With more regularity I see accident and crime information being withheld from the media and the public.

A truck ran on to the sidewalk and killed one man, and critically injured two more people.

They have never released the name of the person driving the truck or the two people critically injured. The coroner had to release the name of the dead person, they haven’t gotten to preventing that yet.

A famous football player was shot at a nightclub. There has never been any information about who shot him or any details. A reporter went to the city where it occurred and after great resistance and difficulty, got the name of the person charged with the shooting. But not one more detail.

And on a less serious note, police in some states have quit releasing the names of people involved in accidents. Nosy news? Nobody’s business? Maybe, but it sure is a nice way to protect people with clout. Even the names of people charged in accidents is hard to find at times.

Why the change? The media is weaker than ever and the public is very distracted with chat sites and rumors. It is shifting the power to withhold information and it is a dangerous direction.

There is no fix unless people insist reversing this trend.

I am not hopeful.