Survey: Most parties are dissatisfied with media
According to a survey by the Swiss Media Workers' Union (SSM), most political parties are dissatisfied with the Swiss media and their coverage. They criticize a lack of investigative reporting, insufficient diversity, and pseudo-scoops.
However, not all parties consider press promotion to be the right solution. The SVP writes that it is not the task of the state to actively promote the media and the press. It therefore rejects both direct and indirect press subsidies. The FDP relies above all on the market: Press promotion is best achieved through good products, it says in its statement, according to SDA. The majority of the FDP is also not in favor of indirect support through postal tax reductions. The other parties have a different opinion. For the Greens, it is clear that the state must take countermeasures against media concentration. The SP also supports direct and indirect press subsidies. However, only those media that meet certain criteria should benefit from subsidies. The CVP also considers media promotion to be a task of the state, but is skeptical about direct support. It is more in favor of reducing postage costs, promoting training and subsidizing the sda news agency so that the media can benefit from lower rates.
The SDA and its position in the media market is also an issue for the SP. The party is encouraging a discussion on whether and how the news agency could be transformed into a public service publishing company.
Only FDP satisfied with offers
The analysis of the parties is as similar as the approaches are different. Only the FDP is satisfied with the "new, rather apolitical and therefore less left-leaning offerings. The other parties blame the merger of media companies, the disappearance of titles, free newspapers and online media for "uniformity" and less quality. For the SP, this is all the more worrying because, in its opinion, direct democracy is developing into media democracy.
The SVP complains about a decline in the quality of print and online media and criticizes the "quasi-monopoly position" of the SRG in radio and television. It demands a restriction of the SRG's mission and programming and - like the FDP - a strengthening of private providers. The other parties reject any restriction of the programming mandate.
There is less support for SRG advertising on the Internet, which publishers oppose. According to the survey, the SVP, FDP, CSP, EVP and, with reservations, the Greens are on their side. The SP and CVP want to allow SRG advertising on the Internet.
> To the detailed survey results
