Press Council takes media to court
The Swiss Press Council has criticized the coverage of the Lucie murder case by numerous media outlets. Dominique von Burg, president of the Press Council, said it was disproportionate to publish the perpetrator's name and photo.
The Swiss Press Council criticizes the reporting of numerous media on the Lucie homicide. It was disproportionate to publish the name of the perpetrator and his picture, said Press Council President Dominique von Burg in Zurich on Wednesday.
After the 16-year-old au pair girl Lucie was killed in early March, the media reported extensively. After the Aargau cantonal police announced the full name and photo of the perpetrator at a media conference broadcast directly by Swiss television on March 12, a majority of the Swiss media also gave the full name of the perpetrator and published the photo. Some media then switched back to anonymized reporting, but did not always follow through. Still other media, such as Le Temps, La Liberté, Der Bund and Swiss Radio DRS, consistently refrained from naming the perpetrator. The Swiss Dispatch Agency also anonymized its reporting in accordance with its internal guidelines in all services and languages.
However, refraining from publishing names and photos would have been the appropriate way of reporting, Press Council President Dominique von Burg told the media in Zurich on Monday. Regardless of the heinousness of an act, a suspected perpetrator and his indirectly affected relatives also have a right to the protection of their privacy. The interest in finding further victims of the perpetrator does not change anything. A publication of name and photo is only justified if there is imminent danger, for example because the suspect is on the run.
It is understandable to a certain extent that numerous media spontaneously published names and pictures after the Aargau police had called for witnesses, the press council states in its statement. Nevertheless
Rather, journalists are expected to think independently about professional ethics in such situations. Even economically difficult times, job cuts in the media and the pressure of online media should not lead to professional ethical reflections being put on the back burner.
Radio, TV and online services required
Radio and TV stations as well as online services are particularly challenged. They would have to take appropriate precautions if sensitive information was communicated at a media conference that they broadcast uncut. In addition, the one-time publication of name and image by the cantonal police does not make the perpetrator so generally known that this would result in
anonymous reporting would become pointless. And even if an editorial department comes to the conclusion that publication of name and picture is justified, proportionality must be maintained. The release by the authorities must not be abused to make a
to put the alleged perpetrators in the media pillory.
After the 16-year-old au pair girl Lucie was killed in early March, the media reported extensively. After the Aargau cantonal police announced the full name and photo of the perpetrator at a media conference broadcast directly by Swiss television on March 12, a majority of the Swiss media also gave the full name of the perpetrator and published the photo. Some media then switched back to anonymized reporting, but did not always follow through. Still other media, such as Le Temps, La Liberté, Der Bund and Swiss Radio DRS, consistently refrained from naming the perpetrator. The Swiss Dispatch Agency also anonymized its reporting in accordance with its internal guidelines in all services and languages.
However, refraining from publishing names and photos would have been the appropriate way of reporting, Press Council President Dominique von Burg told the media in Zurich on Monday. Regardless of the heinousness of an act, a suspected perpetrator and his indirectly affected relatives also have a right to the protection of their privacy. The interest in finding further victims of the perpetrator does not change anything. A publication of name and photo is only justified if there is imminent danger, for example because the suspect is on the run.
It is understandable to a certain extent that numerous media spontaneously published names and pictures after the Aargau police had called for witnesses, the press council states in its statement. Nevertheless
Rather, journalists are expected to think independently about professional ethics in such situations. Even economically difficult times, job cuts in the media and the pressure of online media should not lead to professional ethical reflections being put on the back burner.
Radio, TV and online services required
Radio and TV stations as well as online services are particularly challenged. They would have to take appropriate precautions if sensitive information was communicated at a media conference that they broadcast uncut. In addition, the one-time publication of name and image by the cantonal police does not make the perpetrator so generally known that this would result in
anonymous reporting would become pointless. And even if an editorial department comes to the conclusion that publication of name and picture is justified, proportionality must be maintained. The release by the authorities must not be abused to make a
to put the alleged perpetrators in the media pillory.
