Paper sanctioned over ‘IS teen story’

033 31/01/2012 The Press Freedom Commission Public Hearing was held in Braamfontein Recreation centre. Addressing the Commission were the like of Ms Ferial Haffajee editor of City Press representing Media 24. Sitting behind her is Mr Tony Howard CEO of INL and Mr Moegsien Williams Chief Editor for the Star. Picture: Moeletsi Mabe

033 31/01/2012 The Press Freedom Commission Public Hearing was held in Braamfontein Recreation centre. Addressing the Commission were the like of Ms Ferial Haffajee editor of City Press representing Media 24. Sitting behind her is Mr Tony Howard CEO of INL and Mr Moegsien Williams Chief Editor for the Star. Picture: Moeletsi Mabe

Published Apr 21, 2015

Share

Cape Town - The Press Ombudsman has ruled that the City Press newspaper was in serious breach of the Press Code for the manner in which it reported on a 15-year-old girl who tried to leave Cape Town to join the Islamic State (IS).

However, City Press editor Ferial Haffajee said on Monday that the newspaper would appeal the ruling.

Haffajee added: “I would rather not discuss the reasons for the appeal.”

It was reported at the beginning of the month that the girl had run away from home, apparently to join IS, when she was found on a plane at the Cape Town International Airport, bound for Turkey.

On April 12, the City Press ran a story on their front page with the headline “Isis and the normal, suburban girl”.

Al Jama-ah party leader Ganief Hendricks complained to the Press Ombudsman that City Press had not done enough to protect the identity of the child as their story gave a “vivid description of her and her circumstances”.

Last week, Press Ombudsman Johan Retief sanctioned City Press and directed the newspaper to print an apology for giving too much information about the girl, which locals may have easily used to identify her.

Retief had considered the relevant sections of the Press Code which says a child’s best interests are of paramount importance in every matter concerning the child.

Retief has ordered that the apology should be sent to his office before publication, and that it should be published on the same page that the offending article had been published on.

[email protected]

Cape Times

Related Topics: