To the point: media diversity
My editorial in the last issue was titled «Zwängerei.» For those who didn’t read it: It dealt once again with the perennial topic of press subsidies—an issue that is repeatedly raised, especially by left-wing and centrist parties.
The argument is always the same: the death of newspapers and thus the endangered diversity of the media. For the members of the National Council, the matter seems to be clear. The motion of the State Policy Committee, which calls on the Federal Council to quickly introduce new models for state press subsidies, was passed with 51 percent in favor, 44 percent against and 5 percent abstaining.
It was to be expected that this attitude would not coincide with that of our readers. Their verdict was clearer than ever before. 93 percent said that direct payments to the media would always result in an encroachment on journalistic freedom and should therefore be rejected. Only 7 percent were of the opinion that direct payments were a good measure, since the industry could not solve its own problems.
Why this discrepancy? It would be cheap to say that our politicians make decisions detached from the people. It is much worse. Some simply do not know what is at stake. Others know very well, but they don't let it ruin their intentions. The state should please take the media by the scruff of the neck, control them and thus protect the citizen from himself. So to speak, prevention of opinion. And all this under the guise of quality assurance.
Something is always forgotten: Certain politicians and media critics always talk about a threat to media diversity. But things are not that simple. There has been a decline in so-called independent newspapers in recent years, but at the same time there has been a proliferation of new media. And the diversity has also never been so great. Today, media such as radio, local television, Internet news portals, blogs, Twitter, etc. also contribute to the formation of political opinion. That only the classic daily newspaper can fulfill this task is a backward-looking view of people who have not understood that the information behavior of citizens has simply changed, whether they like it or not. Today's media users decide for themselves which media they want to use to form their opinions. The daily press is one of them. It only needs support through better framework conditions, not through direct press subsidies.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
