Called late
Kathy Horisberger sees it as a positive sign of the times that she is the first woman to take over as editor-in-chief of Switzerland's largest newspaper.
Kathy Horisberger sees it as a good sign of the times that she is the first woman to take over as editor-in-chief of Switzerland's largest newspaper. The three children are practically out of the house and the 80 percent job as deputy editor-in-chief is just right. But then just over a month ago, editor-in-chief Dominic Geisseler resigned and the press management offered Horisberger the job. After discussions with the Head of Communications and Hansueli Loosli, Chairman of the Executive Board of Coop Switzerland, it was clear to Horisberger: "As a woman, you can't chicken out here!" In the 102-year history of Coop Presse, no woman had ever been editor-in-chief, and the "overwhelming response" from colleagues confirmed her decision, and the women in particular were delighted, as female editors-in-chief are still a rarity in the media landscape. Kathy Horisberger is probably also an exception: the 52-year-old only entered journalism at the age of 38 and has now been appointed editor-in-chief. "It was good to see that today it is possible to have a family and still have a career. That's encouraging."
When she wanted to become a journalist after graduating from high school, there were no regulated training courses like there are today. Her alternative was to become a primary school teacher. She later moved to the USA with her husband for five years. The physicist completed his doctorate at Stanford. It was the moment for her to take a break from the family: she gave birth to twins and was "fully occupied". The third child was born in Geneva. After ten years, the family ended up back in German-speaking Switzerland, in Baden. Horisberger: "I was already afraid that I would have to bury my former career aspirations" - then a door opened at what was then the Aargauer Volksblatt.
After a year as a freelancer, she got a 40 percent job on the local editorial team. In 1995, she came across an advertisement for a 50 percent position as a travel journalist at the Coop newspaper and got the job. For five years, Horisberger was able to reconcile her passions - globetrotting, writing and family. Then she became deputy editor-in-chief and worked 80 percent.
According to Horisberger, "family and partnership issues" will play a more important role in the paper in future. Women between 40 and 60 make up the largest proportion of the newspaper's readership, reaching a total of 70 percent of all women in German-speaking Switzerland. However, the paper is also targeting younger readers across a "very broad spectrum".
The 15-strong editorial team of the Coop newspaper tries to fill "a grab bag" every week with stories ranging from science and culture to sport and politics "at an easy-to-understand level". The concentrated Coop section in the middle of the magazine is a must-read for the editor and "obviously a good marketing tool". "Otherwise we are very free in terms of journalism," says the woman, who will probably have less free time herself in the future.
Kathy Horisberger wants to give more space to family and partnership issues in future.
Andreas Panzeri
When she wanted to become a journalist after graduating from high school, there were no regulated training courses like there are today. Her alternative was to become a primary school teacher. She later moved to the USA with her husband for five years. The physicist completed his doctorate at Stanford. It was the moment for her to take a break from the family: she gave birth to twins and was "fully occupied". The third child was born in Geneva. After ten years, the family ended up back in German-speaking Switzerland, in Baden. Horisberger: "I was already afraid that I would have to bury my former career aspirations" - then a door opened at what was then the Aargauer Volksblatt.
After a year as a freelancer, she got a 40 percent job on the local editorial team. In 1995, she came across an advertisement for a 50 percent position as a travel journalist at the Coop newspaper and got the job. For five years, Horisberger was able to reconcile her passions - globetrotting, writing and family. Then she became deputy editor-in-chief and worked 80 percent.
According to Horisberger, "family and partnership issues" will play a more important role in the paper in future. Women between 40 and 60 make up the largest proportion of the newspaper's readership, reaching a total of 70 percent of all women in German-speaking Switzerland. However, the paper is also targeting younger readers across a "very broad spectrum".
The 15-strong editorial team of the Coop newspaper tries to fill "a grab bag" every week with stories ranging from science and culture to sport and politics "at an easy-to-understand level". The concentrated Coop section in the middle of the magazine is a must-read for the editor and "obviously a good marketing tool". "Otherwise we are very free in terms of journalism," says the woman, who will probably have less free time herself in the future.
Kathy Horisberger wants to give more space to family and partnership issues in future.
Andreas Panzeri
