To the point: The quite normal insanity
After three weeks of vacation, two of them abroad with only sporadic consumption of Swiss media, I'm somewhat surprised at all that has happened in the media industry. Nothing about sour pickle time.
Once upon a time, there was the embarrassing advertisement of the Valais Messenger, which praised its editors as PR authors in an advertisement. Original quote: "We Valaisans are helpful people. That is why the authors and editors of Mengis do not only write for Mengis. So they write for the Valais Messenger or well-known customers and people." Peter Studer, former president of the Press Council, found clear words in the DRS-4 interview: "It's the most blatant case I've encountered so far, namely that a publisher and an editor-in-chief virtually offer this mixing of journalism and advertising on an advertisement page and are still proud of it." Press Council Secretary Martin Künzi, on the other hand, tells Infosperber that "the Press Council does not take action on the basis of a simple complaint. For this, a written complaint including reasons and documents to the Press Council is necessary. The Press Council would only become active on its own "very exceptionally" in specific individual cases. Most likely, if it is about general topics/media developments. Aha, that doesn't seem to be the case here.
Another self-advertisement caused a stir: The NZZ was looking for the polyvalent "Volontär Wirtschaft" (Business Trainee), who, with an assignment of six months each on the business editorial staff of the newspaper and in the communications department of Economiesuisse, would be given the opportunity to help shape reporting on companies (in the newspaper) and to be editorially active in business campaigns (for the association). Bravo! New journalists are what the country is looking for.
Then there was the speculation of Infosperber journalist R.L., who wished to remain anonymous (also not so fine), according to which Markus Somm was to be Markus Eisenhut's successor at the Tages-Anzeiger. What was to be expected happened: The commentary irritants Somm and Blocher led to fierce battles of words in the comments of Infosperber, which as usual had nothing to do with the article.
At first glance, the interview comedy with the Degen twins, which Christian Nill, editor of the online magazine Bar-Stories.ch, made public, was rather amusing. The interview was amusing, but the demands for retraction and threats of litigation by the two kickers, seconded by the FCB, were problematic. The fact that Blick had to apologize publicly to the former party animal Hirschmann is then only a trifle. The Swiss media world has me again.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
