Names Or It Didn't Happen

On a message board that I sometimes visit, if someone posts something that other don't quite believe, a common reply is "pictures or it didn't happen". The same skepticism could apply to many stories in our local media. Often we hear of large drug busts and the arrest of a number of people, but the names of those involved are not given. Because few court happenings make the media at all, there is never any follow up either. Same for robberies or the arrest of thieves and burglars. I'm not suggesting that these stories are made up but without names how are we to know for sure?

And one of the stupider things that appeared recently was the story about a store in the downtown being robbed in daylight and a citizen who tried to stop the thieves being stabbed. Nothing amusing here. The name of the one robber who was not a youth was given. But at the same time the store was not identified while an appeal was made for those with information to come forward. How could those who might have witnessed something unusual know if it was relevant if they don't know where the occurrence took place. Why all the secrecy about the store's name and location. Is this really going to help the reputation of the downtown, or what is left of it?