"An ombudsman must seek the proximity of the editorial office"
François Gross on his role as «médiateur» at 24 Heures in Lausanne
François Gross on his role as "médiateur" at 24 Heures in LausanneA growing number of media outlets have recently created the office of ombudsman, hoping to improve contact with the public and reduce court cases. François Gross is "médiateur" at 24 Heures, the daily newspaper with the largest circulation in French-speaking Switzerland. In an interview with WerbeWoche, he draws a mixed balance.Please tell us briefly how you came to your job as ombudsman.
François Gross: In the fall of 1997, I was asked by Edipresse if I wanted to take on the newly created post of "médiateur. Initially, there was talk of an ombudsman for the whole group. But that seemed too much for me.
Why?
Gross: As a "médiateur," you should know the editorial offices from the inside if possible. But I didn't know Le Matin and Tribune de Genève very well. Finally, a "médiateur" was appointed for each of the three daily newspapers.
And then in June 1998, you started as the ombudsman of 24 Heures.
Gross: Right.
What does your job actually consist of?
Gross: My job is quite simply to deal with complaints about the newspaper and to give my verdict. I do the latter in two ways. On the one hand, in direct contact with the "plaintiff," and on the other hand, publicly. Every two weeks, I publish an article in 24 Heures in which I comment on some of the problems submitted to me.
But, like the Press Council, they are an exclusively moral authority, not a court of law?
Gross: That's right. The "médiateur" is not a tribunal of first instance, nor is it a court of appeal.
Let's say I have 24 Heures to reproach. I turn to you. What happens then?
Gross: First of all, I try to understand exactly what you are complaining about. In many cases, I then also listen to the other side, the editorial team. I form my judgment and make it known. It's as simple as that.
Let's assume that the editorial team has made mistakes, for example, violated journalistic ethics. What can you do?
Gross: I can give my opinion, but that's all.
You have no right to issue instructions to the editorial team?
Gross: The only power the "médiateur" has is his moral authority.
What is your relationship with the editorial team?
Gross: In the beginning, there was a certain skepticism and resistance. I had to make it clear to the editors that I'm not a "super editor-in-chief," but a journalist who speaks his mind and can also take problems off the editors' shoulders.
Has the skepticism disappeared?
Gross: A little bit, I think.
Do you intensively seek contact with journalists?
Gross: Yes. But at the same time I try to respect the official channels. If I want to get the opinion of the editorial team, I go to the editor-in-chief.
How many "lawsuits" do you get on average?
Gross: About four to five per month.
Do you actually have to be affected yourself to get to you?
Gross: No. Anyone who wants to accuse the newspaper of something can contact me, even if they don't feel personally affected by the newspaper. One condition, however, is that no legal action is taken at the same time.
And what do people complain about the most?
Gross: A large proportion of the complaints concern the letters to the editor section. Many writers of letters to the editor complain because their letters were not published or not published quickly enough or to the desired extent. This may have to do with the letters editor rejecting their letters because of racism or xenophobia.
So the problem of racism is one of your ongoing concerns?
Gross: Yes. It's one of the hot questions I have to deal with chronically. People often have the feeling that the letters to the editor section is a legal vacuum. The only thing is that I have to keep pointing out to them that the publisher is also responsible for the content of the letters to the editor page, so the legal norms apply here as well.
What are the other main issues you need to take a stand on?
Gross: What always gives rise to polemics is the treatment of religious topics or sexuality in newspapers.
Do you think the "médiateur" is a suitable way to dampen the pressure on the media and reduce the number of lawsuits?
Gross: My balance sheet is mixed. I don't think this institution is sufficiently well known. I'll give you an example: 24 Heures recently reported on a school that expelled an African student. The teachers feel vilified because they were wrongly accused of racism. They could have come to me. They didn't and protested elsewhere.
Many people feel like victims of the media. Surely we journalists should give them the opportunity to comment on our work...?
Gross: ...that's right...
...but what to do to get people to speak better?
Gross: The letters to the editor section is a very important section that should be cultivated more. It is not good if a journalist looks after this section with his left hand, so to speak.
What should still be improved?
Gross: "Médiateurs" would have to be even better integrated into the media houses. But they have to be careful not to lose their independence, otherwise their authority will be lost.
Interview: Christophe Büchi
Full-blooded journalistFrançois Gross is a resounding name in French journalism. The publicist, now 69, was editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Liberté in Freiburg/Fribourg from 1970 to 1990. He turned the former Catholic-conservative "Pravda" into an independent, critical and respected newspaper. After 1990, he worked as a correspondent in Zurich. Finally, he was editor-in-chief of Radio Suisse internationale.
François Gross: In the fall of 1997, I was asked by Edipresse if I wanted to take on the newly created post of "médiateur. Initially, there was talk of an ombudsman for the whole group. But that seemed too much for me.
Why?
Gross: As a "médiateur," you should know the editorial offices from the inside if possible. But I didn't know Le Matin and Tribune de Genève very well. Finally, a "médiateur" was appointed for each of the three daily newspapers.
And then in June 1998, you started as the ombudsman of 24 Heures.
Gross: Right.
What does your job actually consist of?
Gross: My job is quite simply to deal with complaints about the newspaper and to give my verdict. I do the latter in two ways. On the one hand, in direct contact with the "plaintiff," and on the other hand, publicly. Every two weeks, I publish an article in 24 Heures in which I comment on some of the problems submitted to me.
But, like the Press Council, they are an exclusively moral authority, not a court of law?
Gross: That's right. The "médiateur" is not a tribunal of first instance, nor is it a court of appeal.
Let's say I have 24 Heures to reproach. I turn to you. What happens then?
Gross: First of all, I try to understand exactly what you are complaining about. In many cases, I then also listen to the other side, the editorial team. I form my judgment and make it known. It's as simple as that.
Let's assume that the editorial team has made mistakes, for example, violated journalistic ethics. What can you do?
Gross: I can give my opinion, but that's all.
You have no right to issue instructions to the editorial team?
Gross: The only power the "médiateur" has is his moral authority.
What is your relationship with the editorial team?
Gross: In the beginning, there was a certain skepticism and resistance. I had to make it clear to the editors that I'm not a "super editor-in-chief," but a journalist who speaks his mind and can also take problems off the editors' shoulders.
Has the skepticism disappeared?
Gross: A little bit, I think.
Do you intensively seek contact with journalists?
Gross: Yes. But at the same time I try to respect the official channels. If I want to get the opinion of the editorial team, I go to the editor-in-chief.
How many "lawsuits" do you get on average?
Gross: About four to five per month.
Do you actually have to be affected yourself to get to you?
Gross: No. Anyone who wants to accuse the newspaper of something can contact me, even if they don't feel personally affected by the newspaper. One condition, however, is that no legal action is taken at the same time.
And what do people complain about the most?
Gross: A large proportion of the complaints concern the letters to the editor section. Many writers of letters to the editor complain because their letters were not published or not published quickly enough or to the desired extent. This may have to do with the letters editor rejecting their letters because of racism or xenophobia.
So the problem of racism is one of your ongoing concerns?
Gross: Yes. It's one of the hot questions I have to deal with chronically. People often have the feeling that the letters to the editor section is a legal vacuum. The only thing is that I have to keep pointing out to them that the publisher is also responsible for the content of the letters to the editor page, so the legal norms apply here as well.
What are the other main issues you need to take a stand on?
Gross: What always gives rise to polemics is the treatment of religious topics or sexuality in newspapers.
Do you think the "médiateur" is a suitable way to dampen the pressure on the media and reduce the number of lawsuits?
Gross: My balance sheet is mixed. I don't think this institution is sufficiently well known. I'll give you an example: 24 Heures recently reported on a school that expelled an African student. The teachers feel vilified because they were wrongly accused of racism. They could have come to me. They didn't and protested elsewhere.
Many people feel like victims of the media. Surely we journalists should give them the opportunity to comment on our work...?
Gross: ...that's right...
...but what to do to get people to speak better?
Gross: The letters to the editor section is a very important section that should be cultivated more. It is not good if a journalist looks after this section with his left hand, so to speak.
What should still be improved?
Gross: "Médiateurs" would have to be even better integrated into the media houses. But they have to be careful not to lose their independence, otherwise their authority will be lost.
Interview: Christophe Büchi
Full-blooded journalistFrançois Gross is a resounding name in French journalism. The publicist, now 69, was editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Liberté in Freiburg/Fribourg from 1970 to 1990. He turned the former Catholic-conservative "Pravda" into an independent, critical and respected newspaper. After 1990, he worked as a correspondent in Zurich. Finally, he was editor-in-chief of Radio Suisse internationale.
