The Daig is shaken up
The daily newspaper *Die neue BaZ* features two tabloid sections, a strong regional focus, and a more critical approach.
Daily newspaper The new BaZ comes with two tabloid sections, a clear regional focus and a more critical approach When the Basel government met with the management of Basler Zeitung Medien (BSM) for a discussion last week, the government's reservations about the new concept of the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) were also discussed: the government fears that a tougher journalistic wind could blow against it in future. BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann was unable and unwilling to dispel these concerns. "BaZ reporting needs to move away from the journalism of announcements, it needs to become more pointed and focus on research, always within the framework of fairness. It is understandable that the government council is concerned about the partial loss of a communication channel," he said on request (see also box below).
Something of this new wind has already been felt in recent months. But it will be part of the BaZ program from September 4 at the latest. The new editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann refers to the research team that he has put together in the last few days. And at the presentation of the new BaZ concept, he held out the prospect that press texts in the new regional edition will be reduced - if at all - to what is absolutely necessary. Own stories are required.
However, Bachmann can dispel one concern: BaZ will not become
of a quick-read newspaper, but with quick-read elements. These consist of the double page "Today" (pages 2 and 3), which provides an overview of international and national news. In addition, there are wide bars at the top of the section opening pages that summarize or graphically depict the most important events of the day.
The new edition will start with three broadsheet bundles and a fourth bundle in tabloid format. International and national news will now merge with the economy to form the first bundle, the second fascicle will be dedicated to the region (previously the third bundle), followed by sport and finally, in small format, culture with an evening agenda and TV program. But why is BaZ putting culture on tabloid format of all things? Editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann explains: "We know from market research that the small format is particularly popular with women and young people and that they are equally interested in cultural topics. As we want to appeal more to these two target groups, it was an obvious choice to publish Kulturbund in magazine format."
New vehicle for local contentWhat was previously unknown: BaZ is getting a second tabloid, the RegioMagazin. In contrast to the daily KulturMagazin, this will only be published on Tuesdays. "We want to get even closer to the people than before by publishing local
events in communities and neighborhoods," says Bachmann. Specifically, RegioMagazin will report on events at weekends, local developments, small businesses and popular sports. The previous Friday market supplement (flea market) will also be integrated into RegioMagazin.
A RegioMagazin, a research team and a Regiobund that moves to the front - all this points to the main focus of Bachmann's new concept: BaZ focuses on the local and
regional reporting. Its subtitle now reads "The newspaper of Northwestern Switzerland". What is also striking is that with a series of daily special pages in the first Bund, in the Sportbund and in the KulturMagazin (16 in total), it is attempting to cater more strongly than before to a wide range of interests and needs. It is still unclear whether and how Tamedia's magazine will one day be added to BaZ (see interview on page 21).
The layout created by the designer duo Schwerzmann/Rotenfluh is a particular novelty. The Broadsheet-BaZ is now based on a 19-column grid, an in-house development by the two designers.
The red double line was tabooThe large number of columns makes it possible to play with the column widths - from article to article, from picture to picture. What is interesting is that there is still no disorder. On the contrary. "This allows you to make the weightings and the entire page architecture more visible," says Kurt Schwerzmann.
According to Schwerzmann, working on the new BaZ was a particular challenge. On the one hand, he struggled with the typical BaZ red double line, which - according to the only requirement - was to remain together with the logo. On the other hand, the current BaZ layout is by no means outdated. "It is probably unique in Europe," he praises. The duo therefore tried first and foremost to "improve on what was good" and translate it to the new technical possibilities.
The BaZ has high hopes for the new concept. After years of sluggishness, it should not only herald the start of a new editor-in-chief era, but also help the paper to increase its reach again despite a round of cost-cutting. For economic, but above all for psychological reasons, the aim is to prevent the current circulation of 102,000 copies from falling any further. This is no easy task, as the BaZ has lost a good 13,000 copies since 1999 - the expanded Baslerstab and 20 Minuten send their regards.
Discussion about an "unfortunate sentence "At the meeting between BZM and the Basel government, the government's statement on the license extension application from TV station Nordwest 5 (NW5) was also a topic of discussion (WW 13/04). Matthias Hagemann confirms this. While the Basel government supported NW5, the Basel government council spoke out against it, partly because it feared that a media company could join NW5 and thus "pose a threat to Basler Zeitung Medien". This "very, very unfortunate" sentence (Hagemann) came across as an attempt by the Basel government to take control. "Of course that's not possible with the 'Zeitung für die Nordwestschweiz', we want to represent the interests of the entire region
and not any particular interests," says Hagemann. He has therefore asked the government "to ask us for our opinion in future before mentioning us in a statement". (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
Something of this new wind has already been felt in recent months. But it will be part of the BaZ program from September 4 at the latest. The new editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann refers to the research team that he has put together in the last few days. And at the presentation of the new BaZ concept, he held out the prospect that press texts in the new regional edition will be reduced - if at all - to what is absolutely necessary. Own stories are required.
However, Bachmann can dispel one concern: BaZ will not become
of a quick-read newspaper, but with quick-read elements. These consist of the double page "Today" (pages 2 and 3), which provides an overview of international and national news. In addition, there are wide bars at the top of the section opening pages that summarize or graphically depict the most important events of the day.
The new edition will start with three broadsheet bundles and a fourth bundle in tabloid format. International and national news will now merge with the economy to form the first bundle, the second fascicle will be dedicated to the region (previously the third bundle), followed by sport and finally, in small format, culture with an evening agenda and TV program. But why is BaZ putting culture on tabloid format of all things? Editor-in-chief Ivo Bachmann explains: "We know from market research that the small format is particularly popular with women and young people and that they are equally interested in cultural topics. As we want to appeal more to these two target groups, it was an obvious choice to publish Kulturbund in magazine format."
New vehicle for local contentWhat was previously unknown: BaZ is getting a second tabloid, the RegioMagazin. In contrast to the daily KulturMagazin, this will only be published on Tuesdays. "We want to get even closer to the people than before by publishing local
events in communities and neighborhoods," says Bachmann. Specifically, RegioMagazin will report on events at weekends, local developments, small businesses and popular sports. The previous Friday market supplement (flea market) will also be integrated into RegioMagazin.
A RegioMagazin, a research team and a Regiobund that moves to the front - all this points to the main focus of Bachmann's new concept: BaZ focuses on the local and
regional reporting. Its subtitle now reads "The newspaper of Northwestern Switzerland". What is also striking is that with a series of daily special pages in the first Bund, in the Sportbund and in the KulturMagazin (16 in total), it is attempting to cater more strongly than before to a wide range of interests and needs. It is still unclear whether and how Tamedia's magazine will one day be added to BaZ (see interview on page 21).
The layout created by the designer duo Schwerzmann/Rotenfluh is a particular novelty. The Broadsheet-BaZ is now based on a 19-column grid, an in-house development by the two designers.
The red double line was tabooThe large number of columns makes it possible to play with the column widths - from article to article, from picture to picture. What is interesting is that there is still no disorder. On the contrary. "This allows you to make the weightings and the entire page architecture more visible," says Kurt Schwerzmann.
According to Schwerzmann, working on the new BaZ was a particular challenge. On the one hand, he struggled with the typical BaZ red double line, which - according to the only requirement - was to remain together with the logo. On the other hand, the current BaZ layout is by no means outdated. "It is probably unique in Europe," he praises. The duo therefore tried first and foremost to "improve on what was good" and translate it to the new technical possibilities.
The BaZ has high hopes for the new concept. After years of sluggishness, it should not only herald the start of a new editor-in-chief era, but also help the paper to increase its reach again despite a round of cost-cutting. For economic, but above all for psychological reasons, the aim is to prevent the current circulation of 102,000 copies from falling any further. This is no easy task, as the BaZ has lost a good 13,000 copies since 1999 - the expanded Baslerstab and 20 Minuten send their regards.
Discussion about an "unfortunate sentence "At the meeting between BZM and the Basel government, the government's statement on the license extension application from TV station Nordwest 5 (NW5) was also a topic of discussion (WW 13/04). Matthias Hagemann confirms this. While the Basel government supported NW5, the Basel government council spoke out against it, partly because it feared that a media company could join NW5 and thus "pose a threat to Basler Zeitung Medien". This "very, very unfortunate" sentence (Hagemann) came across as an attempt by the Basel government to take control. "Of course that's not possible with the 'Zeitung für die Nordwestschweiz', we want to represent the interests of the entire region
and not any particular interests," says Hagemann. He has therefore asked the government "to ask us for our opinion in future before mentioning us in a statement". (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
