Reports about Crime Sweeps

In response to this report about Sheriff Joe Arpaio's 13th immigration and crime sweep, I am wondering what this type of report does to the credibility of azcentral.com.

The story divulges details from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office about the two-day crime suppression sweep that began at 5 p.m. on Monday.

If we post a story like this, does it look like we are eating out of the Sheriff's palm for story leads, or does it seem like we are warning employers and illegal immigrants to stay home during the operation?

Both views seem rather controversial and I wonder what this type of story looks like to readers who don't have an inside knowledge of the newsroom, or those who have never seen a press release.

I understand that the Republic and azcentral.com normally post this information for public viewing because it is newsworthy, and I probably would have written the story the same way the Associated Press reporter did if it had been assigned to me.

Does it seem less biased if it was a report from the Associated Press or the wires, instead of assigning it to our own reporter? Regardless, does it make the whole outlet seem like an advocate for illegal immigration?

I think it is important to seek a balance between running stories like this that risk having controversial consequences and ones that really inform the public and/or serve the greater good.