Zachary Shemtob and David Lat's essay "Executions Should Be Televised" was first published in The New York Times in 2011. Shemtob and Lat argue that not allowing executions to be made public creates a feeling of mistrust between the citizens and the government, because "people have the right to see what is being done in their name." The following is a summary of this essay. Shemtob and Lat reason that since executions are done in the name of the American people and using their tax money, the executions should be televised. The authors note that although most executions are said to be virtually painless, certain methods, such as lethal injection, can lead to painful death, and that the public should be made aware of this "unnecessary suffering."
