For a handful of donuts

Column Rankings are vain sales journalism: so far, so banal. But now even intellectuals are being (de)ranked - ironically, by the office publisher Ringier of all people.
voted in the recent election for the "Swiss
Journalists 2006" in the new trade magazine of the same name (SJ). And directly
then made the following solemn pledge: At the next
The honey-around-the-mouth reflexes ("You are exactly the
expert that we need ...") and not again against
my better knowledge, namely that such hit parade journalism
not be a noble enlightenment - and be it only that of the industry about its own
vanity - but only serves the lower interests of the publishing house.

In retrospect, it's inexplicable that I hadn't already made my faux pas.
recognized when the charming SJ publisher joined the award ceremony with
gold-dusted donuts from jury members and award winners
said goodbye. No, catharsis required reading the
current issue of Cicero. In it, Ringier's "magazine for political
Culture" with a list of the 500 most important ones,
but in any case the most media-effective big brains in the German language.

Now, the astronomical number of "ranked" people can be
still explain with sales calculation, according to the motto "every potential
new subscribers its place on the podium". An indication of this
Thesis: In contrast to Tamedia columnist Roger de Weck (rank 247) and
NZZ editor-in-chief Martin Meyer (267) dives into Ringier's
Chief intellectual Frank A. Meyer (FAM) not even a distant second
on. The only explanation: the inventor of Cicero is not part of the
Target audience of own reader marketing.

However, the criterion according to which
"the most influential contemporaries". Because
The decisive factor for inclusion in the "List of 500" is not intellectual
substance, moral integrity or political judgment, but rather
merely a media presence. The logical and embarrassing consequence of this
that the journalist caste, with 133 mentions, was completely
is overrepresented. Among them are probably the long-standing and
certainly influential editors-in-chief of Emma, Spiegel, FAZ, ARD
and Focus (in that order). Nevertheless, you will not get the impression
that here, under the guise of a poet's and
thinkers' competition whose multipliers and commentators are above all
to adulate themselves.

Okay, modesty has never been one of the cardinal virtues of our
profession. But such hubris takes its revenge, if only because
Colleagues' praise is simply of no interest to anyone outside the media.
This is not a problem for an industry journal à la SJ and at best
even a potential. On the other hand, a prestigious popular title like Cicero
incestuous intrigues are a bad thing. When the
Büezerverlag Ringier (or FAM) already scores with intellectuals
wants to do this with relevant research and opinions instead of the
copying trivial fads.

An incomparably more sustainable means of gaining
Industry attention would have been the resuscitation of the
the euthanized "Media Power" department. This was not dedicated to
peanuts (or donuts), but always shed light on the
once again critically journalistic role and
Self-image. Holding up a mirror to your own guild is necessary,
also in the popular media. The "Mirror, mirror on the wall" routine
on the other hand, should be left to the (own) celebrity press.

Oliver Classen is press spokesman for the
development policy organization Berne Declaration. Previously
he worked as a media journalist for Werbewoche, among others.