We should be able to describe a suspect in a crime and not be afraid of being considered rac-ist, fat-ist, thin-ist, etc. for providing a good physical description. I wouldn't call 5' 9" 200 lbs thin. If you are really afraid of offending one of your readers you should have left out the approximation of weight, height, or the fact that they are male.
I thought reporting was the profession of providing accurate information via mass media. If journalists can’t report about the news because of this knee-jerk, litigious, censoring they feel they need to provide, than what are we reading for and why are companies sponsoring “news” through advertising?
In Cationsville and the Baltimore area, is the reader to assume a description or can the reporter at least provide that information?

Hi RC, the only consideration for the suspect description is what was written in the police report. I can understand what you mean about it being a stretch that someone who is 5 feet 9 inches tall is thin, but you'd have to take that up with police.
I don't understand what you mean be censoring though. Maybe you can explain that a little more.

While listening to the scanner that evening, in addition to the other describing attributes mentioned in this article, police reported the suspect as a "number 1", which is the code for black.

Penny,
I like the Patch for our neighborhood news and appreciate the service to the local community. The crime watch might not have been the most egregious example of the fact that "we can't tell it like it is", but it is an example. The police are falling into this mindset too by trying to avoid releasing obvious descriptors in an attempt to sidestep minor backlash from a few overactive citizens.
In order to develop as a mature community I think it is important to have our news sources relay all the facts about this type of incident where a physical description is an important key.

RC, I see, thanks for clarifying. That makes a little more sense. If you're referring to an omission of race in the description, then that is the one descriptor that I as an editor for Patch did leave out. The race was mentioned in the police report, but we didn't include it. News media outlets often don't release the race of a suspect in a description from police unless there are other descriptors that can distinguish the person like facial hair, weight tattoos, etc. Does that make sense?

5'9", 200 lbs. is not thin. I am that height at 165, and I have a muscular build. Someone of my height weighing that much would be either very fat or built like an NFL running back.

No Penny; it does not make sense that news outlets have to be selective on what incidences they report or what information they provide about the items they choose to report on. When that happens, regardless of the omitted information, it becomes editorial by relief. I used this minor example to create a dialog and to illustrate a point. This type of omission or focusing on some elements rather than others out of fear of audience perception provides slanted or even misinformation rather than providing the intended product…news. The negative impact of editorializing or conveniently omitting information or events from a report creates a ripple effect that gets amplified on larger stories and national platforms. This type of refraction of events is happening more and more and adds to increasing distrust and polarization within the audience as well as distrust in what the media conveys.
Regardless of the information, I believe the audience deserves to hear it like it is.
Thank you for your feedback.

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