A desk for everyone and everything
Larger media companies are consolidating their print and online editorial teams into a single newsroom, in some cases also incorporating the editorial teams from regional TV and radio stations.
The free newspaper Cash is probably the first Swiss title to have its multimedia concept implemented "from a single source": for three years, the same editorial team, housed in an open-plan office, has been keeping the Cash.ch business portal up to date, producing video and audio reports for it and publishing the daily newspaper. It also informs subscribers about the latest business news via SMS or mobile Internet. "All employees do everything," says Editor-in-Chief Rüdi Steiner. With one exception: the weekly program "Cash-TV" on SF 2 will continue to be managed by a separate editorial team. Ringier spokesperson Stefan Hackh adds that the aim is to take account of changes in media usage and to create optimal conditions for researching and publishing stories. "The editorial team decides which topic is best distributed on which channel - and in what depth."
In November, the Tamedia subsidiary Espace Media followed suit: In the newly opened Berner Multimediahaus, it brought together the previously decentralized editorial offices of Berner Zeitung, Tele Bärn, Radio Capital FM and Bernerzeitung.ch on three floors. They are connected by a spiral staircase and coordinate their work at a ring-shaped desk. There is openness across all channels, but they remain independent when it comes to setting topics. The aim is to find synergies, refine ideas, strengthen research and bundle the advantages of the individual media, said Tamedia Board of Directors member Charles von Graffenried at the inauguration. The aim: "To optimally align the company's information channels to the needs of our customers in the Espace-Mittelland region."
The concept at the St. Galler Tagblatt is somewhat different: Since October 1, 2008, only the newspaper and the online portal Tagblatt.ch have been working together at the central newsdesk. LZ Medien is planning along the same lines: an open-plan office for the Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Zentralschweiz am Sonntag and Zisch.ch. Radio Pilatus and possibly Tele 1 will remain external. "We want them to remain independent of the newspaper," says Bettina Schibli, spokesperson for LZ Medien.
Non-stop cooperation
Axel Springer Switzerland chose another variant. Here, the editorial teams of the TV guides Tele, TVStar, TVvier and TV2 work together in one room and prepare the content for each of the four titles on a customized basis, including for the online portal from March. Edipresse does something similar: The print and online editorial teams work together for the daily newspapers, the three Matin editions, Bilan and Fémina, but also feed their content into a shared content pool where all titles can access it.
Basler Zeitung Medien also recently moved the print and online editorial offices of Basler Zeitung and the free newspaper Baslerstab into the same building so that they can increasingly cooperate. Radio Basel 1 in Liestal is also to be included in the medium term, insofar as this is permitted under licensing law.
Other publishers will follow suit, such as AZ Medien, which will merge its media Aargauer Zeitung, AZ-Online, Radio Argovia and Tele M1 in the new multimedia center in Aarau from autumn 2009. "In future, a journalist should be able to prepare a story for at least two media," says publisher Peter Wanner. Südostschweiz in Chur is planning something similar, as is Ticino, where Tele Ticino, Radio 3iii, the news portal Ticinonews.ch and two regional newspapers are now cooperating.
It is also certain that Ringier intends to merge the editorial teams of Blick, SonntagsBlick, Blick am Abend and Blick Online into one newsroom in January 2010. The aim is for each journalist to be able to write for at least two channels, i.e. online and print, says Stefan Hackh. However, the exact operating concept is still being worked out with the editors-in-chief. Similar ideas are being considered at Tamedia, where the Tages-Anzeiger, the free newspaper News and the online portal Newsnetz are to be better coordinated in future. No information was available from the NZZ.
Markus Knöpfli
In November, the Tamedia subsidiary Espace Media followed suit: In the newly opened Berner Multimediahaus, it brought together the previously decentralized editorial offices of Berner Zeitung, Tele Bärn, Radio Capital FM and Bernerzeitung.ch on three floors. They are connected by a spiral staircase and coordinate their work at a ring-shaped desk. There is openness across all channels, but they remain independent when it comes to setting topics. The aim is to find synergies, refine ideas, strengthen research and bundle the advantages of the individual media, said Tamedia Board of Directors member Charles von Graffenried at the inauguration. The aim: "To optimally align the company's information channels to the needs of our customers in the Espace-Mittelland region."
The concept at the St. Galler Tagblatt is somewhat different: Since October 1, 2008, only the newspaper and the online portal Tagblatt.ch have been working together at the central newsdesk. LZ Medien is planning along the same lines: an open-plan office for the Neue Luzerner Zeitung, Zentralschweiz am Sonntag and Zisch.ch. Radio Pilatus and possibly Tele 1 will remain external. "We want them to remain independent of the newspaper," says Bettina Schibli, spokesperson for LZ Medien.
Non-stop cooperation
Axel Springer Switzerland chose another variant. Here, the editorial teams of the TV guides Tele, TVStar, TVvier and TV2 work together in one room and prepare the content for each of the four titles on a customized basis, including for the online portal from March. Edipresse does something similar: The print and online editorial teams work together for the daily newspapers, the three Matin editions, Bilan and Fémina, but also feed their content into a shared content pool where all titles can access it.
Basler Zeitung Medien also recently moved the print and online editorial offices of Basler Zeitung and the free newspaper Baslerstab into the same building so that they can increasingly cooperate. Radio Basel 1 in Liestal is also to be included in the medium term, insofar as this is permitted under licensing law.
Other publishers will follow suit, such as AZ Medien, which will merge its media Aargauer Zeitung, AZ-Online, Radio Argovia and Tele M1 in the new multimedia center in Aarau from autumn 2009. "In future, a journalist should be able to prepare a story for at least two media," says publisher Peter Wanner. Südostschweiz in Chur is planning something similar, as is Ticino, where Tele Ticino, Radio 3iii, the news portal Ticinonews.ch and two regional newspapers are now cooperating.
It is also certain that Ringier intends to merge the editorial teams of Blick, SonntagsBlick, Blick am Abend and Blick Online into one newsroom in January 2010. The aim is for each journalist to be able to write for at least two channels, i.e. online and print, says Stefan Hackh. However, the exact operating concept is still being worked out with the editors-in-chief. Similar ideas are being considered at Tamedia, where the Tages-Anzeiger, the free newspaper News and the online portal Newsnetz are to be better coordinated in future. No information was available from the NZZ.
Markus Knöpfli
IT in the newsroom
The Media Institute of the Publishers Association is also addressing the issue: At a conference in Zurich on February 24, technicians and editors will work together to develop requirements for IT in the newsroom. (mk)
A role model for some Swiss publishing houses: the Axel Springer newsroom in Berlin.
Berner Multimediahaus: Contacts from medium to medium.
