Aria for a Geneva free paper
Publisher Jean-Marie Fleury celebrates the 30th anniversary of Genève Home Informations with Belcanto
Publisher Jean-Marie Fleury celebrates the 30th birthday of Genève Home Informations with BelcantoBy Christophe Büchi The Geneva free weekly GHI (Genève Home Informations) is celebrating its 30th birthday. Publisher Jean-Marie Fleury has so far managed to steer his free paper past the turbulence of the Geneva media market.
When you call GHI in Geneva and are pushed onto the waiting bench, you are treated to the lilting bel canto of an organ-strong tenor. And the compliments that GHI serves itself on the occasion of its 30th anniversary also sound like bel canto.
In the course of the last 30 years, "GHI has become a kind of canard enchaîné among Genevans," it says, and continues: "a flattering nickname. Indeed, one can only say! Although the WerbeWoche correspondent first read the comparison with the French satirical magazine in the GHI communiqué. What was that again about self-praise?
When two (or even three) quarrel...
But this factual situation is certain: Jean-Marie Fleury did pioneering work in French with his GHI. The paper with the funny name in veritable Franglais met with little joy when it first appeared - on the tense Geneva press market, the Tribune de Genève, the Sonor paper La Suisse, the liberal Journal de Genève and even the left-wing Catholic Courrier de Genève were fighting over the advertising francs to be distributed at the time.
The paper, which was initially published fortnightly and then switched to a weekly rhythm from 1977, benefited from the tough competitive situation in the press market: Because neither La Suisse publisher Jean-Claude Nicole nor the Tribune de Genève (then belonging to the Publicitas Group) had a clear leader position in the 1970s, the clever outsider Fleury was able to gradually gain a small place in the sun. Incidentally, Fleury was also the founder of the Lausanne-Cités free newspaper, which he soon sold to his partners in the Edipresse Group.
In recent years, GHI has been able to establish itself firmly, although Edipresse - as owner of La Tribune de Genève and Le Matin and shareholder of Le Temps - now has a firm grip on the Geneva press market. Thus, the strong position of Edipresse has so far not been able to harm Fleury.
On the contrary: in the past, GHI has been able to play the role of the good Genevan outsider who stands up to the "Vaudois monopolist" Edipresse. In reality, Edipresse and Fleury each hold 50 percent of the title.
Nevertheless, the fact that Fleury was able to hold on for 30 years is an achievement, even if the competition is repeatedly accused of Fleury's dumping policy (but which competitor in the advertising market is not also accused of this by his dear colleagues?) The Berno-Zurigo Geneva real estate shark Jürg Stäubli, and later the local publisher Roland Ray, have also tried in recent years to offer Genevans an alternative to Edipresse publications - without success.
The GHI communiqué explains this achievement by referring to the free newspaper's editorial stance in its early years: "GHI had an aggressive editorial tone that did not sit well with many, engaged in top fights, defended minorities, and even lobbied on issues that were lost in advance.
Very quickly she had acquired a reputation as a critic, but was never afraid to expose injustices, unlike other newspapers that tended to go for 'cover-up'." This aria is also pure bel canto.
As far as minorities are concerned, it is more the case that the free newspaper occasionally floundered in right-wing populist waters. However, it cannot be denied that it occasionally contrasted with the "political correctness" of the major newspapers.
GHI brashly calls itself number 1 in Geneva
As it continued to grow, however, the paper became increasingly restrained. Today, GHI is a free newspaper like many others in Swiss cities, with a large commercial section and a less large editorial section, in which you can sometimes find something good.
In the GHI distribution area (WG 11 and the French border region), the free newspaper has 230,000 readers, of whom around 216,000 are served by the distribution company Epsilon - the rest of the population can get their copy, if they want, via a newspaper box on the street. Thus, GHI brashly calls itself the number 1 of the Geneva press.
The weekly newspaper is produced at the sister company Sediprint in Geneva and printed at the CIEG (Centre d'impression Edipresse Genève). It employs around 50 people and generates sales of around 20 million Swiss francs. This puts it in first place among all free newspapers in Switzerland, according to GHI.
Mamma mia, che bel canto!
When you call GHI in Geneva and are pushed onto the waiting bench, you are treated to the lilting bel canto of an organ-strong tenor. And the compliments that GHI serves itself on the occasion of its 30th anniversary also sound like bel canto.
In the course of the last 30 years, "GHI has become a kind of canard enchaîné among Genevans," it says, and continues: "a flattering nickname. Indeed, one can only say! Although the WerbeWoche correspondent first read the comparison with the French satirical magazine in the GHI communiqué. What was that again about self-praise?
When two (or even three) quarrel...
But this factual situation is certain: Jean-Marie Fleury did pioneering work in French with his GHI. The paper with the funny name in veritable Franglais met with little joy when it first appeared - on the tense Geneva press market, the Tribune de Genève, the Sonor paper La Suisse, the liberal Journal de Genève and even the left-wing Catholic Courrier de Genève were fighting over the advertising francs to be distributed at the time.
The paper, which was initially published fortnightly and then switched to a weekly rhythm from 1977, benefited from the tough competitive situation in the press market: Because neither La Suisse publisher Jean-Claude Nicole nor the Tribune de Genève (then belonging to the Publicitas Group) had a clear leader position in the 1970s, the clever outsider Fleury was able to gradually gain a small place in the sun. Incidentally, Fleury was also the founder of the Lausanne-Cités free newspaper, which he soon sold to his partners in the Edipresse Group.
In recent years, GHI has been able to establish itself firmly, although Edipresse - as owner of La Tribune de Genève and Le Matin and shareholder of Le Temps - now has a firm grip on the Geneva press market. Thus, the strong position of Edipresse has so far not been able to harm Fleury.
On the contrary: in the past, GHI has been able to play the role of the good Genevan outsider who stands up to the "Vaudois monopolist" Edipresse. In reality, Edipresse and Fleury each hold 50 percent of the title.
Nevertheless, the fact that Fleury was able to hold on for 30 years is an achievement, even if the competition is repeatedly accused of Fleury's dumping policy (but which competitor in the advertising market is not also accused of this by his dear colleagues?) The Berno-Zurigo Geneva real estate shark Jürg Stäubli, and later the local publisher Roland Ray, have also tried in recent years to offer Genevans an alternative to Edipresse publications - without success.
The GHI communiqué explains this achievement by referring to the free newspaper's editorial stance in its early years: "GHI had an aggressive editorial tone that did not sit well with many, engaged in top fights, defended minorities, and even lobbied on issues that were lost in advance.
Very quickly she had acquired a reputation as a critic, but was never afraid to expose injustices, unlike other newspapers that tended to go for 'cover-up'." This aria is also pure bel canto.
As far as minorities are concerned, it is more the case that the free newspaper occasionally floundered in right-wing populist waters. However, it cannot be denied that it occasionally contrasted with the "political correctness" of the major newspapers.
GHI brashly calls itself number 1 in Geneva
As it continued to grow, however, the paper became increasingly restrained. Today, GHI is a free newspaper like many others in Swiss cities, with a large commercial section and a less large editorial section, in which you can sometimes find something good.
In the GHI distribution area (WG 11 and the French border region), the free newspaper has 230,000 readers, of whom around 216,000 are served by the distribution company Epsilon - the rest of the population can get their copy, if they want, via a newspaper box on the street. Thus, GHI brashly calls itself the number 1 of the Geneva press.
The weekly newspaper is produced at the sister company Sediprint in Geneva and printed at the CIEG (Centre d'impression Edipresse Genève). It employs around 50 people and generates sales of around 20 million Swiss francs. This puts it in first place among all free newspapers in Switzerland, according to GHI.
Mamma mia, che bel canto!
