"D Friburgera" must expand
The new FN editor-in-chief Marcel Waeber is gearing up for a (newspaper) battle near Murten
The new FN editor-in-chief Marcel Waeber is gearing up for a (newspaper) battle near MurtenBy Christophe Büchi The Freiburger Nachrichten is being hard pressed by the Berner Zeitung. In this situation, there is only one thing for the German-language daily newspaper of the canton of Fribourg: become even more professional. With a new editor-in-chief, the Fribourgers want to put a stop to the Bernese "tank general" and media boss von Graffenried.
"D Friburgera", as the Freiburger Nachrichten (FN) is affectionately called by its readers, has a new boss. The
58-year-old Marcel Waeber replaces the previous editor-in-chief Walter Buchs, who is stepping down. Waeber is tailor-made for the new job: as a native of German-speaking Fribourg who served for years at the Tages-Anzeiger, he brings with him a one-hundred-percent Fribourg "pedigree", but has also been around the world. As an aviation specialist, he is not afraid of crash landings, and as a mountaineer, he is used to tightrope walks: good prerequisites for the new job.
The seasoned service editor, like other year-olds, was forced into early "voluntary" retirement by TA-Media in the spirit of the youth cult (initiated by Roger de Weck from Fribourg). Of course, this was done the Tagi way, with honeyed bread instead of a whip: the conditions were simply so good that one couldn't say no. But the early retiree had no desire to go into retirement. On April 30, he had his last day at Tagi, and on May 1, his first day at the Fribourg News - and this on Labor Day, for many Swiss a day without work.
Will the puff
probably be enough?
Waeber has a job waiting for him at the FN. The only daily newspaper in the German-speaking part of the canton has a reach of 53 percent in its catchment area - the Sense district (around Tafers and Düdingen), the See district (Murten) and part of the city of Fribourg. But with a circulation of only 16900 copies, it is at the lower limit of what is vital for a daily newspaper.
Although it obtains its national and international pages from the Solothurner Zeitung, it can concentrate entirely on local and regional reporting. This has allowed it to operate profitably in recent years and to serve its shareholders a regular dividend - and a good meal, including drinks. Still, the newspaper operates in a shaky zone where the air is very thin. No wonder that in the beautiful Fribourg region, the question is repeatedly asked how long it will be before the "Friburgera" runs out of steam.
In addition, the Fribourg region has long since ceased to be a fenced-in little garden. "Make us üsserm Ländli, i de Not äs Wändli", says the Senslerlied: but the Wändli no longer exists. So the flower beds in the garden of the FN have been flattened more and more in the last years by a bear from the neighborhood. The Bernese newspaper BZ, which is the subject of this article, has for some time had its own editorial office in Fribourg, which produces up to three pages a day.
The FC benefits from the socio-economic development. For example, the reformed Murtenbiet is historically strongly linked to Bern. In addition, German-speaking Fribourg is increasingly growing together with the Bern region - a development that will be accelerated by the construction of the A1 freeway via Murten and Payerne.
The Bernese simply get up earlier
Of course, the Berner Zeitung has a different tiger in the tank than the FN. For example, the BZ is already with the subscribers in Murten early in the morning, while the FN only arrives with the mail. Also, the BZ is naturally much more comprehensive than the FN.
How can the small David of Fribourg hold its own against the Goliath of Bern? For editor-in-chief Marcel Waeber, there is only one thing to do: "We have to become even more professional. Among other things, this means that the newspaper should become more reader-friendly: "For a long time, we were very text-heavy. I want at least 25 percent pictures." But above all: regional reporting must become even denser, and this first in the lake district. It is not for nothing that the FN now has its own editorial office in Murten.
Will the Battle of Murten be repeated?
In fact, the battle between FN and BZ will probably be decided in Murten and region. The Fribourgers, who once defeated the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold here together with the Bernese, are not yet giving up the new Battle of Murten against the troops of the Bernese "tank general" von Graffenried. Certainly, a first skirmish last year went in favor of the FC: The Bernese snatched up the twice-weekly Murtenbieter, which the FN would also have liked. But the Fribourgers console themselves with the motto: "Nous avons perdu une bataille, non pas la guerre."
"Prove that we can
Price are worth"
Waeber and publishing director Paul Stritt are convinced that the FN can not only hold its own in its catchment area, but even grow somewhat. On Thursday, "d Friburgera" already appears in a large circulation, reaching a total of 56,000 readers. The former CVP paper has also changed in recent years into a politically and denominationally open and ecumenical forum newspaper, which increases its sales chances. And perhaps the Fribourgers can even graze a bit in the nearby Bernese border area. It's not for nothing that the FN has a section called "Bernese Neighborhood" - tit for tat!
But with a circulation of 16900 copies and 38000 readers, isn't the paper simply too small, even with a little growth? Marcel Waeber to WerbeWoche: "Circulation is not everything. I am convinced that we have a future. But of course we have to prove that we are worth our price." Waeber's two predecessors in the FN editor-in-chief chair were career changers: Waeber is the first "dyed in the wool journalist" - a sign of the times!
Unequal sistersThe bilingual canton of Fribourg is in the fortunate position of having two daily newspapers: La Liberté for the French part of the canton and the Freiburger Nachrichten for German Fribourg. Both are printed at the Paulus printing plant in Fribourg, which is run by nuns. The editorial offices are on the same floor. But there is a little subtlety there, because the legal status of the two sister newspapers is not the same. While La Liberté is owned directly by Paulus-Verlag, the FN is published by a joint-stock company that used to represent mainly the German-Fribourg CVP circles and now represents a broad spectrum of German-Fribourg. In the case of the FN, Paulus-Verlag is thus only a client and printer.
"D Friburgera", as the Freiburger Nachrichten (FN) is affectionately called by its readers, has a new boss. The
58-year-old Marcel Waeber replaces the previous editor-in-chief Walter Buchs, who is stepping down. Waeber is tailor-made for the new job: as a native of German-speaking Fribourg who served for years at the Tages-Anzeiger, he brings with him a one-hundred-percent Fribourg "pedigree", but has also been around the world. As an aviation specialist, he is not afraid of crash landings, and as a mountaineer, he is used to tightrope walks: good prerequisites for the new job.
The seasoned service editor, like other year-olds, was forced into early "voluntary" retirement by TA-Media in the spirit of the youth cult (initiated by Roger de Weck from Fribourg). Of course, this was done the Tagi way, with honeyed bread instead of a whip: the conditions were simply so good that one couldn't say no. But the early retiree had no desire to go into retirement. On April 30, he had his last day at Tagi, and on May 1, his first day at the Fribourg News - and this on Labor Day, for many Swiss a day without work.
Will the puff
probably be enough?
Waeber has a job waiting for him at the FN. The only daily newspaper in the German-speaking part of the canton has a reach of 53 percent in its catchment area - the Sense district (around Tafers and Düdingen), the See district (Murten) and part of the city of Fribourg. But with a circulation of only 16900 copies, it is at the lower limit of what is vital for a daily newspaper.
Although it obtains its national and international pages from the Solothurner Zeitung, it can concentrate entirely on local and regional reporting. This has allowed it to operate profitably in recent years and to serve its shareholders a regular dividend - and a good meal, including drinks. Still, the newspaper operates in a shaky zone where the air is very thin. No wonder that in the beautiful Fribourg region, the question is repeatedly asked how long it will be before the "Friburgera" runs out of steam.
In addition, the Fribourg region has long since ceased to be a fenced-in little garden. "Make us üsserm Ländli, i de Not äs Wändli", says the Senslerlied: but the Wändli no longer exists. So the flower beds in the garden of the FN have been flattened more and more in the last years by a bear from the neighborhood. The Bernese newspaper BZ, which is the subject of this article, has for some time had its own editorial office in Fribourg, which produces up to three pages a day.
The FC benefits from the socio-economic development. For example, the reformed Murtenbiet is historically strongly linked to Bern. In addition, German-speaking Fribourg is increasingly growing together with the Bern region - a development that will be accelerated by the construction of the A1 freeway via Murten and Payerne.
The Bernese simply get up earlier
Of course, the Berner Zeitung has a different tiger in the tank than the FN. For example, the BZ is already with the subscribers in Murten early in the morning, while the FN only arrives with the mail. Also, the BZ is naturally much more comprehensive than the FN.
How can the small David of Fribourg hold its own against the Goliath of Bern? For editor-in-chief Marcel Waeber, there is only one thing to do: "We have to become even more professional. Among other things, this means that the newspaper should become more reader-friendly: "For a long time, we were very text-heavy. I want at least 25 percent pictures." But above all: regional reporting must become even denser, and this first in the lake district. It is not for nothing that the FN now has its own editorial office in Murten.
Will the Battle of Murten be repeated?
In fact, the battle between FN and BZ will probably be decided in Murten and region. The Fribourgers, who once defeated the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold here together with the Bernese, are not yet giving up the new Battle of Murten against the troops of the Bernese "tank general" von Graffenried. Certainly, a first skirmish last year went in favor of the FC: The Bernese snatched up the twice-weekly Murtenbieter, which the FN would also have liked. But the Fribourgers console themselves with the motto: "Nous avons perdu une bataille, non pas la guerre."
"Prove that we can
Price are worth"
Waeber and publishing director Paul Stritt are convinced that the FN can not only hold its own in its catchment area, but even grow somewhat. On Thursday, "d Friburgera" already appears in a large circulation, reaching a total of 56,000 readers. The former CVP paper has also changed in recent years into a politically and denominationally open and ecumenical forum newspaper, which increases its sales chances. And perhaps the Fribourgers can even graze a bit in the nearby Bernese border area. It's not for nothing that the FN has a section called "Bernese Neighborhood" - tit for tat!
But with a circulation of 16900 copies and 38000 readers, isn't the paper simply too small, even with a little growth? Marcel Waeber to WerbeWoche: "Circulation is not everything. I am convinced that we have a future. But of course we have to prove that we are worth our price." Waeber's two predecessors in the FN editor-in-chief chair were career changers: Waeber is the first "dyed in the wool journalist" - a sign of the times!
Unequal sistersThe bilingual canton of Fribourg is in the fortunate position of having two daily newspapers: La Liberté for the French part of the canton and the Freiburger Nachrichten for German Fribourg. Both are printed at the Paulus printing plant in Fribourg, which is run by nuns. The editorial offices are on the same floor. But there is a little subtlety there, because the legal status of the two sister newspapers is not the same. While La Liberté is owned directly by Paulus-Verlag, the FN is published by a joint-stock company that used to represent mainly the German-Fribourg CVP circles and now represents a broad spectrum of German-Fribourg. In the case of the FN, Paulus-Verlag is thus only a client and printer.
