Press Council: Tamoil scores own goal

In May 2013, the French-speaking Swiss newspaper Le Temps published an article about the environmental pollution caused by the Tamoil refinery in Collombey VS. Beforehand, the journalist had asked the management several times to comment. Tamoil answered with general statements without ever giving concrete figures. The company also prevented the canton from publishing up-to-date figures. After publication, Tamoil appealed to the Press Council with the main argument that the figures in the article were outdated and did not accurately reflect the current situation, according to the statement. In its decision, the Press Council reminded the complainant that the Journalists' Code also gives media professionals the right to free access to all sources of information. And they have the freedom to investigate without hindrance all facts of public interest. It is true that the title of the Le Temps article in the present tense may suggest that the environmental pollution described corresponds to the current state of affairs. However, right at the beginning, the article mentioned the source of the figures cited, as well as Tamoil's refusal to release up-to-date data. The Press Council also considered the other accusations made against the newspaper to be unfounded, in particular that Le Temps had not named the source of the information.