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Not Up to the Media

Your headline “Guilford Police Arrest Five Sexual Predators” [Jan. 25] is premature. To label an individual a “sexual predator” is to say that the person has committed a crime. While this may be true, it is not up to the media to make that determination. Any person who is arrested, no matter what the charge, is presumed innocent of criminal wrongdoing until convicted in a court of law.

I appreciate the careful wording of the press release from the Guilford Police Department that refers to a “sting operation focused on identifying and arresting potential sex offenders.” Your headline writer should take the same care when composing a headline.

William Smalley

Guilford