Last but not least: Happy Birthday, Evening View
Blick am Abend, the print version of the quality press’s worst nightmare, is celebrating its fifth anniversary—and it’s not just the Young Community that’s growing up as time goes on.
On June 2, one of Switzerland's biggest free newspapers celebrates its birthday (only 20 Minuten, the Coop Zeitung and the Migros magazine have a birthday according to Mach Basic 2012-2 more readers). Throughout the anniversary week, the newspaper will surprise its 633,000 readers with campaigns. Monday's edition, for example, showed all the people involved on the cover - from intern Elena Z. to column godfather Helmut G. (who now apparently wears a beard). Without irony, a likeable bunch! Inside the magazine, celebrities congratulate on the anniversary - ex-Miss Amanda Ammann is probably the only person who has ever appeared in the paper both in real life and as "Schnügel des Tages" (represented by her dog). Someone should try to imitate her.
On Tuesday, a "Schwiizerdüütsch" edition will follow! The first daily newspaper ever in this language, as Ringier announced on Monday. Finally something in dialect again, after all, the Swatch annual report was published almost three months ago. And we are also looking forward to the announced "best front pages of the last years". Ob "The ugly German"(2009) will also be there?
Anyone who commutes would not want to (ex-)miss this newspaper. After all, objectively speaking, the longer it goes on, the better it gets. This can also be seen in the sales figures (conveniently called "readership figures" among free newspapers). It's not yet five years ago that you were begged by friendly animators to take pity on a copy. It was not uncommon for cheap commuters spoiled by 20 Minuten, Heute, .ch, News and Metropol to think they were in the wrong movie as far as content was concerned. Piles of newspapers left lying around the next morning - it doesn't get any bleaker than that (Mach Basic 2008-1: 259,000 readers). Today, you have to get up early (from your office chair) to grab a piece of the blackberry-colored gold at Zurich main station. Nothing runs after 5 p.m. on some days - noun is no longer really omen.
And so one has almost become one with the contents over the years. Together with the single woman who is looking for a tall Southerner with well-groomed hands - and the single man who is on the lookout for an athletic blonde with a slim figure and beautiful eyes. With Mr. Glogger, who puts the world in order by e-mail. With the pictures of the day, which are subtitled more originally today than in the past. With the joke of the evening, which is at least consistently unfunny. With the heartwarming Schatzchäschtli love vows, which are not even corrected by the editors out of respect for the fascinating text message language of youth when obvious typos happen ("Askim han dich so krass gern will dich nkme verlkre hsch mer so guet dur die ziet ghulfe und Bisch mer Au jetz no e Mega stktz Love you so Blond & Brknette").
It seems as if the former problem child of the oversaturated commuter market has grown up. And with it, its steadily growing readership. Even the young community has become more mature and wiser, as Vreni (43) from Emmen recently proved:
So let's hope for another five years. At least. In times of paywalls and subscription price increases, people will one day be grateful to the free press for being able to call up at least the weather and the news of the day free of charge.
Thomas Häusermann
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