed to withhold names when for instance police said publication could jeopardize an arrest or endanger a wit Ness once a psychiatrist argued that her patient would cause herself harm if her name appeared in the newspaper and so we ended up not publishing a Story in the Case of the couple who had been attacked in their Home we published their names after determining that the culprit in the crime was in custody and posed no threat to them i took no plea sure in causing More pain to a couple Al ready suffering but sympathy for an individual  Trump what the Public is entitled to know if s instructive that the Raleigh no news observer reached its decision to name the Duke Lacrosse accuser after doing its own fac finding consulting with people who have interests in the Issue among them lawyers a judge and advocates for victims of sexual assault news organizations that withheld the name simply fell Back on their longstanding policies of not naming people who say they Are victims of sexual abuse the Only problem is As North Carolina attorney general Roy a Cooper made Clear in his searing assessment no sexual assault occurred in this Case continuing to withhold this woman name Perpetu ates a suggestion that she is a victim in need of shielding and protecting its an insidious suggestion that maybe a crime did indeed occur that not fair to the facts or to the Young men whose names Al ready have been tarnished by this false accusation by the same Token there is a certain hypocrisy in newspaper accounts that Deli cately cloak this woman in anonymity but then characterize her with the worst of adjectives the discussion in newsrooms about whether to name this woman who was not raped has reignited the debate about whether the Media should continue their longstanding practice of not naming Vic Tims of sexual crimes even though their names Are a matter of Public record the the Dukes of Hazard Raleigh newspaper announced that it is reviewing its policy of not naming Vic Tims and invited readers to weigh in with their opinions the theory behind not naming rape Vic Tims is that publicity would discourage women from reporting that they had been assaulted and sexual assaults Are Al ready under reported crimes As a journalist i think publicity is a great spotlight that focuses attention on problems and witness Walter Reed army medical Cen Ter can Lead to solutions pick up a newspaper turn on the television coverage of the awful sexual violence against women is at Best consigned to briefs unless of course a celebrity is involved and then the Story int really about what happened to the victim some of the most powerful words on this Issue were penned by Geneva Over Holser who As editor of the Des Moines Register argued that suppressing the names of victims stigmatized these women rather than protecting them her editorials prompted a rape victim to come Forward to be identified in stories that captured the True horror of rape the paper won the 1991 pulitzer prize for pub Lic service its 16 years later and to use Over holders words rape is still in that dark Corner the True victims of sexual assault have just As that couple from Virginia nothing for which to feel shame its time to say so publicly Joann Armao is a member of the posts editorial Page staff silence on briefing at Gas raises Hatch act issues Washington Post editorial the uproar Over fired us attorneys and missing White House emails has crowded out attention to another matter of concern the Campaign briefing that White House Politi Cal aide j Scott Jennings provided to Politi Cal appointees at the general services administration this episode raises some obvious questions were similar presentations made to other government officials on government property during business hours did Jennings Clear this practice with the White House counsels office whether it was a onetime Deal or part of a series did mat office consider whether the briefings com plied with the Hatch act which regulates the political activity of Federal government employees does it believe Jennings Brief ing was appropriate weve been asking the White House these questions starting More than two weeks ago we Haven gotten any an Swers the press office says that its work ing on providing answers but cant say when or even whether they will be provided rep Henry a Waxman Calif who chairs the House oversight and govern ment Reform committee posed similar questions in a March 29 letter unpleasant As these questions might be for the White House we believe that they Are legitimate and deserve answers a memorandum prepared for Wax mans committee by the congressional research service concludes that a briefing such As the one at the Gas could Well run afoul of the Hatch act which limits the political activities that government employees even political appointees can conduct on government time or government property in the briefing delivered to other Gas offices by vide conference Jennings presented a 28slide powerpoint analysis of the november election results and the prospects for 2008 identifying the 20 most vulnerable democratic House members according to six people present Gas adminis Trator Lurita a Doan asked the staff what could be done to help our candidates Doan says that she Doest recall making such a statement the congressional research service concluded a powerpoint or other presentation which might arguably be merely informational in certain contexts May raise concerns under Hatch act interpretations when the sponsor and presenter is closely with a partisan political Campaign invitations Are directed Only to political employees of a depart ment and the objectives and Agenda of the program appear to have partisan slant preparing for the session Jennings Assis Tant underscored the sensitive nature of the information it is a close hold and Rickly City were not supposed to be emailing it around theres appropriate leeway As the Hatch act recognizes for political appointees to be involved in partisan activities theres More leeway for White House aides such As Jennings and Senate confirmed officials such As Doan than for other political appointees but conducting political Brief Ings on government time in government offices using government resources suggests a disturbing obliviousness to the no Tion that government should be used to the Benefit of All the people not one political party the White House refusal to provide answers serves Only to raise suspicions that this was not just a single misstep by Scott Stantis