Palma eviction row: IB3 airs woman’s benefit details
Palma, Mallorca: IB3 faces criticism for telling viewers that a woman evicted from her home receives a public benefit. Pilar López spent the summer living in a car after the eviction. On Thursday 15 October, IB3 director-general Josep Codony defended the report before a Balearic Parliament oversight committee.
Why IB3 aired the report
Codony said the broadcaster had done nothing illegal. He said its news programme had reported the response of Palma City Council to López’s case. López had spoken publicly about her situation and appeared on Spanish television, he argued, so she was no longer anonymous but a “public figure”.
Marta Carrió, an MP for MÉS per Mallorca, accused IB3 news chief Sílvia Pol of drawing attention to the benefit to discredit López and protect the PP. Socialist MP Mercedes Garrido said the amount reported was wrong and accused Codony and Pol of revealing confidential information. Codony countered that the Socialists had themselves made news of López by bringing her into Parliament.
Election coverage comes next
The committee also questioned Codony about IB3’s coverage of the general election on 29 November. Socialist MP Carles Bona asked for an assurance that management would not interfere with journalists’ work. Codony promised impartial coverage that would follow the law. He said IB3 had begun planning its election reporting, although the parties and coalitions standing would not be known until Friday.
Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com