NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press says it will no longer publish the names or photographs of people charged with minor crimes, in a recognition of how such stories can have a long, damaging afterlife on the internet.
Names or mugshots won't be used in stories about crimes where there is little chance the organization will cover the case beyond the initial arrest.
The AP says the policy wouldn't apply to serious crimes such as those involving violence or abuse of the public trust, or cases.
News organizations are increasingly being asked to scrub stories from the archives in minor cases because it could affect a person's ability to find a job or run for office years later.
