Over Reporting, Sensationalization, or Just the Facts?

[lynnzop[$]]

Lincoln man rescues 3-year-old sitting on median at 2:55 a.m.

Ah...but.

He's a level 3 sex offender. And THAT'S the way the Lincoln Journal Star (and everyone else around here) reported it.

Read a few of the comments and then comment yourself on the "value" of reporting that he was a sex offender. (The "neglect" aspect is a worthless argument....we all know and love pre-schoolers who can open locked doors, and from the other reports I've heard, this family had several locks on the door, and the kid climbed up on a chair to unlock them.)

I just LOVE this comment, myself :

But aren't L3 sex offenders supposed to have no contact with children of this age? Why wasn't he arrested? Are there circumstantial exemptions to L3 restrictions? Good deed or not, the law is the law and the job of the police is to enforce it. Let the courts decide if his actions are enough to not bring about charges.

Yeah. And toss him in jail, give him another mark on his record because he did the right thing.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

FYI re: Level 3 in Nebraska:

Nebraska State Patrol said

Q: WHO COMPLETES THE RISK ASSESSMENTS AND HOW IS THE OFFENDER'S RISK LEVEL DETERMINED?
A: The risk assessment instrument is completed by a Nebraska State Patrol, Sex Offender Registry Division research analysts. The risk assessment classifies the sex offender by looking at 14 factors relevant to the sex offender's risk to re-offend sexually. The risk assessment instrument is located on the Nebraska State Patrol's web page at NEBRASKA STATE PATROL under Sex Offender Registry Documents. A summary of these factors are:

The number of convictions for sex/sex related offenses.
The number of convictions for other offenses.
The number of charges for sex/sex related convictions, not resulting in conviction
The age of arrest for the first sex/sex related conviction/adjudication.
The offender's relationship to the victim(s).
The gender of the victim(s).
The age of the victim(s).
The nature of sexually assaultive behavior.
Convictions in more than one jurisdiction.
Whether the offender is currently on supervision or has a history of violating supervision.
The disciplinary misconduct during confinement/incarceration
Documented threats toward the victim(s).
Mental health diagnostic history and treatment.
Length of time between supervision and a felony or class I or II misdemeanor.

L3 sex offenders are offenders who are considered at high risk of re-offending, but their prior offense(s) may not necessarily have involved a child victim. The current story's lede reads:

"A high-risk sex offender saved a three-year-old child standing in the middle of an intersection early Tuesday."

Would it have been as important to note if the situation was different? How about:

"A high-risk sex offender saved an unconscious woman lying in the middle of an intersection early Tuesday"

or

"A paroled rapist saved a three-year-old child standing in the middle of an intersection early Tuesday"?

The story was compelling enough to me --- someone - anyone - rescuing a toddler at 3am doesn't require an additional variable in the lede. The sex-offender bit could have been brought into the story in the second line, IMO.

I guess it's notable because it's outside of what people generally assume about sex offenders. It's like when my aunt met my (Black) boyfriend. I asked her what she thought of him and she said, "He seems nice enough, he shook your uncle's hand." Makes you wonder what she had expected him to do. Apparently people expect all people with the label "Level 3 sex offender" to automatically be trolls driven to molest children whenever a child should happen to be in the vicinity.

[lynnzop[$]]

When I first heard the story, my very first thought was "the guy is reformed...good for him".

I'm not sure if that's the message that the LJS meant to convey, or if they were purposely sensationalizing the story.

Don't know what the guy's original offense was...I heard something on the radio, but it is totally unsubstantiated so I don't want to repeat.