Media slalom

 
René Worni on elephants in a china store. 
In their traditional regions, the media enter into close relationships with the authorities and the civilian population. It is a balancing act between closeness and distance until the right tonality has settled in, until the boundaries have been defined. That can take time. The two sides never really warm to each other. That's in the nature of things. Newcomers feel this immediately. A journalist writing a political report for the first time in a region, broadcasting a program from the council or just reporting on a party event will almost inevitably step on someone's toes and feel more or less comfortable as a bull in a china store. This also explains why the Aargau cantonal council had such difficulty with its statement in the consultation on radio and television licenses. Initially, it spoke out against the new Radio AG because the members of the executive apparently considered Roger Schawinski's project to be too great a risk, which they were unable to assess conclusively. Translated, this means that the Executive Board is not really comfortable with the idea of getting involved with a new medium that could possibly behave like a bull in a china store. So the decision was made in favor of Radio Argovia, only to couple this decision with a hidden media scolding of the station, which has been well established for years. More quality standards are to be introduced for local broadcasters and these are to be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In the event of non-compliance, the government council is even threatening to withdraw the license. Strong stuff and, despite the government's blessing, a slap in the face for the makers of Argovia.
No wonder Argovia sees a need for clarification with the government. Just three days later, the government council goes even further and attacks the AZ media, to which Argovia belongs. The media concentration at Wanner posed a "certain risk" to the diversity of opinion in the canton. The attack by the Aargau government demonstrates the old game of proximity and distance between state power and the media. In reality, the government does not want to let on that it is still best off with the previous conditions and without elephants. It will be no different in most other cantons.
René Worni, Editor