Ruling by the Press Ombudsman
10 September 2015
Complaint
Aoun is complaining about two stories and an editorial in the North Eastern Tribune of 7 August 2015. The texts were headlined:
· Loved pet shot dead (front-page);
· Grieving pet owner speaks out (page 3);
· Shooting to kill is not the answer (the editorial, page 4).
She complains that:
· the shooting of a pet does not warrant three articles; and
· the story was told from the perspective of the owner, while largely ignoring that of the security guard.
Decision
As the story did not mention either Aoun or the security guard by name, and the matter has already been settled between the owner of the dog and the security company, I have decided that I do not have any grounds on which to adjudicate this complaint.
Appeal
Our Complaints Procedures lay down that within seven working days of receipt of this decision, either party may apply for leave to appeal to the Chairperson of the SA Press Appeals Panel, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, fully setting out the grounds of appeal. He can be contacted at Khanyim@ombudsman.org.za.
Johan Retief
Press Ombudsman