When to name names

There is at least one story per semester where no matter what decision is made, neither is the perfect option. \nWhen weighing the decision whether to print Ashley Lee's name in Tuesday's article "IU freshman contracts bacterial meningitis," many staff members expressed concerns and beliefs about what the right decision was. \nIs a public safety alert a sufficient reason to print the name of a private person, and is printing that name an invasion of privacy?\nIt was clear once discussions began in the newsroom, that each side had its advantages and disadvantages, but unfortunately at a daily newspaper with strict deadlines, at some point a call has to be made even if a degree of discomfort follows.\nThe issue was debated between almost everyone. While a majority of the newsroom believed running the name was acceptable, some staffers in highly regarded positions voiced strong opposition to running Lee's name.\nIt was obvious there was an overall concern about the repercussions of printing the name of a student with a serious infection. By printing her name, would we be causing unnecessary prejudice toward her, or is it our foremost job to serve our readers by making them aware if they had been in contact with her?\nWe changed our decision for quite some time, until deciding we owe it to our readers to inform them. While there was hesitance, it became apparent we felt the need to share a health alert with our audience outweighed the harm that would be caused by publishing Lee's name. While the students who live in Briscoe Quad knew it was Lee, we had a duty to protect others who might be infected. By neglecting to print her name, we decided we could be neglecting the health and welfare of many more people.\nIn speaking with many colleagues, as well as parents, I heard stories of people's friends who died of meningitis because they were never made aware someone else had it. By not printing Lee's name, we would run the risk of someone never knowing they had contracted the infection until it was too late.\nThe idea that even one life could be protected by making someone aware of Lee's infection was enough to justify printing the name. \nHowever, in stating Lee's name, we attempted to alleviate any stigma that would come with sharing this information. We made sure to note there is not a strong likelihood of transmitting the infection, according to the IU Health Center's Web site. \nWhile The Bloomington Herald-Times and The Associated Press opted not to print Lee's name, we felt because of our audience, the decision to print was different for each news media. While The Associated Press and Herald-Times readers certainly have interest in the story, it is our audience, you -- the student, the staff member and the professor -- who would have a chance of contracting the infection. It is our hope that while you might not agree with our choice, you understand our decision was to inform and protect our readers.\nIt's likely debate about the decision is continuing in the newsroom as you are reading this. It's likely some staffers are second-guessing their suggestions, and it's likely no matter what decision we made, people would disagree, and we would be criticized. And whether you agree or disagree with our decision, we welcome any and all comments on our news coverage. Feel free to e-mail any thoughts on our coverage to me at mgsimon@indiana.edu or to our Opinion page at letters@indiana.edu.