All against all
Pierre C. Meier on the parallels between politics and the media in Switzerland.
Pierre C. Meier on the parallels between politics and the media in Switzerland.
The political climate in Switzerland has deteriorated considerably in recent times. The reasons for this are obvious. Switzerland is being shaken up politically and economically like never before. The variety of problems and their complexity are paralyzing decision-makers and at the same time making them search for solutions with increasing haste. Factual arguments are being replaced by spitefulness, provocation and deliberate indiscretions. The result is a growing mistrust of politics among large sections of the population and a growing disenchantment with politics.
Something similar is happening in the media industry. In the first four
months of this year, the daily press had to report a decline in the
advertising volume of 3401 pages, or 7.1 percent. A further 233 pages (-4.8%) were lost in the general press. And this is compared to the same period in the previous year, which was also already in the red compared to 2002: 7658 fewer advertising pages (-13.7%) in the daily press and 525 fewer pages (-9.8%) in the general press. In two years, that makes minus 11059 pages for the daily press and 758 for the general press. The situation is catastrophic and nerves are on edge. Here we go: Protest and conspiracy theories in French-speaking Switzerland over the redefinition of economic areas, Blick bashing in Weltwoche by the warhorse and ex-editor-in-chief Peter Uebersax, Schawinski bashing by ex-SF-DRS boss Peter Schellenberg and ex-late-night talker Dieter Moor in Blick, Samuel Stutz and his program "Gesundheit Sprechstunde" (Health Consultation Hour) are targeted by the Observer, and "10vor10" is only too happy to take up the steep pass and reinforce it with accusations of money laundering, while Ringier is considering a lawsuit. So here, too, provocation and spitefulness.
It would be fatal if this also resulted in increased mistrust of the media and media disenchantment.
> Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
The political climate in Switzerland has deteriorated considerably in recent times. The reasons for this are obvious. Switzerland is being shaken up politically and economically like never before. The variety of problems and their complexity are paralyzing decision-makers and at the same time making them search for solutions with increasing haste. Factual arguments are being replaced by spitefulness, provocation and deliberate indiscretions. The result is a growing mistrust of politics among large sections of the population and a growing disenchantment with politics.
Something similar is happening in the media industry. In the first four
months of this year, the daily press had to report a decline in the
advertising volume of 3401 pages, or 7.1 percent. A further 233 pages (-4.8%) were lost in the general press. And this is compared to the same period in the previous year, which was also already in the red compared to 2002: 7658 fewer advertising pages (-13.7%) in the daily press and 525 fewer pages (-9.8%) in the general press. In two years, that makes minus 11059 pages for the daily press and 758 for the general press. The situation is catastrophic and nerves are on edge. Here we go: Protest and conspiracy theories in French-speaking Switzerland over the redefinition of economic areas, Blick bashing in Weltwoche by the warhorse and ex-editor-in-chief Peter Uebersax, Schawinski bashing by ex-SF-DRS boss Peter Schellenberg and ex-late-night talker Dieter Moor in Blick, Samuel Stutz and his program "Gesundheit Sprechstunde" (Health Consultation Hour) are targeted by the Observer, and "10vor10" is only too happy to take up the steep pass and reinforce it with accusations of money laundering, while Ringier is considering a lawsuit. So here, too, provocation and spitefulness.
It would be fatal if this also resulted in increased mistrust of the media and media disenchantment.
> Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
