Crime Guidelines

1. Bay News 9 will avoid showing corpses unless airing the picture significantly adds information to the story. That decision can only be made by the news director. We will avoid showing the corpses at times when children are watching television. This rule involves all local, national and international stories. If we do show corpses, then we must provide a warning before the story airs.
2. Bay News 9 will not show or interview "grieving relatives" unless we have their permission. We will state in the script that we have received their permission to use the video.
3. Bay News 9 will not cover non-fatal stabbings and shootings or suicides unless they are unusual in nature; i.e., the person, the place, or the circumstance. That decision must be made by the news director.
4. Bay News 9 must offer the audience a chance to help solve crime. Therefore, when appropriate, crime stories will carry with them a police phone number or suspect description. A suspect description will only be used when specific identifying characteristics of the suspect are provided. Unusual clothing, visible scars, unusual hairstyles or colors, and type of vehicle all qualify as specific identifying characteristics. RACE MUST NEVER BE USED AS THE SOLE IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTIC.
5. Bay News 9 will cover murders, however, their placement in the show and the frequency of the story repeating depends upon the circumstances surrounding the murder. The number of persons involved, the circumstances surrounding the crime, and the location of the crime are all determining factors. We will avoid repeating a murder story past 12 hours unless we have NEW information to provide on the crime.
6. Bay News 9 will avoid reporting on arraignments, preliminary hearings and pre-trial motions unless a significant development takes place or a high profile crime is involved. We do need to track key cases and the desk should be aware of court dates.
7. Bay News 9 will not report the names of any suspects, whether they're being questioned or have been named by police, unless the person has been arrested or formally charged with the crime. If the suspect has been arrested and not yet charged in court, we will consider whether to report the person's name based on the circumstances surrounding the crime and the arrest.
8. Bay News 9 will not report the names of juveniles, unless they have been charged with a crime as adults. Even when that does happen, the final decision to air the name of a juvenile can only be made by the news director.
9. Bay News 9 will NEVER use the names of, or identify in any way, any victim of a sex crime, unless that person comes forward and wants to speak out and reveal themselves. When reporting stories of this nature, we will not interview or name people in such a way that would reveal the identity of the victim or victims.
10. Bay News 9 will refrain from showing live pictures of police SWAT and tactical teams during hostage standoffs. We will never attempt to contact a hostage-taker during an incident.

Revised February 2006

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