Snow White and Journalism
Op-Ed: “Anyone who takes issue with media journalism should work to improve it; the rest will follow automatically,” writes Christian Mensch.
Guest commentary Those who take offense at media journalism should improve journalism, the rest will follow automatically, writes Christian Mensch.Michael Ringier has many projects in the pipeline as a publisher. Very few of them are ever launched; most wither away on the way from idea to market-ready product. The route is lined with concept ruins for newspapers and magazines, project sketches weighing several kilos and expensive feasibility studies for television and Internet channels. Recently, Michael Ringier talked about an old idea: "I still have a project for my favorite newspaper that I will probably never be able to do; a newspaper in which I only write badly about journalists so that they realize what that means. "Ringier will never dare to produce a media magazine, as we have learned from this. A pity, really, although nothing would ever come of it. However, the discussion of what media journalism is and what it could be would be helpful for journalism as a whole. After all, Michael Ringier correctly, albeit polemically, points out the most important function of media journalism: it holds up a mirror to the industry.
The image corresponds to what is depicted. It's not prettier, but it's not uglier either. After all, media journalists work under the same conditions and with the same tools as all journalists. There are more talented and less talented journalists, just as there are in journalism as a whole. Their analyses sometimes hit the nail right on the head, but time and again they just hit it crookedly, and their misguided blows leave ugly dents. The publisher Ringier is talking about such injuries when he threatens revenge on the alleged or real perpetrators of writing.
Media professionals often struggle with the mirror image that media journalists create of them. In particular, the staff on the carpet floors, the editors-in-chief and publishers, often do not want to admit what they see in the mirror. They sometimes behave no differently towards him than the stepmother in Grimm's fairy tale "Snow White". They vainly call out: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" And woe betide them if they don't get the expected hypocrisy in return. They then speak of "malice" and "scolding colleagues". At least they don't go so far as to try to put media journalists out of action with poisoned apples.
This would not solve the problem either. Without media journalists, Der Spiegel would only become duller; the image would not become any prettier and journalism as a whole would not improve one iota. Even a mirror polished by pampered media journalists would not make the grimace staring into it any prettier. Anyone who is offended by media journalism - and there are quite a few at the moment - should improve journalism and the rest will follow automatically. We would be quite a bit further along if Michael Ringier were to say at some point in the future: "I have a pet project that I would like to do: a newspaper in which I write sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing journalism and journalists; a self-critical reflection of journalism."
> Christian Mensch, until recently a media journalist at Weltwoche
The image corresponds to what is depicted. It's not prettier, but it's not uglier either. After all, media journalists work under the same conditions and with the same tools as all journalists. There are more talented and less talented journalists, just as there are in journalism as a whole. Their analyses sometimes hit the nail right on the head, but time and again they just hit it crookedly, and their misguided blows leave ugly dents. The publisher Ringier is talking about such injuries when he threatens revenge on the alleged or real perpetrators of writing.
Media professionals often struggle with the mirror image that media journalists create of them. In particular, the staff on the carpet floors, the editors-in-chief and publishers, often do not want to admit what they see in the mirror. They sometimes behave no differently towards him than the stepmother in Grimm's fairy tale "Snow White". They vainly call out: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" And woe betide them if they don't get the expected hypocrisy in return. They then speak of "malice" and "scolding colleagues". At least they don't go so far as to try to put media journalists out of action with poisoned apples.
This would not solve the problem either. Without media journalists, Der Spiegel would only become duller; the image would not become any prettier and journalism as a whole would not improve one iota. Even a mirror polished by pampered media journalists would not make the grimace staring into it any prettier. Anyone who is offended by media journalism - and there are quite a few at the moment - should improve journalism and the rest will follow automatically. We would be quite a bit further along if Michael Ringier were to say at some point in the future: "I have a pet project that I would like to do: a newspaper in which I write sometimes praising, sometimes criticizing journalism and journalists; a self-critical reflection of journalism."
> Christian Mensch, until recently a media journalist at Weltwoche
