Berlin, Nov 29: Leading German newspapers have condemned politicians for insisting on the right to edit interview comments, but searched their own souls over their submission to what one called a ''wretched game'' tainting press freedom. German politicians frequently demand as a condition for giving an interview that they have the chance to revise their comments before publication. Newspapers acquiesce, fearing they will be shut out if they refuse.
''As things stand, readers cannot be sure that what they read is what was actually said. In addition, revising quotes deprives the reader of valuable information and restricts the ability of a journalist to analyse the facts,'' the Financial Times Deutschland said yesterday.
The left-wing Tageszeitung saw both sides at fault.
''We newspapers have to ask ourselves how long we are prepared to play along with this wretched game,'' Tageszeitung, which launched the initiative, said.
Nine newspapers including Tageszeitung, the liberal Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the Financial Times Deutschland and the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung joined the initiative and several carried articles condemning the practice as hurting press freedom.
The Tageszeitung headlined its front page ''Top Secret: Interview'' and carried an interview with Olaf Scholz, party secretary of the ruling Social Democrats with all the answers blacked out after Scholz failed to authorise the text. Bureau Report