Last December, the free newspaper reported on a ticket inspection on a train from Zurich to Bern. The story concerned a FIFA lawyer whose marching orders were not recognized as a ticket replacement. The man had simply rushed onto the train with the certificate in his hand and was wearing civilian clothes and not his uniform, as would actually be required. The ticket inspector then demanded that the offending member of the army either buy a ticket or put on his uniform. After consulting a colleague, she finally turned a blind eye.

Blick am Abend reported on the incident under the title "Conductor merciless" and mentioned the woman's surname and the first letter of her first name. She then complained to the Press Council that she was inadmissibly named and ridiculed in the article.

The Swiss Media Ethics Committee has now ruled in favor of the woman. The fact that the train staff wear a name badge does not give anyone the right to publicly expose them. In the opinion of the Press Council, Blick am Abend violated the Declaration of Rights and Duties of Journalists with the article. This stipulates, among other things, that media professionals should respect the privacy of individuals. An exception applies to persons who are in the public interest. The Press Council found that this did not apply to a ticket inspector at SBB. (SDA)

Image: Screenshot e-Paper Blick am Abend (name removed)

 

Blick am Abend was reprimanded for Glogger's column about the "Magazin" journalist Daniel Binswanger. In it, Glogger had reinterpreted and exaggerated Binswanger's text "Free pass to genocide". Binswanger wrote that anyone who votes against minarets is also voting for torture and giving a free pass to genocide, Glogger's text stated.
However, Binswanger had not written this. He warned against the SVP's idea of allowing the people to vote on initiatives that violate international law in future. Binswanger then complained to the Press Council, which has now proved him right. With the phrase "write, Binswanger!", Glogger had given the impression that Binswanger had actually compared the minaret initiative with torture and genocide, as the Press Council announced on Friday. The Council's reasoning was that even in such an article, not just any "arbitrary, defamatory nonsense" may be disseminated.