Calling Nazi flag 'controversial' was itself controversial - iMediaEthics

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Regina Leader Post (Credit: Twitter)

Canadian local newspaper the Regina Leader Post called the Nazi flag “controversial.” That itself was controversial, prompting a complaint to the National News Media Council over the Regina Leader Post’s May 13 news article. As a result, the paper changed its online headline and deleted a tweet.

While the article referred to both Nazi and Confederate flags, the complaint was because the complainant thought it was inappropriate to label the Nazi flag simply controversial. Specifically, Lukas Miller, the complainant, said it was “disturbing and insulting” to call it only controversial.

The newspaper’s decision to change its headline after the complaint satisfied the news council and the complainant, so the complaint was resolved. “The [National NewsMedia Council] noted that in this case the news organization responded to reader concerns by holding a discussion with staff and by making changes to the article’s headline and its social media,” the council ruled. “The [National NewsMedia Council] considers this to be appropriate corrective action taken on an unintended error in wording.”

iMediaEthics has written to the Leader Post.

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Calling Nazi flag ‘controversial’ was itself controversial

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