Press Council corrects Telebasel rebuke
Telebasel has contested a reprimand from the Press Council. In its decision regarding the report «Rheinhattan: The Enemy Image—How Troublemakers and Social Romantics Sought to Hinder Development in Basel’s Harbor Area,» the Press Council has now made two changes requested by Telebasel.
The Press Council had to clarify the question of whether a camera crew may record a political activist who publicly exposes herself. In its decision published on May 28, the panel concluded that this was permissible, but still criticized the local station on individual points (Werbewoche.ch reported).
At Telebasel's request, the Press Council has now corrected two passages in its decision and also in the summary. The passage according to which Telebasel "ambushed" the complainant on her own doorstep has been deleted. The Press Council also no longer upholds the statement that Telebasel actively sought a second encounter with the complainant.
However, it remains disputed whether the camera crew harassed the complainant. From Telebasel's point of view, the woman marched up without being called and even attacked the Telebasel crew with threats of violence.
Telebasel accuses the Press Council of having made the changes in its decision only after threatening legal action. Moreover, it failed to make them public.
The Press Council, on the other hand, did not consider active communication to be proportionate. The corrections would not change the thrust of the statement, the body states in a letter to Telebasel. (SDA)
