Media ethics moderator

Ursina Wey has been the new managing director of the Press Council since January 1, 2014. After studying law at the Universities of Fribourg and Berne and qualifying as a Bernese lawyer, Wey worked, among other things, as a research assistant for Bakom and as deputy head of SRG's legal service. Ursina Wey then worked for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), first as a consultant for democracy promotion, then for good governance and decentralization in Togo. After five years in Togo, she received an acceptance letter for her application to become managing director of the Swiss Press Council.

Questioning your own system

"Being able to get involved is already an old theme for me," Ursina Wey comments on her involvement in Togo rather pragmatically. To her, this long-standing desire and drive to get involved includes general issues of justice, fairness and human rights. "That's why I earned a diploma in human rights at the University of Geneva with a thesis on the Mohammed cartoons," she notes in passing. This now also helps her in her work at the Press Council, for example on the subject of media freedom. But Ursina Wey also wanted to experience the relevance of these theories on the ground - the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit gave her this opportunity; as a consultant for democracy promotion in Togo. "That was an extremely valuable experience," says Wey looking back. For one thing, these five years in Togo were a completely new form of stay abroad for her, not to be compared with a trip lasting several weeks, where immersion in a new culture remains much more superficial. Living in a completely different culture for five years readjusted her own coordinate system, Wey says. "You have to constantly question your personal system. Depending on the context, self-perception, one's own reaction and understanding of the other person changes. Clearly preconceived ideas of how something should be are constantly put to the test," she continues. But such an experience also means having to question oneself, to challenge oneself. "A permanent expansion of one's own horizons is good for you," Wey summarizes with a smile. Immersing oneself in another culture also means searching deeper and deeper. But in the end, another culture always remains a foreign culture. And yet, in five years, one can naturally develop an understanding that is very enriching. Having this chance to immerse herself in a foreign culture and get to know another culture as well as possible is something she sees as a privilege. "It changes a person. This experience required me to be very flexible," says Wey. This is another basic trait of her life, she says; movement is very important to her, in every way. "I need new challenges, avoid routine. That also means always being able to adapt to new situations," she says. So for Ursina Wey, no two days are the same, she is always looking for new solutions and different ways - always dutiful and precise, but also with a naturally infectious cheerfulness. For her, no day runs as she imagined it would in the morning. "But that also keeps me alive and gives me a certain serenity," she adds. So she also consciously looks for the challenge in each day - it's part of her lifeblood. Her experience in Africa was also marked by "breaking out of the Swiss career pattern," she says. Many of her friends had difficulty understanding this decision. They feared that she would have difficulty re-entering the Swiss professional world. "I, on the other hand, was fulfilling a wish in my heart and considered it a privilege to be able to make a difference," she explains. She lived in Togo for five years and worked with the villagers. Ursina Wey also focused on the media in Africa. In each of her projects, she tried to involve local radio stations, she says. For example, women were taught directly how to handle the medium of radio and how to create broadcasts - naturally with the background of being able to make these skills fruitful for their own educational projects. "In this way, for example, we were able to provide broad information about the fact that you have to have a birth certificate issued for a child so that it can later apply for a passport or attend university," says Wey. The radio was therefore primarily used to disseminate important information and advice. "In Togo, radio is the most important medium, which is also heard in the remote villages and thus attracts the greatest attention," says Wey. That's why involving local radio was an important aspect of her work, she says. Of course, the level is not comparable to a radio studio in Switzerland. Journalists in Togo can't live off their jobs, and most of them aren't even paid. But it also works like that, she explains. That has always fascinated her anew. "Basically, I don't think you can overestimate yourself when it comes to making a difference," she adds pragmatically. At the same time, this experience has also shown her that a functioning media system at a high level, which also allows discussions with a wide variety of opinions, is an indispensable prerequisite for a democratic society.

Justice in blood

For Ursina Wey, one of the highlights of her current job as Executive Director of the Press Council are the chamber meetings. This is where the discourse takes place around the table. In the process, people delve into a case, says Wey. "Arguments are developed and questioned at the same time. This is an intense experience of the Press Council's central task of conducting discourse on questions of media ethics," she says. It's always interesting to hear the visitors' response, she says. Most of the time, she says, visitors are amazed at how openly discussions take place and how precisely each argument is weighed. "In the end, the chamber has to make a decision - consensus is sought. In exceptional cases, there is a majority decision," Wey explains. Rather rarely, there are votes in which a member of the Press Council disagrees with the decisions at all, he adds. "The Press Council thrives on the diversity of different personalities with different backgrounds," says Wey, explaining how divergent views come about. Different life paths and professional backgrounds meant that individual opinions would sometimes only converge in lengthy discussions. "But that in particular is extremely exciting," she continues enthusiastically. "In some cases, completely unconventional and unexpected thoughts emerge that one would have overlooked from one's own perspective." This fine analysis of media-ethical issues fascinates her anew time and again, she says. "It also requires the ability to put yourself in the shoes of the subject, the people and the intentions," Wey emphasizes. After all, the justification for a Press Council decision must also be convincing. "This presupposes that in a statement the procedure is presented in a comprehensible way, argumentations are developed in a well-founded way and communicated in a comprehensible way using precise language." Behind this, however, lies not only a fascination with intellectual debate and a love of detail, but also great empathy and a general enjoyment of the work. "The pursuit of justice and transparency, human rights, openness and development are the guiding principles of my personal and professional life. This includes a strong sense of fairness." For Ursina Wey, for example, these preferences are already evident in her childhood career aspirations. She imagined becoming a doctor in Africa or a conductor - because there were no female conductors. At the same time, however, Ursina Wey has many different interests and therefore describes herself as a generalist. "In the end, studying law best met my expectations," says Wey with conviction. This decision has enabled her to have a fulfilling professional life.

A swarm with many perspectives

At the chamber meetings of the Press Council, Ursina Wey is present as secretary and minute taker with an advisory vote - even if she clearly represents her opinion. At the same time, she openly brings in her own considerations or ambivalences with a complicated case. Because the discussions of the Press Council are sometimes very complex. Usually, they are conducted with all the more commitment for it. Every argument is heard, every opinion is taken into account - legal understanding as well as personal assessment, reading comprehension as well as editorial mandate, semantic details as well as journalistic craft, the opinion of the complainants as well as the guidelines of the Swiss Press Council. In this diversity of opinions and interests, Wey maintains an overview. Her summaries of the Press Council's decisions impress with their factual and easily understandable conciseness. Her office looks similar to her work - the space seems to reflect Wey's personality. Files everywhere you look. On the desk are open books and copies of current cases, and more can be found on the piano behind her desk - a reference to her passion for music. Copies are also laid out on a second desk. Wey likes to spread others out on her sofa. She inherited it and had it reupholstered - it gives the room its charm. Above it hangs a painting from the series "Transparency" by a painter friend. "The subject matter suits me, especially the work of the Press Council," comments Wey. Transparency is important to her, after all, the work of the media consists of public relations; this should therefore also be transparent and easily accessible to the public. The seriousness of the subject is reflected in her look, but she immediately breaks it with an honest smile. Despite the mountains of paper, Wey knows exactly where she has filed which documents. She jumps up, gathers some documents together, and walks around the room several times. Ursina Wey is always on the move, she doesn't like to sit still. This is what her life is really like, she confirms: "I want to learn, I'm fascinated by new things, I need a challenge. "Sinking into routine would be nothing for her. And indeed, there is no such thing as a daily routine for Ursina Wey; something always comes up, something unforeseen. Mastering the day, with all its unpredictability, requires courage, spontaneity and composure - in Togo, these qualities were a great help to Wey. Even though her desire to "make a difference" was at the forefront of her decision to go to Togo as a democracy promotion consultant for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Ursina mason

After studying law at the Universities of Bern and Fribourg and qualifying as a Bernese lawyer, Ursina Wey worked, among other things, as a research assistant for Bakom and as deputy head of SRG's legal service. After five years in Togo, first as a consultant for democracy promotion, then for good governance and decentralization, she returned to Bern as Managing Director of the Swiss Press Council.