Self-promotion with alumni
The left-leaning weekly newspaper WOZ presented its anniversary issue to the media on Wednesday. With a design inspired by the 1980s, the paper celebrates independent journalism, quality, and itself.
The left-wing weekly WOZ presented its anniversary issue to the media on Wednesday. With an 80s look, the paper celebrates independent journalism, quality and itself. Clichés are like mother's proverbs: generalizing and subtly annoying because they are always true in some way. The WOZ made use of the cliché and the proverb at the same time: weeks before its birthday, it solemnly played the hymn to the dead. And editorial director Susan Boos doubled down at the opening of the anniversary issue on Wednesday: the WOZ should have been dead a long time ago.
Well, it is anything but dead, but is still alive and kicking and doing what it does extremely well: building on its own myth and producing well-founded journalism. For the festive event, it is presenting this myth in three volumes: it starts with the "WOZ story", continues with "The big topics" and ends with "Careers" with around two dozen portraits of former exponents of the left.
The table of contents reads like a to-do list for journalists: it opens with "the pure truth", confessed by the last WOZ star and current Tagi reporter Constantin Seibt, followed by a "surprising confession" by long-time WOZ editor and poet Fredi Lerch. He explains why he was never really a leftist. This is followed by the emotions of a reader who has been outraged by the newspaper for over 20 years, as well as layout expertise and a photo novel about crises of meaning.
Then the big topics: Nicaragua, third world literature, multinational corporations, cucumber salad, the secret army and the gender debate. This section also includes interviews, for example with former city councillor Emilie Lieberherr. The current head of Tagimagi and former WOZ contributor Res Strehle indulges his fetish for SVP politicians, and Christoph Mörgeli even makes it into the jubilant WOZ because he admires Niklaus Meienberg.
PS: If you were wondering whether the WOZ also has younger employees, you can rest assured: Yes, they had to organize the party - and if they do their job as thoroughly as the old ones, then the party for the paper next Saturday, 7 Oct. in the Rote Fabrik will be a big one. And most likely without Mr. Mörgeli.
Well, it is anything but dead, but is still alive and kicking and doing what it does extremely well: building on its own myth and producing well-founded journalism. For the festive event, it is presenting this myth in three volumes: it starts with the "WOZ story", continues with "The big topics" and ends with "Careers" with around two dozen portraits of former exponents of the left.
The table of contents reads like a to-do list for journalists: it opens with "the pure truth", confessed by the last WOZ star and current Tagi reporter Constantin Seibt, followed by a "surprising confession" by long-time WOZ editor and poet Fredi Lerch. He explains why he was never really a leftist. This is followed by the emotions of a reader who has been outraged by the newspaper for over 20 years, as well as layout expertise and a photo novel about crises of meaning.
Then the big topics: Nicaragua, third world literature, multinational corporations, cucumber salad, the secret army and the gender debate. This section also includes interviews, for example with former city councillor Emilie Lieberherr. The current head of Tagimagi and former WOZ contributor Res Strehle indulges his fetish for SVP politicians, and Christoph Mörgeli even makes it into the jubilant WOZ because he admires Niklaus Meienberg.
PS: If you were wondering whether the WOZ also has younger employees, you can rest assured: Yes, they had to organize the party - and if they do their job as thoroughly as the old ones, then the party for the paper next Saturday, 7 Oct. in the Rote Fabrik will be a big one. And most likely without Mr. Mörgeli.
