The reporters who did the interviews with Hank Earl Carr were wrong. Their pursuit of information, while an understandable news value, was not ethically justifiable when balanced against the real and great harm that existed. While faulting their zeal, I believe their news organizations, WFLA radio and the St. Petersburg Times , bear even greater responsibility for failing to have protocols in place to prevent such mistakes. You cannot write a policy book to cover every specific situation that will occur. But news organizations can develop reasonable guidelines and follow a practical process for making sound decisions when news values and ethical values collide.
Journalistic excellence demands that readiness.