Federal House journalists to have to disclose interests
An SVP motion, which was approved by the National Council on Tuesday, demands that accredited journalists in the Federal Parliament must disclose their interests.
Accredited journalists in the Swiss parliament should have to disclose their interests, demands an SVP motion that was approved by the National Council on Tuesday. The motion by Jürg Stahl of the SVP Zurich was adopted by 105 votes to 52 with 20 abstentions. It would be important to know which party a media professional belongs to and which mandates and memberships in organizations they hold. Federal Chancellor Annemarie Huber-Hotz has objected that employed journalists in the Federal Parliament are not comparable with militia parliamentarians and that the professional rules of conduct of the journalistic professional organizations also apply. The motion will now go to the Council of States.
The media union Comedia sent out a statement on Tuesday evening in which it criticized the National Council's restriction of the basic rights of media professionals. This decision appears to be a new measure in a historic series of disciplinary attempts. In the past, politicians and authorities have repeatedly tried to restrict the freedom of journalists. However, with the "Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists", media professionals have long since adopted a rule according to which they must voluntarily disclose conflicts of interest in public functions and private activities and ensure a strict separation of functions. These professional rules and contractual obligations are completely sufficient. Any further regulation would inadmissibly restrict the fundamental rights of media professionals.
The media union Comedia sent out a statement on Tuesday evening in which it criticized the National Council's restriction of the basic rights of media professionals. This decision appears to be a new measure in a historic series of disciplinary attempts. In the past, politicians and authorities have repeatedly tried to restrict the freedom of journalists. However, with the "Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists", media professionals have long since adopted a rule according to which they must voluntarily disclose conflicts of interest in public functions and private activities and ensure a strict separation of functions. These professional rules and contractual obligations are completely sufficient. Any further regulation would inadmissibly restrict the fundamental rights of media professionals.
