3 weeks ago
10
Concerns over irresponsible and sensationalized reporting on social media are growing, as some online news blogs continue to prioritize engagement over accuracy and ethics. The issue came into focus on Friday when police spokesperson ASP Stacy Smith criticized a social media news outlet for publishing an AI-enhanced image of an assumed suspect tied to an active criminal investigation. Smith described the move as irresponsible and dangerous, warning that altered images can mislead the public, compromise investigations, and potentially place innocent people at risk.
ACP Stacy Smith, Belize Police Department: “It is important to note that conducting yourself as such serves to detract the investigative process. The photo that is being displayed looks entirely different from the person who is in custody both in features and age. The danger that this creates is that there may just be a man in Belize City that looks like that person that you have broadcasted on social media and that person may be targeted because it is a heinous offense that was committed. So again I would like to appeal to those members of the media whether the regulated one or the unregulated one or those persons who have taken the task onto themselves to be informers or persons who inform the public to be very ethical in your undertaking because you certainly put lives at risk and you detract from the process of investigation. Investigation as it stands is already hard enough .Many times the media wants us to disclose information that can serve to undermine the investigation. Now when you’re introducing other things that are not related to the investigation that further complicates the matter. So please, I implore everyone and I implore the general public to stop entertaining these media houses that are in it for sensationalism.”
English (US) ·