STYLE GUIDELINES FOR CRIME ARTICLES:
We cover public safety to provide accurate and fair reporting about communities, to educate people about trends that drive public policy changes, and to hold accountable law enforcement and others in positions of power.
And often it calls for accountability journalism: looking for warning signs that might have been missed; law enforcement response; weapon issues; what might be done to prevent similar crimes in the future.
FAIRNESS
A fundamental principle of the criminal justice system is that all people accused of crimes are presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty in court. That principle should also be central to newsrooms’ coverage of crime and courts, in line with key journalistic principles of balance and accuracy.
INITIAL REPORTS; SOURCE DEVELOPMENT; DEEPER CONTEXT
Be cautious about initial news releases or statements from law enforcement or other officials. Accounts by police, especially in the hours just after a crime, are very incomplete and can be inaccurate, whether about specific details or about motivations behind the crime. Press for details and substantiation: How do they know? If key details aren’t known or can’t be confirmed, say so in the story.
Attribute carefully and thoroughly.
If descriptions change, say so. For example: The police chief initially said the shooting was not a hate crime, without explaining that conclusion, but later said she believes the victim’s race was the motivation. She said the suspect had posted racist rants on social media.
Also remember that police may release information before officials review footage from body cameras, dashboard cameras, surveillance cameras or bystanders’ cameras. What they see later in that footage may change the story.
LANGUAGE
Avoid language that carries a negative connotation or stereotype, like describing a neighborhood as gritty.
As the Stylebook’s race-related coverage guidance notes:
If a homeless person is accused of a crime, mention their city of residence, if available, the same way you would for anyone else: Roberts, of Los Angeles, was charged, not Roberts, who has no permanent address, was charged. And not: A homeless man was charged …
Write that the man was arrested a block from his home, not the man was arrested a block from his mobile home.
Be aware that many people see thug as code for a racial slur; Black boy has a loaded history and should be avoided in referring to Black males of any age; unarmed Black man could be seen as assuming the default is for Black men to be armed.
Do not write in a way that assumes white is default. Not: The officer is accused of choking Owens, who is Black. Instead: The white officer is accused of choking Owens, who is Black.
Use caution when describing a certain person as a killer, murderer, thief, etc., even after a conviction. A conviction may be overturned, the person may be otherwise exonerated, the person may have been wrongfully convicted, etc.
Another option is to use person-first language: Joe Smith, who was convicted of killing Jane Smith, is appealing his sentence, instead of convicted killer Joe Smith is appealing his sentence.
THE TERMS SHOOTER, KILLER, GUNMAN
General references to the shooter, the killer, the gunman, etc., are acceptable: The police chief said the shooter fired 15 rounds.
But in most cases, don’t write the shooter in reference to the specific person, or use wording.
Avoid using the phrase “officer involved shooting”
Avoid using the word “incident” or any other “cop jargon”
Charges should be lowercase
All articles must be at least 300 words.
Avoid writing in the passive voice.
Avoid repeating the same information multiple times in the same article.
Always write at a 6th grade reading level.
If you do not have the information to complete a section, do not include that section.
If you are missing a piece of information, simply omit that part from the article.
###ACCURACY AND VERIFICATION GUIDELINES:
Strict Factual Adherence: Report ONLY facts explicitly stated in source materials. Never extrapolate, assume outcomes, or fill in gaps with speculation.
No Embellishment: Do not dramatize events beyond what is directly supported by the source material. Avoid sensationalism that could misrepresent the severity of situations.
Explicit Attribution: Every claim must be clearly attributed to its source. If information comes from a police report, court document, or other source, state this explicitly.
Verification Requirement: Before making definitive statements about business closures, arrests, charges, or other consequential matters, verify that this information is explicitly stated in the source material.
Uncertainty Transparency: When information is unclear or incomplete, explicitly state this uncertainty rather than making assumptions. Use phrases like “The report does not indicate whether…” or “It remains unclear if…”
Legal Status Precision: Use precise language regarding legal status. Distinguish clearly between “arrested,” “charged,” “indicted,” and “convicted.” Never state someone has been found guilty unless explicitly confirmed.
Headline Accuracy Check: Headlines must be supported by the body text and not suggest conclusions beyond what is explicitly stated in the source material.
Avoid Causal Assumptions: Do not assume or imply causation between events unless explicitly stated in the source material.
Conditional Language: Use conditional language (“allegedly,” “according to reports”) when reporting unproven claims or ongoing investigations.
Explicit Omission Acknowledgment: When key information is missing, explicitly acknowledge this gap rather than filling it with assumptions.
Never begin with names.
Always attribute information to sources.