Aargau cantonal council is against a cantonal media law
The Aargau Cantonal Government does not intend to draft a media law. It cites, above all, considerations of public order and state policy as arguments against the law called for by a Social Democratic Party (SP) member of the cantonal parliament. Freedom of the press should not be restricted.
According to the cantonal government, a cantonal media law would either have to contain regulations relating to the content of journalistic publications or provide for financial support measures by the canton. Both are "problematic", according to the statement published on Friday in response to a motion by SP councillor Martin Christen. He wants the law to ensure "balanced, open and truthful" information for the population. The cantonal constitution of 1980 stipulates that the Grand Council can pass a media law to promote the diversity of information.
In the view of the Government Council, the media play a central role in the democratic opinion-forming process. Direct democracy in particular is dependent on the media conveying the diversity of prevailing opinions to the public. In the view of the Government Council, this function can only be fulfilled satisfactorily in a functioning journalistic competition. The concentration and reduction of media titles in Aargau in recent years is undisputed. However, diverse information is not only based on the number of publications appearing in the canton. The type of reporting is also based on the journalistic self-image of the media professionals.
"Certain journalistic competition"
In Aargau, the number of daily newspapers was reduced to two (Aargauer Zeitung and Zofinger Tagblatt). In the 1980s, there were still five independent daily newspapers in the canton. As the publisher of the Aargauer Zeitung, AZ Medien AG also has a stake in the two largest private electronic media in the canton (Radio Argovia and Tele M1).
However, the reporting of these media products is not uniform, but is characterized by a "certain journalistic competition", according to the Government Council. This could have a "positive effect on the diversity of reporting". However, the government council is "critical" of the fact that the electronic and print media are "closely intertwined in terms of personnel in some cases". The areas do not act completely independently of each other. According to the government council, it intends to fundamentally rethink the situation if the ongoing changes in the media world make it significantly more difficult for citizens to form an opinion. (SDA)
