Swiss School of Journalism MAZ awards 44 diplomas
Journalism is not just knowledge and craftsmanship; it is also a feeling, an awareness, and a passion. Larissa Bieler, editor-in-chief of Swissinfo, shared these thoughts with the 44 graduates of the 2016–2018 journalism diploma program at the graduation ceremony held at the Kleintheater in Lucerne.
In a society full of uncertainties, where nothing is accepted as a matter of course, journalists are challenged. Because they strive for knowledge. In a society where every smartphone owner becomes a journalist, journalists have to ask themselves: "Do we go ahead, drive the pack forward - like after a plane crash? Or do we endure not always having instant news or a live ticker?" Larissa Bieler, editor-in-chief of Swissinfo, asks the 44 diploma students pressing questions. And she provides guidelines: "Enduring uncertainties. That's attitude."
Bieler knows from her everyday life the value of good journalism: since the diplomatic crisis surrounding Russia, the number of hits on Swissinfo's Russian-language service has jumped many times over. Several hundred thousand visits in just a few days. "Clicks are not simply multiplying here," says Bieler. "People are looking for existentially necessary information here." It's obvious to the graduate speaker: This is where her feeling for this profession is rooted. And that spills over to the MAZ graduands.
The young journalists have shown in their theses that they too are driven by a passion for this profession. They have accompanied paramedics and emergency doctors in their grueling daily routine; got to the bottom of the Nike Group, which wants to optimize runners so that they can run a marathon in under two hours; or listened to an army colonel who is transforming muster into a marketing event to make the military more appealing to young people. The young journalists shed light on the hype surrounding bitcoins, cryptocurrencies and blockchains; show how video evidence is changing football or how a 73-year-old woman has to live on just 800 francs a month. The best theses are available in full text at Maz.ch/bestofdaj to find.
Have completed the diploma course in journalism (in parentheses the editorial offices of the traineeship):
Daniel Arnold (Tele M1), Andreas Babst (NZZ), Lea Blum (Tages-Anzeiger), Dario Cantieni (Radio Ostschweiz FM1), Andreas Fahrländer (AZ), Michelle Feer (NZZ), Manuel Frick (Der Landbote), Stefanie Garcia Lainez (AZ), Janine Gloor (AZ), Sara Good (TV Südostschweiz), Patricia Hobi (Sarganserländer Druck), Nicola Imfeld (AZ), Cornelia Jost (SDA), Coen Kaat (Netzmedien AG Netzwoche), Noëlle Karpf (az Solothurner Zeitung), Sarina Keller (Berner Zeitung), Cordelia Kreft (Konsumenteninfo), Jasmin Kunz (Moneypark), Claire Micallef (Radio X), Manuel Moser (Liechtensteiner Volksblatt), Tobias Müller (BAZ), Manuela Paganini (RadioFr.), Yanik Probst (Radio Pilatus), Nils Sager (Gossweiler Media), Tamara Schäpper (Winterthurer Zeitung), Cedric Schild (izzy), Quentin Schlapbach (Berner Zeitung), Manuela Schnyder (SDA), Julia Spahr (Schweizer Bauer), Markus Stalder (SDA), Armin Stalder (Urner Wochenblatt), Ralph Steiner (Radio 24), Jana Tálos (Bieler Tagblatt), Francesca Trento (Kath.ch), Tobias Tscherrig (Infosperber), Pascal Vogel (Willisauer Bote), Céline Walther (Radio neo1), Annick Wangler (SRF), Stefan Zihlmann (041 - Das Kulturmagazin)Selina Wiederkehr (SRF), Anna-Barbara Winzeler (Digipress GmbH Publisher Fachzeitschrift), Samantha Zaugg (Nau), Remo Zollinger (Rheintal Medien AG), Ronnie Zumbühl (ZT Medien AG).
