RTS condemned by the Federal Supreme Court for bias on the Covid law
Swiss Radio and Television (RTS) has been condemned by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court for its bias in the programme "Mise au Point", broadcast before the vote on the Covid law at the end of 2021.
The programme’s slant was clearly biased in favour of supporters of extending the covid measures, which were to be put to a referendum two weeks later.
The journalists mostly gave the floor to supporters of the covid measures and portrayed opponents as ’boorish and violent’.
The court ruled that this kind of stance directly endangered democracy.
“An RTS report on Covid violated the principle of neutrality, according to the Federal Supreme Court”[1]
“By giving the floor mainly to supporters of the measures, the report gave a one-sided impression of who was responsible for the deterioration of the political climate, the TF considers.”
[…]
“The report, entitled ‘La haine avant la votation sur la loi Covid’, had been broadcast two weeks before the vote of 28 November 2021. It dealt in particular with hate messages against politicians in connection with the measures to combat the pandemic.”
[…]
“At a public hearing on Wednesday, the TF recalled that the principle of plurality of opinions enshrined in the federal law on radio and television (LRTV) is particularly important in the context of a vote” […] “… ”and that the result of votes would thus be distorted.
It does not sufficiently point out that opponents of the Covid law can in no way be reduced to conspiracy theorists and people prone to violence, the court adds.”
The standfirst is by the BAM! editorial team.
Illustration: Pointing Finger by Duncan Andison on Adobe Stock.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of BAM!
[1] Un reportage de la RTS sur le Covid a violé le principe de neutralité, selon le Tribunal fédéral - rts.ch