Criticism of the press council: Inadequate labeling of regionauts contributions!

Criticism of the press council: Inadequate labeling of regionauts contributions!

Liesing, Österreich - The debate about the reliability of PCR tests continues to pick up speed. A recently published article on Meinbezirk.at over four false-positive tests at a tourism company not only attracted attention, but also criticism from the Senate 3 of the press council. In the article, the claim is made that the PCR test, with a low infection rate, provides over 90 percent false-positive results-a statement that was very doubtful.

The Senate found during its exam that these claims violated the code of honor of the Austrian press. In particular, he criticized that the contribution was not clearly differentiated between factual reports and opinions. The labeling as a "region-sucted" contribution, in which the responsibility for the content is with the author, was not clear to many readers. The Senate stated that “Regional Audes” contributions should be better delimited by editorial content in order to avoid misunderstandings.

criticism of the PCR tests

The reliability of the PCR tests has been discussed for a long time. According to an article on tkp.at , the positive cases are the basis for many worldwide measures. But false test results can question the basics of these strategies, which makes a deep insight into the problem necessary.

Scientists criticize that PCR tests only recognize virus fragments and that no test can deliver 100 percent precise results. Especially in asymptomatic people, the rates of false-positive results are higher. These uncertainties raise questions, such as whether the Ministry of Health in the epidemiological reporting system (EMS) only communicates positive test results while negative samples are not recorded.

ethical responsibility in journalism

The challenges of reporting on the reliability of PCR tests are not only technical but also ethical nature. In a statement, the media owner of the contribution in question emphasized that she only acts as a "host provider". However, the argument was legally classified as irrelevant. "Readers must be able to clearly recognize what it is," said the Senate.

Observations show that an inadequate labeling of "region-wearing" content on social media can lead to important information is misinterpreted. The media owner will be asked to ensure that such contributions are clearly marked in order to counteract other ethical violations.

The discussion about the accuracy of PCR tests and their reporting will continue to remain exciting and shows us how important informed and responsible reporting in times of crisis is.