Press Council: Common first and last names may be used as pseudonyms
The media may use a widely used first and last name to anonymize a person. This is the case if the note "Name changed" at the end of an article indicates that it is not the real name.
This is the conclusion reached by the Swiss Press Council in a statement published on Tuesday. It has rejected the complaints of two bearers of the first name and surname used for anonymization.
In November 2011, 20 Minuten Online and subsequently also the print edition of 20 Minuten and the Tages-Anzeiger newsnet reported that a 25-year-old junior football coach and referee had been terrorizing minors on the side as the leader of a gang of youths. The articles refer to the person concerned by a common first name and surname, but indicate with an Asterix and the corresponding note "Name changed" at the end of the report that this is not the real name.
Two bearers of the name used complained to the Press Council, claiming that their reputations had been damaged. One of the complainants even suspected that the use of his name was not accidental, but was intended to damage him in his political activities as a cantonal parliamentarian.
The Press Council understands the annoyance of the complainants. In the present case, it believes that the reference to "names changed" rules out the possibility of confusion. This is because in order to make the risk of confusion appear real, other information elements (for example the elements junior football coach and referee) would also have to match. (sda)
