The Dartmouth is not The New York Times. Nor is The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Princetonian, the Yale Daily News, The Cornell Daily Sun, The Daily Pennsylvanian, the Columbia Daily Spectator or The Brown Daily Herald. Many critics of The Dartmouth's editorial decision to print the names of arrested individuals point out that our student-run daily newspaper serves a smaller readership pool than major publications, and thus should be subject to different journalistic standards. However, the practice of printing the names of individuals charged with criminal offenses is not restricted to major national newspapers. This is a routine and responsible facet of journalism, from national and local newspapers to all of the campus dailies mentioned above. The fact that Dartmouth students somehow consider themselves above this convention reflects a troubling assumption of privilege and exclusivity that pervades our campus culture.
Reactions to recent coverage of transfer student Isabella Mezzatesta's arrest ("Hanover Police arrest undergraduate student," April 22) reflect a common misunderstanding of the purpose of The Dartmouth and of journalism in general. One anonymous online commenter complained, "Our prestigious paper should not operate like a gossip blog or celebrity tabloid." I agree with this sentiment and it is for this reason that I support the printing of the student's name. The names of arrested students come from public records, not "gossip." In contrast, information obtained off the record or through hearsay, such as the names of students who are suspended or expelled from the College, is not publicly released and thus cannot legally be printed.
Much of the criticism surrounding the printing of names, however, comes from students who understand the journalistic rationale behind printing them but nevertheless believe that these standards should not apply to The Dartmouth.
A world like Dartmouth in which dating is reduced to pong invitations and DASH card swipes, high-paying corporate jobs can be found through a simple College-administered database and onesies are considered reasonable fashion choices understandably distorts one's conceptions of obligation and accountability. Too much time spent in "the bubble" can lead students to believe that they are privy to special treatment by nature of their affiliation with the College. This assumption misses an essential purpose of a college education to prepare students for life beyond graduation.
Staff columnist Spenser Mestel argued that The Dartmouth's editors should demonstrate "a better recognition of the negative consequences of their actions" in printing the names of arrested students ("Watching the Watchers," July 21, 2009). One of the most important lessons of adulthood is that one must face the consequences of his or her actions. This should be the responsibility of students who engage in risky behaviors, not The Dartmouth Editorial Board.
Critics also claim that cases in which students are arrested for a crime and later found innocent face unfair discrimination by virtue of their association with this crime. Staff columnist Julian Sarkar highlighted the Duke lacrosse players' scandal to illustrate this point ("The Name Drop," Jan. 5). This example underscores another important lesson that one learns growing up: Life is not always fair. It is unfair that my fellow high school classmates who streaked our football field will be labeled as "sex offenders" for the rest of their lives. It is unfair that millions of people die worldwide from preventable diseases and starvation. The world can be a cruel place sometimes, and as adults we had better get used to this fact.
Nevertheless, the "unfairness" of the Duke lacrosse scandal and other instances of misplaced guilt lies in faulty police investigations rather than in irresponsible reporting. If a student's name were cleared in relation to a crime for which he or she was earlier convicted, The Dartmouth would be obligated to either printing a new article or appending previously published articles.
Students facing criminal charges will have to deal with consequences later in life regardless of The Dartmouth's decision to print or not to print their names. Some of these outcomes will be disproportionate to the offenses committed and some may be unmerited. This is an uncomfortable notion that is not limited to Dartmouth students or college students in general. Dartmouth students should not be privy to special treatment when they make mistakes. As an independent organization, The Dartmouth should not deviate from the norms of responsible collegiate journalism in order to accommodate this perverse mindset.
