At Poynter, part of my work is helping journalists make thoughtful, ethical choices when covering complicated and sensitive stories. I regularly hear from journalists and newsroom leaders wrestling with questions that don’t have easy answers: What language should we use? Whose voices are missing? What images are appropriate? Are we adding context and nuance or simply amplifying a narrative? And, most importantly, what harm could our choices cause?
The coverage of so-called “teen takeovers” is exactly the kind of story that raises many of those questions. The term has been used to describe large gatherings of young people in public places, often organized through social media. Some have led to fights, arrests or other public safety concerns, while many of the young people there are simply gathering with friends. As newsrooms across the country cover these events, they’re making important choices about language, images, sourcing, framing and how much weight to give law enforcement accounts.
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