TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Arnold Schwarzenegger's revelation this week that he fathered a child out of wedlock has blurred the line between mainstream media and tabloids.

Hollywood sex scandals are nothing new to paparazzi, but when they involve a former governor, traditional media are forced into the fray.

While there's no avoiding the salacious nature of the story, different camps have drawn contrasting ethical lines.

The Los Angeles Times, which broke the news Tuesday, took pains not to identify the mother or her child. It even avoided describing her occupation, dubbing her vaguely a "member of the family's household staff."

Tuesday night, celebrity website TMZ identified the mother as the family's former housekeeper, Mildred Patricia Baena, and published photos of her.

Since then, other media -- including The Californian -- have named her, as well.

Baena purchased a home in northwest Bakersfield last year and moved there with the boy, now said to be about 13 years old, so local media are following the story closely.

Media experts say the story is fraught with ethical landmines because it involves a child who has no doubt been traumatized, and was thrust into the limelight through no fault of his own.

"Even if someone is a criminal, we take consideration of their status as a minor in reports on juvenile court proceedings," said Hagit Limor, president of the Society of Professional Journalists. "This is a situation where a child is absolutely innocent of anything."

So far, no major media have named the boy directly, although arguably his identity is known by anyone who knows the boy's mother.

Some print and broadcast media have also published a photo of mother and son taken from Baena's personal MySpace page.

So far, those who have used that photo have obscured the child's face with digital blurring or a black box over his eyes. The Californian cropped the boy out entirely.

For her part, Limor said she hopes the boy's identity remains shielded.

"I understand the pressure to not appear as if you're behind on a story, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror," she said.

The Los Angeles Times is still not disclosing the mother's name in follow-up stories on the former governor's acknowledgment of paternity. Two Times reporters who have reported on the issue did not respond to a request for comment.

TMZ publicist Casey Carver said she did not have anyone immediately available for an interview Wednesday.

Tom Goldstein, professor of media studies and journalism at UC Berkeley, said he prefers the Times' approach, but wonders how long the newspaper will stick with it now that the alleged mother's name is becoming common knowledge.

"I think restraint is in order," he said. "The question is, once the dam has been broken, how much more restraint can we expect?"

Kelly McBride is a senior faculty member of ethics, reporting and writing for the Poynter Institute, a Florida-based media training organization.

She said the story is legitimate and worthy of coverage, but she thinks reporters have been asking the wrong questions.

"The right questions are what was his relationship to this woman and did anything inappropriate happen with her employment when she was working in the governor's (home)?" McBride said.

If taxpayer dollars were used to support or silence her in any way, that would be a legitimate subject to investigate, McBride said.

Eric Bauman, vice chairman of the California Democratic Party and chairman of the Los Angeles Democratic Party, has called for a formal inquiry into whether Schwarzenegger misappropriated public money.

The wealthy actor did not accept a governor's salary while serving in Sacramento, and at this early stage there is nothing to indicate he abused taxpayer dollars.

Even though mainstream and tabloid media are increasingly chasing the same stories, there remain very distinct newsgathering practices and ethical standards that prevent all media from being lumped together in the same boat, media experts stress.

"I believe all good, ethical reporters know when someone is not the target but is truly a victim of circumstances," the Society of Professional Journalists' Limor said.

That continues to set mainstream journalists apart, she said.

But there's yet another media segment to contend with, said Jonathan Wilcox, adjunct professor in media and celebrity at the University of Southern California. That's social media, where Wilcox said even looser ethical standards are applied and content intended only for friends and family is frequently revealed to a broader audience.

"I don't know if we will all one day have to be given our Miranda warning when we post something online, but we may be headed that way," he said. "There's this inability or unwillingness of people to realize that they're being social with the largest possible universe."