Press Council with new assessments
The Press Council has issued its assessment in four complaint cases. One complaint against the St. Galler Tagblatt was upheld. The Rote Anneliese was reprimanded and the Züri Rundschau disregarded human dignity in a commentary. The complaint against the Swiss newspaper Confédéré could not be dealt with due to pending court proceedings.
The Press Council has issued its assessment in four complaint cases. The complaint by the Elektrizitätswerk des Kantons Thurgaus against the St. Galler Tagblatt was upheld. The Rote Anneliese was reprimanded and the Züri Rundschau disregarded human dignity in a commentary, in the opinion of the Press Council. The complaint against the Swiss newspaper Confédéré could not be dealt with due to pending court proceedings, as reported by the news agency SDA. In a commentary on April 1, 2006, the Thurgau edition of the St. Galler Tagblatt violated the freedom to comment by accusing the electricity company of the Canton of Thurgau (EKT) of usury. The Press Council thus upheld the EKT's complaint against the newspaper, as the commentary had distorted facts and made accusations that could not be substantiated.
When journalists make serious accusations, they have to let the accused have their say. Rote Anneliese omitted this in an article about a major construction project and has now been reprimanded by the Press Council. In the article, the newspaper accused the initiator of the large-scale project of putting pressure on landowners to sell their plots.
In a commentary on paedophiles, the free newspaper Züri Rundschau violated their human dignity. The author of the commentary demanded that paedophiles should have their limbs cut off, be tortured and then killed. In the newspaper of 11 August 2006, she also criticized the judges who only condemn paedophilia as a trivial offence. She called for draconian punitive measures and accused the courts of naivety. The Press Council approved the complainant's criticism, as a commentary is given freedom and human dignity must be preserved. On the other hand, the complainant's second complaint was rejected. In it, the commentator was accused of making unacceptable remarks about the legal system. The Press Council did not consider the author's criticism of the courts to be unjustified accusations, as it was not aimed at specific courts or judges.
The Press Council was unable to deal with a complaint lodged against the newspaper Confédéré by the Secretary of the Central Association of Magistrates, Teachers and Civil Servants of the State of Valais. As the association has also taken legal action against the newspaper and this court case is still pending, the Press Council is unable to deal with the complaint. In a commentary dated March 31, 2006, the editor responsible condemned the association as authoritarian and fascist and called it a remnant of the Vichy regime.
When journalists make serious accusations, they have to let the accused have their say. Rote Anneliese omitted this in an article about a major construction project and has now been reprimanded by the Press Council. In the article, the newspaper accused the initiator of the large-scale project of putting pressure on landowners to sell their plots.
In a commentary on paedophiles, the free newspaper Züri Rundschau violated their human dignity. The author of the commentary demanded that paedophiles should have their limbs cut off, be tortured and then killed. In the newspaper of 11 August 2006, she also criticized the judges who only condemn paedophilia as a trivial offence. She called for draconian punitive measures and accused the courts of naivety. The Press Council approved the complainant's criticism, as a commentary is given freedom and human dignity must be preserved. On the other hand, the complainant's second complaint was rejected. In it, the commentator was accused of making unacceptable remarks about the legal system. The Press Council did not consider the author's criticism of the courts to be unjustified accusations, as it was not aimed at specific courts or judges.
The Press Council was unable to deal with a complaint lodged against the newspaper Confédéré by the Secretary of the Central Association of Magistrates, Teachers and Civil Servants of the State of Valais. As the association has also taken legal action against the newspaper and this court case is still pending, the Press Council is unable to deal with the complaint. In a commentary dated March 31, 2006, the editor responsible condemned the association as authoritarian and fascist and called it a remnant of the Vichy regime.
