Press Council: Complaint against Tages-Anzeiger partially approved

In November 2010, the Tages-Anzeiger reported that a "freethinker group" was planning a "Bible and Koran burning" in front of the Federal Palace. The group, which includes the "controversial Valais teacher and president of the Valais section of the Freethinker movement Valentin Abgottspon", would go one step further with this action than with its recently demanded "Bible censorship for children and young people". A day later, the newspaper corrected the previous day's account ("Freethinkers strongly condemn Bible and Koran burning"). Nevertheless, the FVS and its Valais section complained to the Press Council.

The court concludes that the newspaper violated its duty to tell the truth because it should not have relied on the assertion of two informants that the president of the Walliser FreidenkerInnen supported the planned burning of books without consulting Abgottspon. By publishing the corrective retraction, however, the Tages-Anzeiger had fulfilled its duty to correct.