Letter to subscribers: Coverage of mass shootings
Next week, the man who opened fire on dozens of people at a Highland Park Fourth of July parade three years ago, killing seven, is scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes.
Legal affairs writer Barbara Vitello will be in Lake County court Wednesday to report on the anguished victim impact statements of those who lost loved ones that day or whose wounds — physical and emotional — have forever altered their lives.
We will share a selection of their memories with our readers. We will add comments from Judge Victoria A. Rossetti. And we will report on the sentence that, under Illinois law, mandates life behind bars.
Just as important, however, is what you will not see with coverage of that story.
You will not see a photo of the killer, who pleaded guilty in a Lake County courtroom last month.
You will not see his name in the headline.
And you will not see his name mentioned throughout the story. We will name him just once.
Why? Because we don’t want to add to his infamy or keep him in the spotlight one second longer than he needs to be.
It’s part of a policy we set long ago on mass shootings. Sadly, we have put it to use way too many times in the years since.
We prefer to put the focus on the victims and the heroes, including law enforcement and emergency room workers.
Not all newspapers follow this policy, but we stand behind it.
Lisa Miner
Daily Herald executive editor