Aargau cantonal council sees risks for media diversity
Although the Aargau Cantonal Council had spoken out on Tuesday in favor of awarding the license to Radio Argovia, owned by the AZ Medien Group, it now states that this very media company, with its concentration of media ownership, poses «a certain risk» to diversity of opinion.
Although the Aargau cantonal government had spoken out in favor of Radio Argovia from the AZ Medien Group on Tuesday with regard to the awarding of the concession, it now writes that it is precisely this media company with its media concentration that poses "a certain risk" to the diversity of opinion. However, the AZ Medien Group does not engage in corporate journalism, according to the government in a statement issued on Friday in response to a motion tabled by the SP parliamentary group in the Grand Council (see
). Every medium in the group, which includes the Aargauer Zeitung, Radio Argovia and the TV station Tele M1, is also in competition with other providers in the national environment. However, this also poses problems: Economic competition could lead to a homogenization of content through editorial cooperation and multiple exploitation. According to the Government Council, competition for advertising shares could lead to further concentrations on the Swiss media market in the not too distant future. The effects of this development on the media coverage of cantonal politics are not yet foreseeable. The Aargauer Zeitung is usually the only newspaper to report with its own journalistic output. As a result, there is "only one newspaper that determines opinion" in cantonal politics.
According to the SDA, the government council also cites job losses and a lack of alternative jobs for journalists as risks of media concentration, as well as the implementation of a media policy in line with the group.
). Every medium in the group, which includes the Aargauer Zeitung, Radio Argovia and the TV station Tele M1, is also in competition with other providers in the national environment. However, this also poses problems: Economic competition could lead to a homogenization of content through editorial cooperation and multiple exploitation. According to the Government Council, competition for advertising shares could lead to further concentrations on the Swiss media market in the not too distant future. The effects of this development on the media coverage of cantonal politics are not yet foreseeable. The Aargauer Zeitung is usually the only newspaper to report with its own journalistic output. As a result, there is "only one newspaper that determines opinion" in cantonal politics.
According to the SDA, the government council also cites job losses and a lack of alternative jobs for journalists as risks of media concentration, as well as the implementation of a media policy in line with the group.
