What made coverage of the Marshall Project so special? It follows a set of principles on how to report on the criminal justice system and those affected by it. From the art we use to illustrate our stories to the words we use to write them—every detail is considered to ensure the accuracy, fairness and impact of our coverage. Below is a list of resources to help you get started.
Language and style guidance
The Marshall Project released its first public style guide in 2021, called the “Language Project.” “Journalism is, at its core, a clear discipline,” writes program editor Akiba Solomon. “The language project is our attempt to set the record straight.”
Marshall Plan: The importance of human-centered language
Marshall Plan: What words to use and avoid when reporting on people and incarceration
The AP also recently updated its industry-wide crime reporting guidelines with input from the Marshall Plan. This chapter contains more than 50 entries covering a range of topics – from how to accurately describe police brutality to how to refer to people in prison.
Associated Press: AP Crime Sample Entry
Poynter's Kelly McBride helps put AP's updated standards into context. Over the years, reporters have relied too much on uncensored police narratives, allowing crime reports to infiltrate political narratives about public safety.
“In fact,” she wrote. “a study Documents show that crime rates fell by 34% between 1991 and 2000, while media coverage of homicides increased by 700%.
Point: Glimpse of the future: AP sample new chapter on crime
A few years ago, the Associated Press decided to stop covering sex crime stories. These stories live forever online. “AP's extensive distribution network may make it difficult for suspects named in such articles to later find employment or move on with their lives,” the outlet noted.
Associated Press: Why we no longer name suspects in minor crime reports
Many local media outlets also try to avoid one-off crime coverage. Some have developed guidelines to help them decide when to report crimes in their communities. This shift in coverage is critical to overcoming long-held public perceptions of rampant crime. It also protects high-crime communities from stigmatizing coverage that could erode trust in the media.
Point: Local newsroom wants to stop sensational crimes
Considering renewing your crime coverage policy? View sample policy KPBS in San Diego and WCPO in Cincinnati.
Working with Justice-Influenced Sources
Hearing from people in prison is an important part of the reporting process. The goal of these interviews is often the same as with other sources: to identify key facts and narratives that help construct our story. But there are more considerations when interviewing people who have had contact with the criminal justice system. Below, we outline some key concepts.
Prison Media Policy. Each state has its own policies on whether and when incarcerated people can speak to the media. Some states require detainees to obtain official permission to speak to the media. Prisons often refuse interviews on “safety and security” grounds. To find out your state's rules, check out:
Prison News Project: State-by-state breakdown of current policies.
Informed consent. Journalists have a responsibility to protect incarcerated people and other vulnerable populations (crime victims, minors, etc.) and make them aware of the risks of being identified by the news media. Incarcerated individuals may face retaliation, including being placed in solitary confinement, for providing information to the media. Therefore, when contacting these sources, reporters and editors should assess the risks and communicate this to the source before the interview. Informed consent should include the following information:
-
Published stories will live forever on your site and your partners' sites.
-
When their name is Googled, etc., this story may appear at the top of the search results.
-
We rarely, if ever, write down stories or remove names once they are published.
-
They will not be able to read or edit their quotes before publishing.
-
Explain the terms of the interview, including your goals, angle, and how to use their story. If you are interviewing someone who has been convicted of a violent crime and plan to interview the victim or the victim's family, you should disclose this fact.
-
Ask them if they would like to reveal their full name. If not, we do not recommend using pseudonyms; instead, we recommend using initials for people identified as being at risk, or simply not including the source and finding someone willing to go on the record.
The goal of the informed consent process is to ensure that our sources can confidently agree to share their stories. In many ways, informed consent makes the reporting process easier because sources are less likely to back out at the last minute once the fallout from the interview emerges.
Trauma-informed reporting. Covering the criminal justice system means covering trauma. There are important factors to consider when interviewing people who have suffered or experienced violence, or who have survived incarceration or endured psychological violence. The Dart Center is the industry leader in trauma-informed reporting. To learn more about reporting trauma, check out their Trauma Awareness Journalism Toolkit.
Accuracy and transparency. For most stories involving people in prison, we provide details about their crimes and sentences. Accuracy and transparency are critical in our industry, and we do not withhold these details from the public. However, simply reporting official charges and sentences is not always sufficient.
Some crimes are classified as violent crimes even if no one is harmed. Charges are often used as a bargaining chip in plea bargains. The excessive power of prosecutors contributes to sentencing disparities between black and white defendants. Therefore, it is important to ask sources for more details or check the police report to understand the official charges and sentencing. You can then decide how to accurately describe the crime and the resulting sentence.
Prison Newsletter. Access to people in prison has become easier with the help of tablets and electronic messaging systems. Companies that offer these services have a mixed reputation. They usually charge exorbitant fees. At the same time, incarcerated people often say they welcome distraction and additional opportunities for communication.
Learn more about how to reach incarcerated people in state prisons using Alipay and GTL / Go out. To contact a federal prisoner, check out collinx.
Snail mail remains the primary method of communication in prisons and jails. It is subject to increasing regulation. The Prison Journalism Project compiles state-by-state rules and requirements for physical mail. Check this to make sure your message is getting through: Contact Insider
For those in federal prisons, the BOP has issued communication guidance: How to contact people in federal prisons.
Contact your state’s Department of Corrections
Got a bounce message? Or is the phone number out of service? Please let us know by sending an email with updated information to investigatethis@themarshallproject.org.
Contact your state’s correctional officers union
Not every state has a union representing correctional officers. Below is a list of states where we can verify union representation. We will continue to update this list. Please email us with union information in your state: surveythis@themarshallproject.org.
visual guidance
Mugshots are a standard feature of the criminal justice system. When the media plays these images in news reports, it creates a permanent record of a person's arrest—even if they are later acquitted or charges dropped.
“Scabby cheeks, red nose, this is the worst picture of myself I've ever seen,” former TMP reporter Keri Blakinger said of her photo. “I had no idea at the time how stubbornly it would follow me.”
In recent years, photographs as storytelling art have fallen out of favor. Bleckinger reflects on the debate surrounding this shift.
Marshall Plan: Controversy over publishing photos
Records and other requests
Records requests are often the backbone of our investigations. Stealing records from government agencies is becoming increasingly difficult. Thankfully, two journalism professors have compiled a set of tips and strategies for investigative reporters and editors on obtaining public records.
“Delays. Over-editing. Expenses. These are just some of the issues journalists and other citizens face when requesting public records from the government,” they wrote.
Investigative Reporters and Editors: The Art of Access: Strategies for Obtaining Public Records
Not sure what records are open in your state? Check out the National Alliance for Freedom of Information's 50 state resources. and sample FOIA letters for each state.
National Alliance for Freedom of Information: National Freedom of Information Act
National Alliance for Freedom of Information: Sample Freedom of Information Act Request Letter
Need some FOIA inspiration? Check Five records requests every crime reporter should submit from the National Journalism Institute
Did a state withhold your record? Or charge exorbitant fees? connect Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for Free service Legal advice and support. Student journalists can contact Student Press Law Center Legal Hotline.
Court cases and lawsuits are important reporting tools, especially reporting about the criminal justice system. While each state has its own records management system, PACER makes it easy to find federal court cases across the country. You can find information about federal civil rights cases About police misconductor on a range of civil rights issues in prisons and jails.
Here’s a helpful primer from the National Press School pacemakernews advantage. The Liberty Law Project hosts a free searchable database of some federal documents through court audience.
Other resources
Want to learn about the basics of the criminal legal system? Starting with the Marshall Plan and diving into how the system actually worked in the United States: The System. This series takes you through the complexities of the system—from policing to prison life.
Since its founding in 2014, The Marshall Project has been marking the best criminal justice reporting.
Below are some organizations that publish research, data, and policy positions on a wide range of criminal justice topics. They are often a good starting point when beginning a reporting project.
prison policy initiative: A think tank that uses research, advocacy and organizing to show how overcriminalization harms communities.
sentencing items:Advocate for effective and humane sentencing policies.
vera institute: Work closely with government and civil leaders to urgently establish and improve justice system policy and practice.
American Civil Liberties Union: Work in the courts, legislatures, and communities to defend and uphold the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to everyone in this country by the U.S. Constitution and laws.
FWD: Advocate for common-sense reforms to safely reduce jail and prison populations, reduce misdemeanor and felony convictions, and create opportunity for the tens of millions of people who are incarcerated or convicted of a crime.
impact justice: Promote safety, justice, and opportunity through boundary-pushing work that respects and empowers people, and changes expectations for what we can achieve together.