Double off the mark

Swiss journalism has suffered severe damage to its image twice in recent days. Tragically, the culprits come from within our own ranks: media makers have actually done our industry a disservice with short-sighted actions.

We're talking about the crowdfunding launch of the online project Die Republik and the redesigned edition of 20 Minuten, which is packed from front to back with Samsung advertising. The one has nothing to do with the other? Wrong. But first things first.

Competitor bashing

2.7 million francs from around 11,000 supporters were raised by the Republic's crowdfunding campaign within just a few days. That is impressive. Competition stimulates business and we can look forward to the content. This initial financial success is a vote of confidence, as the public does not yet know exactly what the online magazine, which will be published from 2018, will contain. The success is also proof of this advertising strategy: clientele management by bashing the competition. The aim: to make everyone else look bad, to propagate the decline of traditional journalism, which is being driven to the wall by simple-minded publishing managers in order to save money. "The media system is broken. Journalism is more than just the business of some corporation", write the "Republicans", for example. (In fact, there is also a journalistic and publishing world outside of Zurich). Or: "It's time for journalism without bullshit." (Posting cat videos should indeed not be confused with journalism). Or: "A functioning democracy needs a functioning media." (Apparently nothing works in our country, which has a newspaper density like almost nowhere else). Or: "The aim of a traditional newspaper is to work through the daily agenda." (Do the "Republican" ladies and gentlemen really read newspapers on a regular basis?)

We are the good guys

In their propaganda texts, the "Republicans" also attack the "right-wing party press" (i.e. BaZ and Weltwoche). And they seriously describe the likelihood of former SVP Federal Councillor Christoph Blocher taking over the Swiss media across the board as "not an implausible scenario". The message is clear: journalism in the right-wing conservative political spectrum is bad, evil, we position ourselves on the opposite side, i.e. to the left of it, and are therefore the good guys. This ideologized perspective is regrettable - especially as it is undifferentiated and therefore journalistically questionable. Statements on the issue of the political orientation of the Republic's creators seem like nothing more than a fig leaf: "We expect a fairly broad line: from left to liberal, with conservative sprinklings."

It is true that the traditional media, and here first and foremost the newspaper publishers, are in crisis. Print advertising revenues are melting like butter in the sun, subscribers are crumbling away, and revenues from online channels are far from sufficient to compensate for this, despite successively increasing reach. However, the end of journalism in Switzerland is still a long way off. What is definitely needed are new payment models that specifically reflect the digital world of the younger generations. Quality does not come for free. And that brings us to the issue of 20Minuten, which has been designed (or defaced) with splashes of color.

In this respect at least, the advertising effect (idea: Jung von Matt/Limmat agency) was resounding: a huge response, (almost) everyone was talking about it. However, by negligently violating the fundamental principle of separating advertisements from content, which is still decisive, and by sacrificing an entire newspaper edition for a smartphone product advertisement, 20Minuten sold out journalism. And, tragically, at the same time, it has also thrown water on the Republic's propaganda mill.

Sharp reactions to design issue

It is gratifying that the vast majority of readers do not tolerate this kind of sell-out. The criticism must have been fierce. In the next regular issue, editor-in-chief Marco Boselli addressed the readership and admitted that many texts were difficult, some even unreadable: "We have admittedly put you to a tough reading test with Friday's design issue. We would like to apologize to you for this." As an advertising-financed newspaper, 20Minuten is allowed to go further than others when it comes to innovative forms of advertising. "But we will avoid experiments where form takes precedence over content in future."

The Swiss media really do need experiments. But they must always be driven by journalistic content. They must be separate from the commercial side. And they must be characterized by a spirit of independence.