PressEthic

In the introduction to "Breaking Bonaduce," alcoholic, pill popping, emotionally abusive husband Danny Bonaduce (of Partridge Family fame) says, "My life is a car accident. You have every right to slow down and watch." Is it? How about later, at the morgue? Lately, some states have restricted the availability of autopsy photos to the public. How much do we really have a right to know?

According to Editor and Publisher, 10 states have enacted laws to stop death records-- including pictures-- from being released to the public.

This is not a strictly media issue. Michigan's law came as the result of a mother's objection to her daughter's photos being used in an anti-drunk driving slide show. On the other hand, more than one tasteless Florida newspaper asked for the autopsy pictures after Dale Earnhardt's deadly 2001 accident.

My journalist side would like to err on the side of more available public information.

But, well, no. No, not at all. Can't you even have medical privacy in death? Can't we give people some peace? Look, I'm an organ donor; it's on my license. The doctors can take what they want. But no newspaper reporter, convict with a lesson to learn, or anyone else has the right to my medical information, dead or alive.

Seeing a loved one after death is traumatizing enough, but to know that those photos can be used for any stranger's (possibly) nefarious reasons is just heartbreaking.

Sure, there are a lot of good reasons why this information should be made public. Not great reasons, but good. In the E&P article, Andrew Welsh-Huggins notes that many coroners are publicly elected officials. I'll save my feelings on that for another time. But I don't think the general public has the ability to evaluate the work of a coroner based on autopsies, nor the time or inclination.

Wrongful death information, exposing wrongs, getting the whole story: I can see why death records would be public. Unfortunately, though, I don't think that the media or the general public in America has shown that we have any interest in fair privacy.

While it's not my usual inclination, this is one area of information that should be restricted for public consumption.