As an example of bullying journalism, it takes some beating. A tabloid buys a surreptitiously filmed sex-video of an actor in his 50s suffering from Parkinson's disease. It demands an exclusive. At first he collaborates, even writing the interview himself; later he sues for blackmail. This is not another story emanating from the now-shuttered newsroom of the News of the World, where journalistic shenanigans have deeply embarrassed News Corporation, its owner. The tabloid in question is Bild Zeitung, Germany's biggest paper. Last year a court ruled that Bild'sre-porter had coerced the actor, Ottfried Fischer. In May a higher court overturned the verdict. A further appeal is pending.
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