With sensitivity against PR hustle and bustle
Media: How do editors-in-chief deal with the ever-increasing volume of material coming from trained PR specialists?
Media How do editors-in-chief deal with the ever-increasing input from trained PR specialists? At the annual Epiphany Conference last January, Vice-Chancellor Oswald Sigg caused a stir among the ranks of publishers and media people with a simple figure. Within just a few years, Sigg said, the federal government had increased the budget of its communications experts from 25 to 600. It is not the first time that Sigg has addressed an audience with this figure, but it is getting bigger every time. What is happening in the Federal Administration is a sure sign that the PR industry is also arming itself in the private sector. It is becoming increasingly difficult for journalists to obtain unfiltered information. Whereas in the past you could get the managing director of a company directly on the line, today, in the best case scenario, his head of communications places messages in neatly balanced formulas (right down to the conforming spelling of the brand) that usually only he himself understands. The friction losses are enormous on both sides.
At first glance, one might think that the upgrading of the PR industry should lead to a strengthening of editorial teams. However, after the numerous rounds of cost-cutting that the industry has undergone, concepts are largely being used to make do. The concept of a lean editorial team has lost some of its budget-friendly urgency because the economy is on the up again. But publishers are at best investing in the editorial department where they are initiating new projects.
For example, Artur K. Vogel, editor-in-chief at the Bund since January, believes that the editorial team of the long-troubled newspaper is still large and well equipped. "There's no question of thinning out." Vogel is confident. Before his job in Berne at the Aargauer Zeitung, he produced the whole coat for the Mittelland Zeitung with fewer people.
Peter Buri, editor-in-chief of the same Aargauer Zeitung, sees himself in a more comfortable position. "We are in the process of hiring 15 to 20 new people for the editorial team," he says. The seventh edition of the Mittelland Zeitung planned for September naturally requires this massive expansion, admits Buri. However, both Artur K. Vogel and Peter Buri confirm the growing flood of administrative and corporate PR on their (electronic) desks. Trained people twist the information until it fits into the PR concept, says Vogel. When it comes to the Federal Administration, he and his editorial team are faced with a veritable phalanx of communications experts. This is detrimental to politics. "Politicians fade into the background and are no longer tangible."
Editor-in-chief Peter Hartmeier therefore sends his best people to federal Bern for the Tages-Anzeiger. "We have to offer a counter with journalists who can withstand the hustle and bustle of the PR managers." Hartmeier has therefore sent his deputy Roland Schlumpf to Bern, where the Tages-Anzeiger has five staff.
Turning the tablesThe Neue Luzerner Zeitung has also reacted in its political reporting. In view of the government and cantonal council elections on April 1, in which 526 candidates are running on 69 lists, the Neue LZ has turned the tables and set up a citizens' forum in the style of public journalism. There, readers can ask questions to stimulate political discourse. The deputy editor-in-chief, Stefan Ragaz, justifies the establishment of the forum with the editorial team's desire to involve readers in the choice of topics and in the political debate. Until now, the political agenda before elections has mainly been determined by the parties.
Editors are keeping their backs free with an increasingly complicated triage system. Most of the countless invitations and offers end up in the wastepaper basket. "Out of dozens of daily offers, there are perhaps one or two topics per month that can be used editorially," says Peter Buri. AZ uses a journalistic concept, whereby the editorial team first roughly scans the daily flood according to a defined criteria grid (relevance, topicality, etc.).
Back in 1996, at the time of the merger of Luzerner Zeitung and Luzerner Neuste Nachrichten, a separate PR editorial department was set up at Neue LZ to cater to the interests of companies and institutions. Of the 11,176 pages of text produced last year, the editorial team produced 650 pages that differ from the rest of the paper in terms of layout and typography. The trend is rising sharply. For Ragaz, it is also clear that editorial offices in general have repeatedly allowed themselves to be instrumentalized by professional PR when setting topics.
"How do we deal with this balancing act between PR and journalism?" For Colette Gradwohl, Editor-in-Chief of the Landbote in Winterthur, the question is not about editorial resources, but about the sensitivity of media professionals. Since its relaunch in the fall of 2005, the balancing act at Landbote has also involved an institutional interface between the publishing house and the editorial team. According to Gradwohl, however, the informal exchange, for example in discussions about media partnerships, is no longer as lively as it was at the beginning. However, her decisions as editor-in-chief have always been respected.
More commercial enquiriesAccording to editor-in-chief Markus Spillmann, the NZZ is largely above the fray due to the title's market position. Although there are more requests for commercial content, the interests are the same as they have always been. "We don't allow ourselves to be misled by communications experts," says Spillmann. However, the expertise on the other side is also appreciated.
Regardless of the fact that representatives of the PR industry can also be welcome door openers and alert editorial teams to important stories, maintaining relationships remains the be-all and end-all of a well-oiled editorial team. "We tend to have to bypass the PR people, because we need direct contact with those responsible," says Peter Hartmeier. The difference between title and press diversity is important to him. "If we want to afford editorial teams with proven specialists, then there won't be many titles left in the end."
"Unbelievable, shocking "End of January
the media research company Publicom published a study on the editorial handling of PR with a disappointing verdict for media professionals. Over 50 percent of the media had simply adopted the content of official media conferences without any additional input of their own. The electronic media performed worse than the print media. Print still enjoys the highest credibility with the public. The authors of the study also expect a further shift in the balance of power in favor of public relations.Tagi Editor-in-Chief Peter Hartmeier finds the result "unbelievable", while Bund Editorial Director Artur K. Vogel describes it as "shocking". This practice is also extremely delicate when editorial offices of small newspapers, which have to make do with few resources, simply take over information tel quel. Silvan Lüchinger, deputy editor-in-chief of the St. Galler Tagblatt, points out that the study was purely quantitative. "It often happens that we first publish the facts on a topic and then two or three days later, perhaps even weeks later, provide in-depth research." But under no circumstances should we do without our own research.
René Worni
At first glance, one might think that the upgrading of the PR industry should lead to a strengthening of editorial teams. However, after the numerous rounds of cost-cutting that the industry has undergone, concepts are largely being used to make do. The concept of a lean editorial team has lost some of its budget-friendly urgency because the economy is on the up again. But publishers are at best investing in the editorial department where they are initiating new projects.
For example, Artur K. Vogel, editor-in-chief at the Bund since January, believes that the editorial team of the long-troubled newspaper is still large and well equipped. "There's no question of thinning out." Vogel is confident. Before his job in Berne at the Aargauer Zeitung, he produced the whole coat for the Mittelland Zeitung with fewer people.
Peter Buri, editor-in-chief of the same Aargauer Zeitung, sees himself in a more comfortable position. "We are in the process of hiring 15 to 20 new people for the editorial team," he says. The seventh edition of the Mittelland Zeitung planned for September naturally requires this massive expansion, admits Buri. However, both Artur K. Vogel and Peter Buri confirm the growing flood of administrative and corporate PR on their (electronic) desks. Trained people twist the information until it fits into the PR concept, says Vogel. When it comes to the Federal Administration, he and his editorial team are faced with a veritable phalanx of communications experts. This is detrimental to politics. "Politicians fade into the background and are no longer tangible."
Editor-in-chief Peter Hartmeier therefore sends his best people to federal Bern for the Tages-Anzeiger. "We have to offer a counter with journalists who can withstand the hustle and bustle of the PR managers." Hartmeier has therefore sent his deputy Roland Schlumpf to Bern, where the Tages-Anzeiger has five staff.
Turning the tablesThe Neue Luzerner Zeitung has also reacted in its political reporting. In view of the government and cantonal council elections on April 1, in which 526 candidates are running on 69 lists, the Neue LZ has turned the tables and set up a citizens' forum in the style of public journalism. There, readers can ask questions to stimulate political discourse. The deputy editor-in-chief, Stefan Ragaz, justifies the establishment of the forum with the editorial team's desire to involve readers in the choice of topics and in the political debate. Until now, the political agenda before elections has mainly been determined by the parties.
Editors are keeping their backs free with an increasingly complicated triage system. Most of the countless invitations and offers end up in the wastepaper basket. "Out of dozens of daily offers, there are perhaps one or two topics per month that can be used editorially," says Peter Buri. AZ uses a journalistic concept, whereby the editorial team first roughly scans the daily flood according to a defined criteria grid (relevance, topicality, etc.).
Back in 1996, at the time of the merger of Luzerner Zeitung and Luzerner Neuste Nachrichten, a separate PR editorial department was set up at Neue LZ to cater to the interests of companies and institutions. Of the 11,176 pages of text produced last year, the editorial team produced 650 pages that differ from the rest of the paper in terms of layout and typography. The trend is rising sharply. For Ragaz, it is also clear that editorial offices in general have repeatedly allowed themselves to be instrumentalized by professional PR when setting topics.
"How do we deal with this balancing act between PR and journalism?" For Colette Gradwohl, Editor-in-Chief of the Landbote in Winterthur, the question is not about editorial resources, but about the sensitivity of media professionals. Since its relaunch in the fall of 2005, the balancing act at Landbote has also involved an institutional interface between the publishing house and the editorial team. According to Gradwohl, however, the informal exchange, for example in discussions about media partnerships, is no longer as lively as it was at the beginning. However, her decisions as editor-in-chief have always been respected.
More commercial enquiriesAccording to editor-in-chief Markus Spillmann, the NZZ is largely above the fray due to the title's market position. Although there are more requests for commercial content, the interests are the same as they have always been. "We don't allow ourselves to be misled by communications experts," says Spillmann. However, the expertise on the other side is also appreciated.
Regardless of the fact that representatives of the PR industry can also be welcome door openers and alert editorial teams to important stories, maintaining relationships remains the be-all and end-all of a well-oiled editorial team. "We tend to have to bypass the PR people, because we need direct contact with those responsible," says Peter Hartmeier. The difference between title and press diversity is important to him. "If we want to afford editorial teams with proven specialists, then there won't be many titles left in the end."
"Unbelievable, shocking "End of January
the media research company Publicom published a study on the editorial handling of PR with a disappointing verdict for media professionals. Over 50 percent of the media had simply adopted the content of official media conferences without any additional input of their own. The electronic media performed worse than the print media. Print still enjoys the highest credibility with the public. The authors of the study also expect a further shift in the balance of power in favor of public relations.Tagi Editor-in-Chief Peter Hartmeier finds the result "unbelievable", while Bund Editorial Director Artur K. Vogel describes it as "shocking". This practice is also extremely delicate when editorial offices of small newspapers, which have to make do with few resources, simply take over information tel quel. Silvan Lüchinger, deputy editor-in-chief of the St. Galler Tagblatt, points out that the study was purely quantitative. "It often happens that we first publish the facts on a topic and then two or three days later, perhaps even weeks later, provide in-depth research." But under no circumstances should we do without our own research.
René Worni
