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
