Why does the Reading Eagle degrade women charged with prostitution so badly?
In the latest story, Reading police arrested eight women between 9:30 and 11:30 p.m. Tuesday on blocks associated with prostitution. The women, one 22 years old, went to jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
I’m certain that if the woman are selling sex there, men come and meet them there to buy it.
But the police don't seem to ever catch the clients, so we don't get to see their photos. I bet publishing a john’s mug occasionally would be much better deterrent. I guess I'm getting all old and soft, but I believe these defendants are being victimized by this process.
I found five stories in the Reading Eagle since the beginning of June about men charged with or convicted of child-pornography charges. Not one had a photo of the defendant or convict.
But many stories about women accused of sex working had photos.
The editors might earnestly respond: “We run what the crime fighters give us.”
Which would be expected. It appears the newsroom leaders didn’t get their jobs asking questions and challenging authority.
How did the Berks County media get two sets of these mugshots, to further the humiliation? WFMZ had a different batch.
I know the editors at the Eagle and the TV station know how many hits a story like this generates on their websites.
And another indignity, a stupid lead sentence in the Eagle’s story:
“Eight women were arrested over a slightly more than two-hour period for agreeing to perform sex acts on an undercover police officer, Reading police said Tuesday.”
No one agreed to do anything with an undercover police officer.
Berks County really needs better journalism to help solve its problems.
It's amazing some media outlet doesn't hire you.
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