Press Council protects 20 Minutes online picture report
20 Minuten Online is also permitted to report that sexual misconduct allegations against celebrities repeatedly become stumbling blocks in their careers, as in the case of meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann. According to the Press Council, his final acquittal does not change this.
On November 5, 2011, 20 Minuten Online showed under the title "Men between power, violence and sex" Images of former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Jörg Kachelmann, Julian Assange of Wiki- Leaks and US politician Herman Cain.
Underneath it read, "Republican Herman Cain has stumbled over sex allegations on his way to the White House. He's not the first. The combination of sex, violence and power seems to be piling up."
As a result, a complaint was received by the Press Council. The compilation suggested that Kachelmann was associated with the term "men between power, violence and sex" and that he was a criminal, "like the other three alleged sex offenders depicted". This was damaging to his reputation, he said, because Kachelmann had been legally acquitted and was innocent.
The Press Council assessed the complaint as unfounded and did not act on it, as it announced on Tuesday. The complainant's thesis that the impression was conveyed that Kachelmann was a sex offender - despite his legally binding acquittal - was obviously untenable.
None of the four people pictured was convicted of a crime at the time of the statement, nor did the author claim this. She was addressing the context according to which "sex allegations, regardless of their truthfulness, repeatedly turn out to be a stumbling block for celebrities". 20 Minuten Online is allowed to address this connection with Kachelmann even after his acquittal. (SDA)
