Bertold Kittel, the author of acclaimed "Superwizjer" reports, named the Grand Press Journalist of the Year in 2018, has won the trial against the editor-in-chief of TVP Info. The Court of Appeals ordered the station to publish two retractions regarding false information aired in "Panorama Info" and "Serwis Info" newscasts, pertaining to Kittel's report for "Superwizjer". The ruling is legally binding and immediately effective.
After Bertold Kittel's report for "Superwizjer" entitled "The Radom Pact" (aired in TVN24 on September 29 and in TVN on October 2, 2018), on October 3, "Panorama Info" and "Serwis Info" published a false information stating that in his report, Bertold Kittel "failed to mention his lasting for several years acquaintance with with the Mayor of Radom, Radosław Witkowski"
The journalist filed a lawsuit and demanded the false information, aired in two newscasts, to be retracted by TVP Info editor-in-chief.
"The lies told in TVP Info newscasts undermine not only my professional competencies and ethical standards, but first and foremost the credibility: mine as a journalist, "The Radom Pact" report, "Superwizjer" programme, as well TVN station," Bertold Kittel said.
On June 5, the Court of Appeals reaffirmed the ruling of the court of first instance and ordered the editor-in-chief of "Wiadomości" to publish two retractions regarding the false information.
According to the court order , TVP Info must retract the false information immediately.
Appeal rejected in full
After the ruling passed by the court of first instance, the editor-in-chief of TVP Info filed an appeal, arguing that the retraction statement was written in the third person, not in first.
The Court of Appeals said that no provision from the media law prohibits formulating retraction statements in the third person and that retraction announcement, as well the author's signature show leave no doubts on who's the author.
"The appeal proved baseless," said Kittel citing the court's justification.
The Court of Appeals recognized the arguments presented by the TVN journalist and rejected the defendants appeal in full.
The ruling is legally binding and immediately effective.
"Wiadomości" also lost
Bertold Kittel also demanded a retraction of the same false information from the editor-in-chief of state-run public TV newscast "Wiadomości", Jarosław Olechowski.
On 14th of January, the court of first instance recognized the claim in full, making slight changes to the retraction statement (change of third person narrative to first). Later on in early April, the Court of Appeals fully rejected the appeal against the claim filed by "Wiadomości" editor-in-chief.
According to TVN's press office, "Wiadomości" failed to carry out the court order.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24