[November 19, 2009] OPINION: Sings of Life - No escape from Google's grip Tweet Nov 18, 2009 (The Beach Reporter - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A few weeks ago, I received a letter from a man asking that I erase a piece of his past. I won't tell you his name, even though it is already public knowledge. That is the exact problem he was writing to me about: the limited knowledge about him available on the Internet. Let's call him Frank, which is not his name but will do for our purposes. In his letter, Frank told me about an article this newspaper published four years ago describing his conviction of two nonviolent felonies, one for a forged prescription and one for possession of a firearm that wasn't illegal when he bought it but was subsequently banned. "This was a devastating time for me and the consequences were nothing short of disastrous for my life," he wrote. "I have spent the last four years reorganizing my life and rearranging my priorities. I have analyzed myself with a great deal of introspection and I have certainly become a better person because of this experience. All of my convictions were subsequently expunged and my name has been completely cleared." The problem was, in the age of Google, it is very difficult to clear one's name. Frank is a medical professional who is embarking on a promising new technique that could benefit many people. Unfortunately for him, patients and other professionals who want to find out more about his expertise often use Google or other Internet search engines. The first or second item that comes up is usually The Beach Reporter article on his felony convictions. Frank wrote to ask if, since he had turned his life around, was there any way I would consider removing the article from our Web site. He was worried not only about his professional future, but also about the well-being of his two young children, who might someday hear from their peers about their father's past mistakes. As much as it appeared Frank had turned his life around, I was concerned about the precedent that would be set if I removed the article from our archives. Like most newspapers, we sometimes report on things -- criminal convictions, disputes among neighbors, political mud-slinging, etc. -- that some of the participants will live to regret. Newspapers, however, cannot be in the business of erasing the past. Corrections, yes. Obliterations, no. The Internet has reinforced the power and responsibility of journalism. At one time, our articles only lived on in "hard copy" in the archives we keep in our office, and the copies kept by the local library. Now, like most newspapers, our content is archived on the Internet. It used to be that newspapers were the "first draft of history," and it was books that lived on through posterity. Now, the first draft lives along with all subsequent drafts, as long as they are online, while books are rarely excerpted at length in cyberspace. Ironically, getting out of Google's grip is harder than clearing the legal record. Frank was able to get his case expunged, a procedure that can only be pursued for misdemeanors and some nonviolent felonies. Technically, his charges have been set aside. He can truthfully tell a potential employer, landlord and anyone else who asks that he does not have any felony convictions on his record. That doesn't mean he didn't do what he was convicted of, and he will be the first to tell you that, as he told me when I called him after getting his letter. "I was guilty," he said. "Looking back, I realized I was clinically depressed. It was a very tough time. I was going through a messy divorce. I have totally changed my life since then, but I totally underestimated the power of the Internet back then." I told Frank I sympathized with him. I also told him that if he eventually got a lot of positive publicity for his medical advancements, the felony convictions would eventually be the 100th item on a Google search instead of the first. However, I told him, it would never go completely away. As a journalist, I couldn't in good conscience wipe the slate clean. The best I could offer him was an update, prominently displayed at the top of the story, saying the charges had been expunged. It wasn't what he wanted, but he understood. "Anything you can do to soften it would be great," he said. He thanked me profusely, but I told him I wasn't doing him a favor. I was just setting the record straight. Too often crime reporting focuses more on the beginning of the story -- suspicions, arrests and indictments -- than on the resolution, whether it be a conviction, exoneration, dropping of charges or, in this case, expungement. Frank's story is a reminder that in the age of Google, we may all have to be more tolerant of each other's mistakes. For all the amazing things the Internet has made possible, a fresh start isn't one of them. I'm always interested in hearing from you about how we're doing. I can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]. To see more of the Beach Reporter or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tbrnews.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Beach Reporter, Manhattan Beach, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]