Grieving daughter says SCMP’s year-late apology over ‘reprehensible’ suicide coverage falls short

Sofia Schwarzwalder, the grieving daughter of a man who died by suicide, has criticized the South China Morning Post (SCMP) for their year-late apology and correction over the graphic reporting of her father's death. In a letter to the newspaper, Schwarzwalder expressed her disappointment that the correction and apology "falls short" and "changes nothing."

The article in question, published on August 5, contained graphic details about her father's body, including the fact that his head and leg were missing. Schwarzwalder criticized the inclusion of this information, stating that it caused her significant distress and moral qualms about quoting the newspaper's report without providing a warning to readers.

The South China Morning Post responded to the criticism by removing details from the article and issuing a correction, stating that they adhered to "strict standards of professionalism and editorial ethics" when covering suicides. However, Schwarzwalder rejected the apology, stating that the newspaper did not commit to following their own policies in the future or revising them.

Schwarzwalder emphasized that the correction and apology did not address the core issues, and she expressed her desire to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future. She also noted that the SCMP is no longer a member of the Trust Project, a global journalism initiative that promotes transparency and ethical standards in news reporting.