Was the Argus right to print the names of the players accused of the sex assault?

[Giraffe]

No need to name any of the players please.

Poll to follow.

But was the argus right to have the headline in today's paper.

For those that haven't seen it the headline is:

Named: Albion stars accused of sex assault

Then a list of those named in big bold font. Followed by a very small report on the facts.

 

[Titanic]

Yes. It is a newspaper. That's what they do.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I voted yes - right to name them, within current laws.

BUT

Wrong, to display them in the sensationalist manner they chose.

Wrong to word it "arrested for sex attack", rather than "in connection to sex attack". x number might be simply witnesses.

Wrong, insofar as the law should NOT allow it. (But it does).

 

[Fred Oliver - Legend]

I want to know who they are,

 

[Pinkie Brown]

No. Ban the rag from the AMEX. Hopefully all Albion fans will boycott The Arsegas too. These players can face trial by innuendo in the media. The accuser can't. Hence, their ID's should have remained secret even if most people knew exactly who they were.

 

[c0lz]

No they shouldn't have.

 

[Hove Seagull]

I voted yes - right to name them, within current laws.

BUT

Wrong, to display them in the sensationalist manner they chose.

Wrong to word it "arrested for sex attack", rather than "in connection to sex attack". x number might be simply witnesses.

Wrong, insofar as the law should NOT allow it. (But it does).

This. And to stop speculation over names that included people not arrested

 

[chucky1973]

Fence....cant decide, glad I know, but now feel even moer gutted than before.

 

[itszamora]

No. Ban the rag from the AMEX. Hopefully all Albion fans will boycott The Arsegas too. These players can face trial by innuendo in the media. The accuser can't. Hence, their ID's should have remained secret even if most people knew exactly who they were.

That's laughable. The Argus has printed the facts, as it has every right to do. It's not suggested or inferred anywhere that they might be guilty or innocent. People might do that in their own minds but that's their problem, and they would do so whether or not the players were named.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Wrong.

Shouldn't be allowed to print any names until somebody is charged. As HKFC says, some of them are probably just witnesses.

Especially wrong to do it in the despicable way the paper has.

 

[ROSM]

No. Ban the rag from the AMEX. Hopefully all Albion fans will boycott The Arsegas too. These players can face trial by innuendo in the media. The accuser can't. Hence, their ID's should have remained secret even if most people knew exactly who they were.

Your point is aimed more at the way the law is rather than the role of the paper.

I must agree with HKFC - his points match my view

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I voted yes - right to name them, within current laws.

BUT

Wrong, to display them in the sensationalist manner they chose.

Wrong to word it "arrested for sex attack", rather than "in connection to sex attack". x number might be simply witnesses.

Wrong, insofar as the law should NOT allow it. (But it does).

Totally agree. In addition, stops speculation about players who are not involved.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Yes. Most of us have ideas based on their ages and have been trying to find out via other means. Many will want to know if the players we are supporting are the ones who were arrested or not. I would be amazed if many on here who wanted it kept secret didn't know their names. They've been bailed for two months, so this will hang around for ages. Rumours would continue to fly around, for example the first tweet to state the names of the people arrested included two players who were NOT arrested - this spread to other sites and if those rumours continue it would be terrible for their reputation and probably their personal lives - that cannot have been allowed to continue.

 

[ManxSeagull]

Wrong.

Shouldn't be allowed to print any names until somebody is charged. As HKFC says, some of them are probably just witnesses.

Especially wrong to do it in the despicable way the paper has.

I agree, the players concerned will be harrassed by various people including the press.

Nothing should be printed until charges are brought and even then they could still be innocent.

 

[leigull]

I voted yes - right to name them, within current laws.

BUT

Wrong, to display them in the sensationalist manner they chose.

Wrong to word it "arrested for sex attack", rather than "in connection to sex attack". x number might be simply witnesses.

Wrong, insofar as the law should NOT allow it. (But it does).

Exactly this

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

That's laughable. The Argus has printed the facts, as it has every right to do. It's not suggested or inferred anywhere that they might be guilty or innocent. People might do that in their own minds but that's their problem, and they would do so whether or not the players were named.

Well, that's not quite true. The layout is sensationalist which is unhelpful. And some of the phrasology is very open to misinterpretation. They have been (sadly understandably) sensationalist.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

These players can face trial by innuendo in the media. The accuser can't. Hence, their ID's should have remained secret even if most people knew exactly who they were.

Wrong.

Shouldn't be allowed to print any names until somebody is charged. .

The fact that the law is as it is, is not the Argus' fault though.

 

[Giraffe]

The fact that the law is as it is, is not the Argus' fault though.

The editor can still have some morals though.

Yes legally they can do it, but it doesn't make it right.

 

[fire&skill]

If anything it's stopped the chinese whispers

 

[hans kraay fan club]

The editor can still have some morals though.

Yes legally they can do it, but it doesn't make it right.

Its a massive local story. they were never NOT going to print it. I'm very uncomfortable however, with the choice of wording of the headline.