Media diversity in the Bernese Jura is shrinking
The free news content on the Radio Jura bernois (RJB) website has been integrated into the Ajour.ch news portal as of today, Tuesday. Initially, access will remain free before a fee is introduced.
"This is a big change, because it didn't make sense to have two news sites within one group," Jérôme Steulet, co-director of the BNJ Group, told the Keystone-SDA news agency. In the longer term, there would be no more free regional news, he added.
Last year, the Gassmann Media and BNJ groups announced their intention to join forces in order to strengthen reporting from the Bernese Jura and the Biel region. Ajour.ch, Journal du Jura and RJB are equally owned by the two groups and are managed by them via the company Jura bernois Bienne Seeland AG (Jbbs).
"The pooling of human resources will enable better coverage of the Bernese Jura and the preservation of our regional media," the two groups announced on Monday. Users who obtain information via the RJB website or app will be redirected to the Ajour.ch app and website.
According to the communiqué, they will initially be offered free access to the Ajour platform, after a free trial period various subscription models will be offered.
The rjb.ch website and the RJB app will remain in place. Program and broadcast-related content such as audio news will continue to be offered to listeners. The two other BNJ radio stations in the Jura Arc, RFJ and RTN, are not affected. They will continue to offer information free of charge, it was reported. (sda)
