Journalists do not have to be on site for reporting
The media are also permitted to report on events they are not present at. The Press Council states this in a ruling on a complaint regarding court coverage.
In December 2011, Tribune de Genève reported on the criminal proceedings in the Aranda affair, as the Press Council writes in a press release. Charles Poncet, one of the accused's defense lawyers, complained to the Press Council about the author of the report, who claimed to have been present at the trial, although this was not the case. And he questioned in general whether a medium should be allowed to report on a court hearing without being present.
In its statement 17/2012, the Press Council points out that the media often report on events - including court rulings - that they are not directly present at. In the report in question, only the phrase "en regardant lejuge" indicates that the journalist was present. Overall, however, in the opinion of the Press Council, readers are by no means misled into believing that the court reporter was present at the court hearing.
