Press Council protects young people

 The Press Council assessed two cases of research on young people. One was published by the Tagesanzeiger in November and involved six named and photographed young people who reported on their alcohol consumption. The mother of one of the young people mentioned lodged a complaint with the Press Council. She complained about a violation of privacy and the integrity of the investigation. The Tagesanzeiger argued that the pupil was capable of judgment and had consented to the publication. The Press Council partially upheld the complaint. The interview had been permissible without further ado. But because the topic and the circumstances of the questioning had obviously stirred up the young people's desire to provoke, restraint would have been appropriate. The Press Council concludes that the Tagesanzeiger should have published the statements without photos and names. In another case, a journalist from Radio 24 called a teenager on her cell phone last November to ask her about sexual abuse at a school in Seebach. However, she refused to give any information. One day later, she received another phone from Radio 24, but as she had saved the number, she did not answer the phone. Her mother lodged a complaint, alleging a violation of privacy. In this case too, the Press Council partially upheld the complaint. Although a single call does not constitute unlawful harassment, the radio station should have respected the student's clear wishes.