Candinas: "Media diversity is an indispensable cornerstone of our democracy".

For the second time since 2022, the Swiss Media Publishers Association held its Soirée Médias in the garden of the Teatro Paravento on the occasion of the Locarno Film Festival. As the main guest, National Council President Martin Candinas spoke to the 120 or so invited guests from politics, culture and the media industry. The centrist politician emphasized the importance of journalism for society and democracy. At the same time, he spoke about the challenges posed to media companies by the latest developments in digitization. He said that the Swiss media landscape had hardly benefited from the rapid development of big tech companies - on the contrary, the Swiss media landscape had become significantly smaller in the same period. Yet it is precisely the media that make the platforms of the tech giants, which are so often used, interesting and credible.

Legislation must keep pace

Candinas therefore demands that politicians improve the framework conditions for journalism: "Legislation must keep pace with the current changes in media consumption. We have to find a way to ensure that our media are better financed again and that media professionals can do their work." He points to the Federal Council's bill on ancillary copyright, which is currently in the consultation process and is intended to create a fair balance between tech platforms and the Swiss media.

Independently of this topic, the question of media promotion is also currently occupying parliament. Candinas, who himself had been at the forefront of the fight for the media package and, as a representative of a trilingual canton, was convinced of its importance, is also hoping for measures to strengthen journalism in the near future. Because: "Media diversity is an indispensable cornerstone of our democracy," says Candinas.