Tamedia ends cooperation with Sotomo
Political geographer Michael Hermann is losing his analytical position at Tamedia. The decision has drawn internal criticism.
The collaboration with Hermann's Sotomo research center was concluded in October 2015. announced by Tamedia. With weighted post-election surveys on Tamedia's wide-reaching news portals, comprehensive analyses of socio-demographic voting behavior were possible just a few weeks after elections and votes. As research by Schweiz am Sonntag shows, this is now a thing of the past. Tamedia has now awarded the contract for election surveys to the two newcomer political scientists Lucas Leemann and Fabio Wasserfallen, who have already proven themselves at 20 Minuten. In contrast to Sotomo, they are tied exclusively to Tamedia, whereas Hermann was keen to remain independent.
According to Schweiz am Sonntag, publisher Pietro Supino's decision is said to have caused displeasure within the Tages-Anzeiger editorial team. Among other things, because political reasons are suspected behind it. Supino is said to have become increasingly involved in editorial matters recently. Among other things, he is said to have called for a right-wing counterpart to the left-liberal columnist Daniel Binswanger in the magazine. However, his preferred candidate Markus Somm declined. And Michael Hermann's columns, which he has been writing in the Tages-Anzeiger since 2009, are also said to have been "too pointed" for the publisher recently - for example after the Yes to the SVP mass immigration initiative, as the Sonntagsblatt writes.
Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer explains that the "separation of data collection and data commentary" spoke in favor of the two new political analysts - it was not a decision against Hermann and his team. For Hermann, however, it is clear that data collection and data classification belong together. (hae/Schweiz am Sonntag)
