I am extremely disappointed with Crawford County Now’s addition of a mugshot page to their website. To preface, I am a young professional in my mid-twenties who grew up in Bucyrus and moved back after completing my degree. In all honesty, had I seen this promoted on a news website during the time of my college graduation, I’m not sure I would have considered moving back to this area. There are numerous issues with our county’s image and reputation. In fact, among my peers, I’m the anomaly for actively choosing to live here. Many graduates I know have moved away from their hometowns to find more rewarding careers and a better quality of life. How is a “mugshot page” supposed to convince Crawford County natives that they can find that type of a future here?
While the effect of this addition to the website is unknown, it certainly doesn’t create a positive impact. How will a mugshot page affect new businesses that are looking to settle in the area? Most likely, the sheer volume of suggested criminal activity will be an immediate turn off. Many towns have drug and crime problems but to blast it from a community media outlet is unprofessional, tasteless, and most of all, unfounded. The photos featured on the mugshots page are of individuals who have not yet been tried. When mugshots and full names are plastered on a county media outlet for the community to see, it hardly suggests “innocent until proven guilty.” I want community journalism to report facts and unbiased information. I’ll gladly read about a trial’s aftermath, once the judge and a jury have made an informed decision. A mugshot page is not a tool that community members can utilize. It is not a resource that helps or uplifts citizens in any way. Instead, it is clickbait. It is a space for shaming untried individuals, an unprofessional and distasteful move in local journalism, a deterrent for young professionals and families seeking to come to the Crawford community, and a nail in the coffin for those who are considering leaving.
Jillian Frost
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Gary Ogle – News Director