Press Council regrets deletion of Blick articles from SMD
The Executive Committee of the Swiss Press Council regrets Ringier’s removal of over 200 *Blick* articles from the Swiss Media Database (SMD). This «arbitrary interference with the freedom of the archives» distorts the picture of what Swiss media published regarding the Spiess-Hegglin/Hürlimann case, according to a statement.
In order to provide later generations with a true picture, an archive must be as complete as possible. The SMD therefore has the central task of preserving the entirety of the objects belonging to its collection. Only in this way does an archive become a true historical memory, writes the Press Council.
Institutionally, it must therefore be ensured that SMD only deletes documents in absolutely exceptional cases, such as by court order. The Press Council criticizes that one-third owner Ringier (along with Tamedia and SRG) cannot arbitrarily remove an entire complex of topics. "The media database is not just any company or private archive. Even in a company archive, such suppression of articles would be questionable," it continues.
On the subject:
Ringier sees no reason to apologize to Spiess-Hegglin
