In March 2015, a Germanwings plane crashed in the French Alps. There was a great deal of interest in the crash and in the co-pilot, who took 149 people with him to their deaths. A reader complained to the Swiss Press Council because the media mentioned the name of the co-pilot. The Press Council rejected the complaint. The Swiss Press Council ruled that the crime was of overwhelming public interest in terms of its extent and uniqueness. The perpetrator had made himself a public figure. In this case, the public's right to information is stronger than the protection of the perpetrator's privacy. The Press Council therefore rejects a complaint directed against an article in the Tages-Anzeiger and one in the NZZ am Sonntag. For the Press Council, it may be justified to mention the name of the perpetrator in the case of an exceptionally serious crime. However, the editorial offices have to carefully weigh up in each individual case whether the naming is permissible from the point of view of media ethics. In doing so, they should also take into account the privacy of the offender's relatives. Even if other media disseminate the name or even the investigating authorities mention the name, this is not a license for all media to publish the name unseen.

Presumption of innocence not violated either

The complaint also claimed that Tages-Anzeiger and NZZ am Sonntag had violated the presumption of innocence in the case of the Germanwings crash. The Press Council rejects this as well. Both articles appeared a few days after the crash. Both relativize the perpetration already in the first lines. The NZZ am Sonntag, for example, states that the co-pilot "probably intentionally" brought the plane down. And the "Tages-Anzeiger" quotes the public prosecutor, who expresses the assumption that the co-pilot had acted with intent. It is quickly clear to readers in both reports that the investigation has not been concluded. Thus, both newspapers have not violated the presumption of innocence.

Case 2: Watson correctly reported on shitstorm

After a Twitter user deleted her account and announced legal action because her real name had been published on Twitter, Watson.ch published a report entitled "User bullied away: Twitter Switzerland has the biggest shitstorm in its history". Hundreds had expressed their solidarity with the Twitter user and spoken out against cyberbullying. The deletion of the Twitter account was apparently triggered by a tweet from a journalist that revealed the user's real name. The user defended herself against this report by filing a complaint with the Swiss Press Council. The article referred to the ongoing criminal investigation, but failed to mention that she herself had not been able to provide any information due to the ongoing proceedings and thus did not respect her privacy. In addition, Watson omits the important documents, pictures, sounds, sources of stalking and cyberbullying.

For the Press Council, it is not objectionable, even in the case of ongoing criminal proceedings, if it is indicated that such proceedings have been initiated. The user had expressly waived her right to contribute her own factual account to Watson. The Press Council also finds it acceptable that Watson used the statements of the tweeting journalist on the one hand and the user's post on Facebook on the other to gather information. The user herself had reported on Facebook about the deletion of her Twitter account and the reasons for this, which is why the Press Council did not recognize any violation of her privacy. Moreover, for lack of a more precise description, it was also not recognizable to him what the misappropriated documents were supposed to have consisted of. The Press Council rejected the complaint.

Case 3: Finews.ch was allowed to call Elmer a data thief and traitor

The Swiss Press Council has rejected another complaint by Rudolf Elmer. Elmer had complained that he had been wrongly called a "traitor" and a "data thief" in a report on the internet portal Finews.ch. In addition, he claimed a violation of section 1 (truth) of the "Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists". Both terms constituted further serious accusations which would have imperatively required the obtaining of an opinion. Because the article had not been drawn, Elmer also considered paragraph 7 of the "Declaration" to have been violated. This requires that anonymous and factually unjustified accusations are to be omitted. In Opinion 45/2008, the Press Council had already stated in connection with the Elmer case that the word "data theft" was in order, because it was not the business of the Press Council to make a legal assessment of the criminal allegations made against the complainant in connection with questionable data of customers of the Cayman branch of Bank Bär. Elmer had supplied customer data of the bank to the internet platform Wikileaks. In Opinion 29/2012, the Press Council had further protected the terms "thief" and "blackmailer". In the present case, "data thief" was also used colloquially in the view of the Press Council. In addition, Finews.ch specifies that Elmer sees himself as a whistleblower. Therefore, the use of the term is not objectionable. The same applies to the accusation "traitor", although this is not a new accusation. Finews.ch was allowed to use it without hearing the complainant, according to Pressereat. (pd)

With 80 stores, restaurants and cafés/bars in the public area of Zurich Airport, the Airport Center is the place where people meet: people from all points of the compass, cultures, time zones, lifestyles, professions and life situations linger here, shop, stroll, eat or drink something and let themselves be inspired by the special ambience.

Metzger Rottmann Bürge was commissioned to develop a new image campaign for the Airport Center, staging the unique shopping experience. The result is a campaign that uses several subjects to tell the stories and experiences of these people. Together with photographer Hanspeter Schneider and models such as Werner Schreyer and Noemi Manser, snapshots were created that can only be experienced at the Airport Center - 365 days a year.

The campaign can currently be seen at and around Zurich Airport.
 

Responsible at Zurich Airport: Christian Bärlocher (Head of Marketing), Sibylle Koller (Head of Marketing Communications), Michèle Gautschi (Marketing Manager), Maria Porsche (Head of Marketing Commercial). Responsible at Metzger Rottmann Bürge: Michael Rottmann, Janine Aebischer, Vasco Bickel (creation), Silvan Metzger and Yvonne Friedli (consulting), Ursula Trottmann, Bruno Breitenmoser (production), Hanspeter Schneider (photography).

Ovomaltine has already shown that stand-up paddling (SUP) is not that easy and requires a lot of stamina in a TV spot. From the comfort of a dry TV chair, you can see how treacherous a board can be in the water. Now Ovo challenges with a Online game everyone to try it out for themselves: True to the Ovo claim "not better, but longer", the aim is to stay on the stand-up paddle for as long as possible, avoid the obstacles and collect Ovo products.

And then it's off to the real water: the main prize for all players is a SUP course for four people. The game could be played directly on YouTube in the Masthead banner for one day at the launch and is still available on Ovogame.ch retrievable.

Responsible at Ovomaltine: Christof Stulz (Marketing Manager), Simon Schiess (Brand Manager Ovomaltine). Responsible at Leo Burnett: Martin Stulz (ECD), David Fischer (CD), Suzana Kovacevic (FFF), Lukas Tauss (AD), Cla Campell (text), Michael Gassler and Tobias Schoen (consulting); programming: Cubera; illustration: Sebastian Iwohn
 

The new issue of Bilanz has a new design, as announced in a press release on Thursday. The design is more concise, the fonts are stronger, and the magazine uses more lines and bars as well as variable columns on the pages. The new design was created by Bilanz art director Wernie Baumeler and his team. The modern design is intended to make the business stories more enjoyable to read. It looks more elegant and allows for more variation.

There have also been changes to the content: The magazine has been streamlined and new sections have been introduced. For example, each issue now features a business revolutionary who is changing a market, a business personality describes their wildest trip in the new Enjoy section, and former Raiffeisen CEO Pierin Vincenz is a new columnist for the business magazine. The magazine retains its tried-and-tested layout with the core sections Company, Trends and Invest.
 

WVC Communications wants to live the often-cited customer proximity, as the agency writes in a press release on Wednesday. With its local network, it can react more flexibly and noticeably more individually in today's market.

Sihlpark Fitness & Wellness offers a special kind of training, relaxation and pampering program on more than 3,000 square meters. In addition to a fitness park with state-of-the-art equipment, a hamam, a sauna area, an open-air brine bath, massages, facial and body treatments, and a cozy bistro await their visitors here.

For its new client, the advertising agency was asked to develop a campaign that included posters and banners as well as a direct mailing. The reduced visuals get to the heart of the message: at Sihlpark Fitness & Wellness, you can not only work out, but also enjoy a comprehensive range of wellness services. In addition, a completely new Website designed and implemented.

Responsible at advertising agency: Reto Dürrenberger (strategy), Frederick Rossmann (CD), Mike Surovka (AD), Katja Wölfel (text), Sandra Städler, Dino Amantea (consulting), Dave Guntern (DTP).
 

Swisscontent is pooling its digital expertise and establishing a Digital Lab, as the company announced in a press release on Wednesday. By analyzing current technological trends and media usage, the think tank will develop its own communication tools and integrated, content-driven communication solutions. This results in cross-media communication concepts for companies. 

Networking via cross-media communication

Established companies from all sectors are under threat from newcomers with digital business models. Communication and interaction are an elementary component of all these disruptive business models. Traditional companies are dependent on being optimally networked with their environment, i.e. communicating with it. The Swisscontent Digital Lab supports companies in this.

Modular solutions for sustainable identification

According to the report, 70 percent of all change projects fail due to employee resistance. Interactive communication solutions that are available online and offline anytime, anywhere create an opportunity to promote employees' willingness to change. This in turn should increase process efficiency and thus productivity, and ultimately the quality of products and services.

In the course of digital transformation processes, the Digital Lab advises companies on communication issues. Together with the customer, modular solutions for process communication are developed to promote sustainable understanding and identification within the company.

Peter Schneider as Head of Swisscontent Digital Lab

The Swisscontent Digital Lab is headed by IT communications expert Peter Schneider. He has been a Senior Project Manager at Denon since the company was acquired by Swisscontent in December 2014. The computer scientist was previously Head of the Online Unit at Denon.

Two editors and someone from community management will have to look for a new job. The layoffs will save around 300'000 to 400'000 francs a year. According to Voigt, around 65 people will still be working at Watson after the cost-cutting measures. This corresponds to around 55 full-time positions. Voigt's main message is: Because revenues increased less than expected, the business plan has to be adjusted. In principle, however, the company is doing quite well and can offer its employees prospects.

Costs are also to be optimized in the IT area. In addition, according to Voigt, the members of the management and editorial board will forego part of their salaries: punishment for not achieving goals is necessary. Wanner, the publisher from Aargau, remains firmly convinced of Watson's success, despite having pushed for the cost-cutting program. The break-even point had been postponed by about one and a half years to 2017. (SDA)

Survey: Do you believe in the future of Watson? (right)

Although the five-year plan is not due to be presented to the world public until next year, the Chinese Communist Party's communication is already going around the world. A flashy, elaborate propaganda video announces the five-year plan promisingly, without saying much in terms of content, but accompanied by a song with catchy tune quality.

The video has sparked a heated online debate between critics of China from all over the world and the Chinese population, who often vehemently defend the video - including on the YouTube platform, which is blocked in China. (sis)

Her videos are eagerly awaited and followed with great interest by tens of thousands of young women every week: In her videos on YouTube, Julia Graf explains how to draw the perfect eyeliner, apply the right make-up and make red lips really stand out. Her beauty tutorials, produced in English and, since 2015, also in German, have long been a hit on the web. From now on, Julia Graf will be producing a weekly beauty format exclusively for the Blick and Blick am Abend online platforms.

Sebastian Pfotenhauer, Head of Video Ringier Publishing, in a statement: "Hardly any other YouTube star in this country has as much experience and reputation as Julia Graf. I am delighted that we have been able to win her over for a collaboration. Her tutorials are easy to understand, entertaining, at eye level with the users - and a great addition to our video offering." Julia Graf on her new commitment: "I am overjoyed about the cooperation with the Blick Group and the chance to present my videos outside of YouTube. Users can look forward to lots of entertaining how-to videos - and I hope that I can also inspire many women about make-up on Blick's digital channels."

With the launch of this series, the Blick Group is further expanding its range of moving images, focusing in particular on the web video genre, which is essential on the Internet, with authentic protagonists and strong interaction with our users on all digital channels, according to a press release.

The Beobachter celebrates the 20th birthday of its online edition. In October 1995, Beobachter.ch went online - as the first ever Internet presence of a Swiss magazine. The anniversary is being celebrated with a specially produced web report, and visitors to Beobachter.ch can also surf the original 1995 website again.

Beobachter Publishing Director Roland Wahrenberger: "I am proud that the Beobachter was one of the online pioneers 20 years ago, and I am delighted that we have been able to massively expand our reach on digital channels since then. Our website Observer.ch today (with 658'000 unique clients) represents an important part of the Beobachter world. This is an excellent basis for launching further digital offerings very soon."

The under Observer.ch/20years takes a look at the early days of the Internet. It also shows how strongly the assessments of the newly emerging network infrastructure differed at the time. With its website, the Beobachter was one of the pioneers in setting up an online offering, ahead of Blick, Bild and even the New York Times. The first Beobachter website is available at this link reachable.