Civil rights advocates have long fought to remove criminal records, but many people’s lives continue to be affected by old media coverage of minor offenses.

Some news outlets have launched programs to remove or deindex these stories to help individuals move on.

For example, Cleveland.com’s Chris Quinn pioneered a “right-to-be-forgotten” initiative, reviewing old stories to remove names in cases of minor crimes.

This effort has expanded to other outlets like the Boston Globe and Oregonian.

These programs aim to help people with past mistakes rebuild their lives, while still considering the ethical implications of altering historical records, The Guardian has reported.

The efforts have led to more thoughtful reporting and policies on how to handle sensitive crime coverage.

Written by B.C. Begley