"Hispanic" is an ethnicity, not a race. There are Hispanics who are white, black, light tan, dark tan, etc. Our physical features are varied to the extent that the term "Hispanic" conveys no distinct physical information. Some of us look like baseball player Sammy Sosa. Others look like actor Andy Garcia. When police tell the public that the person they seek is "Hispanic," it is our job as journalists to ask how they arrived at that conclusion. Asking that question will elicit relevant details about the individual being sought.

What was the perpetrator's skin tone? Did he have an accent? Did he actually speak Spanish? Those are the details that should be reported, along with sketches, if they are available.

Providing accurate detailed information is crucial to a physical description. Calling a person "Hispanic" in this context does nothing to differentiate him from anyone else. As a result, police and the public may end up limiting their search to Hispanics even in cases where the perpetrator turns out to be of another ethnicity.

All good citizens want child predators and other criminals caught and prosecuted. The media have an opportunity to rise above stereotypes and shortcuts to provide the most accurate and thorough information available to identify and apprehend criminal suspects.

Editorial note: NAHJ is re-releasing this media advisory as a result of recent high-profile kidnapping cases. The NAHJ issued a media advisory last month in response to coverage of the Samantha Runnion case.