To the point: White smoke
The past week will likely go down in the annals of Swiss press history. After months of wrangling over the right solution, followed by equally long periods of speculation, rumors, and supposedly rock-solid insider information, the moment had finally arrived.
Last week will probably go down in the annals of Swiss press history. After months of struggling to find the right solution, after equally long periods of conjecture, rumor and supposedly surefire insider knowledge, the time had finally come. Although no white smoke rose from Tamedia into the Zurich sky, the decisions that were announced gave as much to discuss as the election of a new pontiff. Everyone had their say: stakeholders, unions, sympathizers, readers. On the one hand, it was about the future of the Bund, on the other hand about that of the Tages-Anzeiger.
Let's start with the covenant. For a long time, it was unclear what would happen to it. The newspaper, nostalgically held in high esteem by its readership, had to contend with major difficulties. And not only after Tamedia had acquired Espace Media. For years, the Bund had been in trouble, lost a lot of money and, after a while, was passed on like a hot potato.
Ringier was operating quite unhappily, losing money, and was still so happy when the Neue Zürcher Zeitung took over the problem child. At that time, the NZZ Group did not have a functioning group strategy, so the Bernese appendage was left to do as it pleased. Without much control, but also without really thinking strategically about a possible further development. This attempt also failed, money was lost again, and the child finally ended up with the unloved competitor Espace Media.
The joint advertising section of the Berner model allowed some breathing space. Cost-cutting measures did the rest. But the future remained uncertain. For months, the survival of the Confederation hung by a thread. The solution that has now been presented, with a drastically reduced editorial team and intensive cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger at the same time, seems to me to be the right one. It is only to be hoped that this time it will last.
At the Tages-Anzeiger, too, everything is new. It is seeking to break free with a four-bundle concept. The regionalization of the paper is to be strengthened, the appearance is to be "higher quality" with a new design from fall 2009, and reader guidance is to be greatly improved. As part of this realignment, a total of 50 full-time editorial positions will be cut. A hard blow for the editorial team, but probably a necessary step. The only incomprehensible thing is that Tamedia is holding on to the free newspaper project News. Now that its unloved competitor .ch has disappeared, News would no longer be needed.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
Let's start with the covenant. For a long time, it was unclear what would happen to it. The newspaper, nostalgically held in high esteem by its readership, had to contend with major difficulties. And not only after Tamedia had acquired Espace Media. For years, the Bund had been in trouble, lost a lot of money and, after a while, was passed on like a hot potato.
Ringier was operating quite unhappily, losing money, and was still so happy when the Neue Zürcher Zeitung took over the problem child. At that time, the NZZ Group did not have a functioning group strategy, so the Bernese appendage was left to do as it pleased. Without much control, but also without really thinking strategically about a possible further development. This attempt also failed, money was lost again, and the child finally ended up with the unloved competitor Espace Media.
The joint advertising section of the Berner model allowed some breathing space. Cost-cutting measures did the rest. But the future remained uncertain. For months, the survival of the Confederation hung by a thread. The solution that has now been presented, with a drastically reduced editorial team and intensive cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger at the same time, seems to me to be the right one. It is only to be hoped that this time it will last.
At the Tages-Anzeiger, too, everything is new. It is seeking to break free with a four-bundle concept. The regionalization of the paper is to be strengthened, the appearance is to be "higher quality" with a new design from fall 2009, and reader guidance is to be greatly improved. As part of this realignment, a total of 50 full-time editorial positions will be cut. A hard blow for the editorial team, but probably a necessary step. The only incomprehensible thing is that Tamedia is holding on to the free newspaper project News. Now that its unloved competitor .ch has disappeared, News would no longer be needed.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
