The Associated Press Stylebook, which many U.S. news organizations rely on for guidance on best practices, has published a revised edition with a new chapter on criminal justice that the news service says "emphasizes the need for accountability journalism, including looking for warning signs that might have been missed, law enforcement response, weapons issues, and what might be done to prevent similar crimes in the future."
In the book, which is behind a paywall, AP says its aim is "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."
AP says it also hopes "to shine a light on the lives of victims of violence and reveal problems and injustices."
The news service says journalists should commit to fairness "by always giving a person accused of a crime the opportunity to comment, following up on crime stories throughout the justice system, and highlighting instances in which a person’s name has been cleared."
It requires cultivating a diversity of sources and always working to verify information provided by law enforcement or other authorities.
In minor crime cases unlikely to be followed up on, AP urges journalists to "consider not naming the suspect in the story or not writing about the case at all."
In breaking news situations, AP says, a story can be published without a suspect’s name if there is not enough time to make sufficient efforts to reach someone to comment on their behalf.
Journalists are advised to "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."
AP recommends that seek other sources on crime incidents beyond police officials, including trauma care doctors and centers, victim advocacy groups, anti-violence advocates and social justice advocates. Neighborhood groups or businesses can add context or nuance in stories about police violence. Reaching witnesses on social media or contacting family representatives or civil rights attorneys can shed light on gaps in information from law enforcement sources.
AP says it does not publish mug shots "simply because of the appearance of the person who is accused, nor do we cover a story driven by a particularly embarrassing mug shot."
Regarding graphic details and images, AP recommends asking whether they advance the story or people’s understanding of what happened; or serve just to shock and push people away without accomplishing anything?
On crime data, AP recommends avoiding claims or rhetoric about crime rates or trends and instead using actual data as needed for a story. "Journalists should also consider other data sources and points of view not necessarily captured by crime data — which is often incomplete, especially at the national level — and cultivate community sources to reflect other relevant context for crime trends," AP says.
The chapter also includes more than 50 entries covering specific terms. They include:
The terms assault weapon or weapons ay be used in headlines and on first reference in stories. Previous guidance advised avoiding the terms, but now limited use is allowed with specifics included if possible..
A new entry on the terms "juvenile" and "minor" discusses racial connotations, inconsistent definitions "and the dehumanizing effect for both victims and suspects.+
New guidance on use of the terms prison, jail, prisoner, inmate and incarcerated person advising to use person-first language to describe someone who is incarcerated or someone in prison.