I have some concerns about showing the faces of certain criminals in the news. I’m thinking mostly of the recent article comparing Mark Hofmann with the Austin bomber and other articles about school shooters. While I don’t really have problems with the articles themselves (the Hofmann/Austin bomber article was a good bit of journalism in my opinion), I think seeing these people’s faces and names after they have been arrested or killed simply gives these people recognition that they don’t deserve. I also wonder if the thought of seeing one’s own face plastered all over the news is a motivation for these types of crimes in the first place.

I’m aware that the idea of censorship, even if it’s self-censorship, is a hard idea to support, but I wonder if it’s something journalists at The Tribune are considering. Is there a journalistic justification for showing these people after they are not a danger to society anymore?

Sarah Bischoff, Salt Lake City