Immoral image of the media industry

The Schweizer Journalist (SJ) should actually be congratulated on five years of navel-gazing that is as uncomfortable as it is entertaining. However, the current anniversary edition of the industry journal of all publications has published two embarrassing articles that give itself and, more importantly, Swiss journalism a damning verdict on quality. After all, the first verdict "only" comes from the 1,550 participants in this year's Internet vote for "Journalist of the Year", which elevated the two mom bloggers from Tagesanzeiger.ch to the prestigious podium - at least until now. With all due respect for the sometimes refreshing insights into the splendor and misery of parenthood: in view of the research cracks, noble feathers and reportage professionals who were also nominated, it is certainly a soft choice that attributes more social relevance to crib gossip and family radio than, for example, political revelations and their classification.

The far greater affront, however, lurks in one of the eight sub-categories judged by a so-called expert jury. In the "Economy" category, the 25-member panel, which until today included the writer, awarded Daniel Ammann. The former head of department at Weltwoche, Magazin and Facts was honored explicitly for his biography of commodities trader Marc Rich, which was uncritical to say the least. There's no question about it: it's perfectly legitimate to reward three exclusive audience days with the world's most secretive and elusive business tycoon with a palatable bestseller. However, "King of Oil", the title of the heroic epic authorized by Rich, rehabilitates one of the most unscrupulous dealers and shameless profiteers of the 20th century - with moral soft focus and professional errors.

The magazine as a media vicarious agent

To illustrate Rich's "spirit of business innovation", Ammann circulates the legend that he introduced the spot market in oil trading. However, this trading technique goes back to the American Phillip Brothers. As a pioneer for Switzerland as a global commodities center, "Phibro", where Rich also learned his trade, was at least as important as the godfather of the Zug commodities Rambos. The fact that Ammann allowed himself to be instrumentalized by his key witness on his own behalf is also shown by the title of what is still the only relevant Rich research in book form: "Trading genius or lawbreaker? An Unwanted Biography" by US journalist Craig Copetas had many legal repercussions for a reason. Anyone who writes authoritatively about Rich is inevitably carrying out commissioned work.

However, this basically harmless home story, because it was simply reported rather than researched, only became a scandal thanks to those who turned it into a bestseller: Ammann's colleagues in the opinion-forming media. The magazine, for example, was not too shy to run a cover story with a laudatory Edito, a six-page pre-print and a cover with the same feisty Rich grin as the one on the book cover. The fact that this blatant case of free editorial advertising for news-poor non-fiction did not come before the Press Council is at least as outrageous as the trivialization of Rich's money-grubbing lack of conscience.

So now Ammann is also Swiss Business Journalist of the Year, awarded by a compliant or clueless group whose members range from App, Rolf (media editor of the St. Galler Tagblatt) to Zwyssig, Toni (ex-SF trainer). Despite this B-jury, the crowning of the court jester Ammann is tantamount to an oath of revelation for the entire industry and is also a mockery of all those nominees whose less glamorous work provided far more insight into what holds the business world together at its core. Reason enough for me to say goodbye to this illustrious committee.

PS: In Iceland, the local WikiLeaks spokesperson has just been named "Journalist of the Year". Other countries, better manners.