Michael Hug defends new BZ structure

Michael Hug, Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Berner Zeitung, is satisfied with the reorganization of his paper. He said this in an interview with the media magazine Klartext. Since the traditional departments were abolished, the structures have become more hierarchical in that there are now producers and editors who say which text has how much space and how big a picture should be. "But it's not the case that the desk rules and everyone else is a text and image slave who has to deliver," emphasized Hug. He welcomes the fact that the entire editorial team is now involved in discussions on all topics. If you have good arguments, your story will make it into the paper. However, the competition is kept within limits: "We are not overstaffed, everyone has enough to do here," Hug told Klartext. The editors and bosses would prevent only the articles of the best sellers from prevailing. "Of course, we don't discuss everything down to the last detail on a grassroots democratic basis, there are time limits," Hug continued. There are also plans for even closer cooperation between online and print. "We want to go much further, including ensuring that certain content is first published online and only then in the newspaper," said Hug. However, this step is still in the planning stage and will take place when the Espace Group moves into its multimedia building. The move to the new building will take place at the end of 2007.