"They never come back," goes an old boxing adage. But like all rules, this one has an exception: Cassius Clay, also known as Muhammad Ali. Like Muhammad Ali, *Der Blick* was once the number one in its field and subsequently went through tough times. And like Ali, he too is now attempting a comeback in his later years to reclaim the heavyweight title in the Swiss print media industry. Will he succeed?
The *Blick*’s switch to a two-column newspaper format, just as it was in the good old days, will certainly be welcomed by the advertising market. After all, strong competition among media outlets has a positive effect on ad rates, and the *Blick*’s new concept is a step in the right direction. Tabloid newspapers must captivate their readership through emotional appeal. This depends not only on the content but also on the presentation. The “new-old” Blick in newspaper format can meet this requirement much better than the tabloid format, which is more portable but also more cramped. The same applies to the reintroduction of a dedicated sports section. Sports have always been an important USP for Blick.
Despite the «good news» regarding the new design and layout, however, there are a few critical questions that cannot be avoided when considering the future of the Blick. The most important one is: Do tabloid newspapers even have a future?
This question is not specific to *Blick*. After all, it is not only the Swiss tabloid that has suffered from a steady decline in readership and circulation in recent years. Circulation figures for *Bild* in Germany have also been on a steady downward trend for quite some time.
All print publications, from the *Tages-Anzeiger* to the *Südostschweiz* and sometimes even the *NZZ*, have turned to tabloid journalism these days. On top of that, *Blick*’s main competitor, *20 Minuten*, is also a tabloid—only it’s free and has a more urban focus.
Furthermore, the electronic media in particular have embraced tabloid journalism to an extent that would have been unimaginable just twenty years ago. This applies not only to local radio stations but also to national television. This isn’t just about celebrity shows like «Glanz&Gloria»; it also applies to news programs like «Tagesschau» or «10vor10,» which now cover topics almost daily that they would have avoided in the past due to their tabloid-like nature. Electronic tabloid reporting is not only more up-to-date than that of newspapers, but also much more emotionally charged thanks to images and sound. In short: the media landscape in which *Der Blick* must now hold its own is far more challenging than it was when the paper was launched 50 years ago.
Marc Walder, the head of Ringier Switzerland, argues that *Blick* must return to its brand essence. But what does that mean? The editorial team will have no choice but to redefine the tabloid. Today—especially in an urban setting—car features, blood, and cleavage alone are no longer enough to lure readers out from behind their fireplaces. The essence of the Blick brand has always been its connection to the people. Today, that connection can—and must—be achieved differently than it was in the late 1950s. The major «rock-bottom price» interview with Coop CEO Hansueli Loosli in the first issue of the newly formatted Blick was a good example of this. And instead of the pre-packaged «Loosli canned goods,» a hard-hitting campaign on the “retirement age of 70”—which is what Avenir Suisse’s latest proposal boils down to—would have been an even better topic—had the editorial team not missed the boat.
This brings us to *Blick*«s self-inflicted problems—more specifically, its personnel issues. Despite all the doomsday predictions, *Blick*»s editorial staff used to be one of the best in the country. It had extremely accomplished political editors, as well as sports, police, and society reporters. This is still partly the case today. But when it comes to certain topics central to Blick—for example, television—the editors in charge today are, to put it in Blick’s own words, “dumber than their readers.” This is disastrous.
It’s also a bad sign that *Der Blick* had to embark on its relaunch under interim leadership. After all, the fact that Ringier has still not been able to find a capable editor-in-chief for the most exciting print media job in the country speaks volumes. This is not a criticism of the qualifications of potential candidates—after all, there are certainly qualified individuals, such as Peter Rothenbühler (Edipresse), Urs Heller (Schweizer Illustrierte), and Patrik Müller (Sonntag). But either they don’t meet with the approval of Ringier’s “gray eminence”—who is still named Frank A. Meyer—or they simply weren’t interested in a position at a company that, from a journalistic standpoint, is remotely controlled by that very same “gray eminence.”.
This brings us to the «heart of the matter»—the Blick’s biggest problem, aside from the increasingly competitive market. It’s called Ringier—or, more precisely, Michael Ringier. The publisher and majority shareholder has always had an ambivalent relationship with Blick, despite his occasional assertions to the contrary. Now he seems to be even less interested in his flagship publication than he was before. How else can one explain that he’s heading off on vacation just as Blick is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its resurgence? The fact that such an announcement of his absence comes across as a slap in the face to his own staff is one thing. The other is that it also sends an unmistakable signal to the advertising market. Namely: *Blick* isn’t that important to me. Or: I don’t trust the whole thing anymore either.
In Sergio Leone’s Western *Once Upon a Time in the West*, the villain Frank (Henry Fonda) shoots a sidekick wearing suspenders, saying, «Why should I trust someone who doesn’t even trust his own pants?» By the same token, Michael Ringier’s behavior might prompt the Swiss advertising market to ask: «Why should I trust a publication that even its own publisher doesn’t trust?» Let’s hope for the Blick’s sake that Swiss advertisers are less ruthless in their campaigns than the villain Frank.
Sacha Wigdorovits
