I was appalled with your handling of the recent stabbing story. I received my Current on April 7 and there flashed across the front page complete with pictures was a story devoid of journalistic ethics and standards. It caused me to pause and look at each of your competitors to determine if I was right or wrong to be offended by the Current’s handling of this story.

Turns out I am right and I remain very upset with the Current’s decision to handle this story the way it did. Even the District Attorney admits in all news accounts that the investigation is ongoing and the facts have yet to be fully determined. She further indicates there remains conflicting evidence, yet the Current is the only one of seven news outlets that named the minor child.

The Current served no one but itself with this coverage. There is no need to know, there is no public good being served, the situation is under control and there is no threat to the community. The fact that every other news organization did not name the young lady is strong evidence of questionable ethics. When I think of what it must have taken for your staff to locate yearbooks and get pictures of the kids involved in this situation, I see that as further evidence that you should have had ethical alarms going off telling you to stop. It is Journalism 101, unless you are choosing to move towards “yellow journalism.”

Our community does not need or want this type of journalism. I have been a strong supporter of your paper, but to see your handling of what ultimately is a child in crisis has me angry enough to stop subscribing and stop supporting the Current.

Perhaps the business community agrees and will pull advertising; perhaps other subscribers will agree and will cancel or not renew their subscriptions. I am sure you sold more papers this week but I hope in the near future the Scarborough community clearly shows you that they do not welcome this type of journalism.

I, for one, am here to tell you that the additional profit you gained is not worth it when it hurts a child already in crisis. A young lady in need of help and the support of her family, her school and the greater community did not deserve the additional notoriety your lack of ethics delivered.

Stephan Thayer

Scarborough