10-11-03: Press Ombudsman Ruling: Radical Honesty White Refugee vs City Press; RE: CityPress article: “Rightwing Group Tries to Scupper Reits Trial”

City Press knuckles rapped on Reitz Four

Nov 3, 2010 12:14 PM
Sapa & TimesLive

City Press newspaper has been reprimanded by the Press Ombudsman for not giving the subject of a story relating to the "Reitz Four" the chance to comment.

The Radical Honesty White Refugee (RH) group had complained about an article published in July headlined "Right-wing group tries to scupper Reitz trial".

RH lodged a complaint against the newspaper saying the headline was misleading and that it had made no attempt to contact Lara Johnstone, who was representing the group, for comment, deputy press ombudsman Johan Retief explained in his findings.

Johnstone at the time had applied to intervene as a friend of the court in the Reitz Four trial.

RH was unhappy about the phrase "right-wing group" and the word "scupper".

The newspaper had argued that Johnstone's "abortive attempt at intervention in the Reitz matter was in itself a public event, on which City Press merely reported".

But Retief found that the newspaper should have approached her "precisely for this reason" as she was the subject of the story and should have been asked for comment.

"There was no acceptable reason for the newspaper to not ask her for comment," he said.

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