"Petarden-Trottel": Press Council criticizes Blick and Blick.ch
The Press Council has partially approved a complaint against Blick and Blick.ch. Last November, Blick.ch had published a series of articles under the title "Petarden-Trottel" about a football fan who had a petard explode in his hand.
In the process, the 25-year-old had three fingers torn off. The accident occurred before the Euro League match between FCZ and Lazio Roma. According to the Press Council, the reports in Blick and on Blick.ch were peppered with details from the private and professional life of the victim.
This portrayal had made it possible to identify the person in question. Blick and Blick.ch had thus pilloried the young man, the press council wrote in its decision published Tuesday. "In doing so, the Blick editors merely served public curiosity, which must not be confused with the public interest in reporting." In the opinion of the Press Council, the manner of the research in the environment of the person concerned was also disproportionate.
The complainant had also criticized the term "Petarden-Trottel" as inhumane. On this point, the Press Council rejects the complaint. Although the term was harsh for the person concerned, it was within the broadly defined scope of freedom of comment.
