Calling children by their names is not acceptable: Press Council reprimands Tio.ch
Because the Ticino online portal Tio.ch published the name of minors, it is reminded by the Swiss Press Council of the duties and rights of journalists.
Publishing the names of minors and identifying them is not permissible without an overriding public interest. It violates the journalists' code of conduct. Even if other media have already mentioned their names, this does not justify naming them, as it can significantly harm children.
The Swiss Press Council emphatically affirms this and approves a complaint against the Ticino online portal Tio.ch. On January 4 of this year, the website reported on an alleged Ticino fraudster who lured her victims as a provocative hitchhiker and pretended she needed money for medical treatment for her children. The article - which updated an earlier post - detailed information about the woman, including the tattoo of her two children's names on her arm. The mention of these very unusual names, combined with other information about the mother and her neighborhood, makes the two children recognizable in her social circle and beyond.
The online portal has therefore violated paragraph 7 (respect for private life) of the "Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists" and in particular guidelines 7.2 on identification and 7.3, which calls for stronger and special protection of children. (pd/hae)
