Once again, the Lexington Herald-Leader has adhered to McClatchy Company’s mugshot policy.

2 teenagers charged with murder, robbery in the death of another Lexington teen

By Jeremy Chisenhall | June 4, 2021 | 7:00 AM

Michael Rowland. Photo by Fayette County Detention Center.

Lexington police have arrested two teenagers and charged them with the murder of another teen after a fatal shooting in March.

Michael Roland, 18, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder and robbery after the death of 18-year-old Montaye Mullins, according to police. Mullins was shot in the early morning hours of March 11 and found by police at the intersection of Augusta Drive and Raleigh Road.

Mullins was taken to a local hospital where he later died, police said.

Police also arrested a 17-year-old whose name they didn’t release. Lexington police typically don’t disclose the names of defendants who were under the age of 18 at the time of a crime.

There’s more at the original, but what isn’t at the Herald-Leader original is that mugshot; I found that with a simple Google search, and it was on WKYT-TV’s website. WKYT, channel 27, is Lexington’s CBS affiliate. WTVQ, channel 36, the ABC affiliate and the NBC affiliate, WLEX-TV, channel 18, had the mugshot on their websites as well.

As we have previously noted, McClatchy’s mugshot policy is:

Publishing mugshots of arrestees has been shown to have lasting effects on both the people photographed and marginalized communities. The permanence of the internet can mean those arrested but not convicted of a crime have the photograph attached to their names forever. Beyond the personal impact, inappropriate publication of mugshots disproportionately harms people of color and those with mental illness. In fact, some police departments have started moving away from taking/releasing mugshots as a routine part of their procedures.

To address these concerns, McClatchy will not publish crime mugshots — online, or in print, from any newsroom or content-producing team — unless approved by an editor. To be clear, this means that in addition to photos accompanying text stories, McClatchy will not publish “Most wanted” or “Mugshot galleries” in slide-show, video or print.

Any exception to this policy must be approved by an editor. Editors considering an exception should ask:

• Is there an urgent threat to the community?
• Is this person a public official or the suspect in a hate crime?
• Is this a serial killer suspect or a high-profile crime?

If an exception is made, editors will need to take an additional step with the Pub Center to confirm publication by making a note in the ‘package notes‘ field in Sluglife.

So, the policy was followed, again. The odd thing is, the newspaper has made exceptions to that policy, as noted here, here, here, and here, though in every case in which the policy was broken the criminal suspect was white.

Will the paper adhere to the policy the next time a white murder suspect is arrested? They’ve broken it for people charged with lesser crimes! But, as always, I will continue to monitor it.