The non-pixelated photo violated the privacy rights (point 5 of the code of honor) of the femicide victim and her relatives. The criticized article, “Man kills his wife and cuts out her heart,” appeared on the online site oe24.at at the beginning of March. It reported on an extremely brutal femicide in Brazil. A reader turned to the Press Council because she found the article sensationalist and trivializing. Senate 2 of the self-regulatory body initiated proceedings in which no one from “Oe24” wanted to participate.
Photos can interfere with the grieving process
In principle, reports of femicides are of public interest. However, this does not mean that privacy protection can be disregarded. The Senate made it clear that a person’s privacy must be protected even after their death. In addition, identifying photos can impair the grieving process of the bereaved. In the present case, it does not change anything that the victim is pictured wearing sunglasses and that the couple in question initially shared the photo themselves on social networks.
The Press Council has asked “Oe24” to voluntarily report on the ethical violation. The medium recognizes the arbitration jurisdiction of the Press Council.
