Spurned lover?
Editorial: For years, the Publishers' Association has been seeking a seat on the Press Council's board of trustees.
Pierre C. Meier on the tactics and provocation of the President of the Publishers Association.
a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Press Council. A justified
requirement, a self-regulatory body of this kind needs a broad-based
supported sponsorship in order to be able to do its work optimally.
In addition to media professionals, publishers must also
because compliance with the principles of media ethics can be
not only be a matter for media professionals, publishers must also be involved in
be taken to task. Most countries have recognized this.
Switzerland is once again driving a special train, and it is now threatening to
derail. The stubborn attitude of the journalist organizations, which are
strictly refuse to even consider entering into negotiations on publisher participation, suits the
Understandably not for publishers. The fronts are hardened and the
The tone becomes more spiteful. Until now, people have spoken of a "high
qualified self-regulatory body" (to be read in Flash Extra 2005
on page 79), it now sounds quite different. In his closing speech to the
This year's publishers' congress, the president of the
Swiss press, Hanspeter Lebrument, suddenly called this committee
"gossipy and arbitrary institution". And further: "We are allowed to
to refrain from this self-regulation for good reason". The fact that this
This unspeakable all-round attack is not exactly helping to ease the situation,
is probably clear.
Lebrument behaves like a spurned lover. All so far
positive aspects of the desired partner are negated, and one tries to
to make the rejecting partner look bad. Even 20 years
long tried to deal with the "organs of this strange press council" in
negotiations now seems to be obsolete.
But perhaps the whole thing has a system and the Machiavellian
With his provocation, tactician Lebrument is only trying to open the discussion.
to get things moving again. The newly elected Chairman of the Department
Ethics, which has this task, is now required. You can help him
only wish you good luck.
a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Press Council. A justified
requirement, a self-regulatory body of this kind needs a broad-based
supported sponsorship in order to be able to do its work optimally.
In addition to media professionals, publishers must also
because compliance with the principles of media ethics can be
not only be a matter for media professionals, publishers must also be involved in
be taken to task. Most countries have recognized this.
Switzerland is once again driving a special train, and it is now threatening to
derail. The stubborn attitude of the journalist organizations, which are
strictly refuse to even consider entering into negotiations on publisher participation, suits the
Understandably not for publishers. The fronts are hardened and the
The tone becomes more spiteful. Until now, people have spoken of a "high
qualified self-regulatory body" (to be read in Flash Extra 2005
on page 79), it now sounds quite different. In his closing speech to the
This year's publishers' congress, the president of the
Swiss press, Hanspeter Lebrument, suddenly called this committee
"gossipy and arbitrary institution". And further: "We are allowed to
to refrain from this self-regulation for good reason". The fact that this
This unspeakable all-round attack is not exactly helping to ease the situation,
is probably clear.
Lebrument behaves like a spurned lover. All so far
positive aspects of the desired partner are negated, and one tries to
to make the rejecting partner look bad. Even 20 years
long tried to deal with the "organs of this strange press council" in
negotiations now seems to be obsolete.
But perhaps the whole thing has a system and the Machiavellian
With his provocation, tactician Lebrument is only trying to open the discussion.
to get things moving again. The newly elected Chairman of the Department
Ethics, which has this task, is now required. You can help him
only wish you good luck.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
