Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin: Lawsuit against Ringier approved

The Cantonal Court of Zug has ruled in favor of Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin's claim for disgorgement of profits against Ringier in the first instance. The ruling stipulates that Ringier must pay CHF 309,531 of the CHF 431,527 claimed to the plaintiff. Ringier criticizes, however, that the decision largely ignored the disclosed business figures and an expert opinion by PwC. According to Ringier, the profit actually achieved amounted to a fraction of the sum awarded.

Ringier's criticism: profit determination and media freedom

Ladina Heimgartner, Head Media and CEO Ringier Media Switzerland, comments as follows: "The reporting on the events surrounding Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin and the Landammann celebration in 2014 is not one of this country's and Blick's finest journalistic moments. The way it was reported at the time is an expression of a tough tabloid style that Blick no longer practices, and that's a good thing."

The Cantonal Court of Zug had already confirmed in 2020 that Blick had violated the personal rights of the former cantonal councillor with its reporting at the time - a ruling that Ringier accepted. From the media company's point of view, the ruling that has now been handed down on the issue of profits is dangerous: "This ruling jeopardizes media freedom in our country," says Heimgartner. "If journalism is threatened with such fines, the willingness to report critically will be severely restricted."

Ringier has announced that it will appeal the ruling to the High Court of the Canton of Zug, as the company believes it lacks any factual basis and sends a dangerous signal for Swiss media freedom.

VSM warns of signal effect for the industry

The Swiss Media Publishers Association (VSM) supports Ringier's decision to appeal against the ruling of the Zug cantonal court in the Spiess-Hegglin case. The decision to order Ringier to pay over CHF 300,000 based on the alleged profit from just four articles is seen as a significant threat to media freedom.

As already emphasized by Ringier, the ruling contradicts essential economic realities in the publishing industry. The VSM shares this assessment: the association finds it incomprehensible that the reporting on Jolanda Spiess-Hegglin, which was described by Ringier itself as "not a journalistic glorious page", generated a profit in the amount determined by the court. The disclosed business figures and the PwC report, which clearly refute this profit, were largely ignored by the court.

Investigative journalism and smaller publishers under pressure

According to VSM, the ruling sends a dangerous signal that goes beyond the individual case. It threatens to intimidate publishers - especially smaller houses with fewer financial reserves - with the prospect of similar lawsuits. Ringier's announcement to appeal is therefore not only an attempt to question the legal basis of the ruling, but also a decisive step in the defense of media freedom in Switzerland.

Appeal and hope for a landmark ruling

The consequences could be far-reaching: In addition to personal reporting, which comes under increasing pressure from such rulings, the VSM also believes that investigative journalism is at risk. This is already under heavy fire from political initiatives and could be further weakened by decisions such as these. For media companies of all sizes, this means a tougher balancing act between critical reporting and the risk of consequences that could threaten their existence.

With Ringier's planned appeal, it remains to be seen whether the High Court of the Canton of Zug will weigh the economic and journalistic dimensions of this case differently and thus send a clear signal in favor of media freedom.