"It's a privilege to be able to report on the world"
32 journalists have successfully completed the two-year journalism diploma program at Maz. On Thursday, they received their diplomas in Lucerne.
While keynote speaker and SRF correspondent Martin Aldrovandi encouraged the newly graduated Maz journalists to follow their own path unflinchingly, Maz Director Martina Fehr emphasized in her speech how urgently good journalism is needed. "For the cohesion of society, for the fight against fake news and to counter targeted manipulation and distortion of facts."
Research on war, the secret service and crystal meth
The graduates of the Diploma in Journalism 2021-2023 come from German-speaking Switzerland and Liechtenstein and work for radio, TV or print/online media from various Swiss publishing houses.
The topics to which the young journalists have devoted their theses are as diverse as the editorial departments: One graduate traces the history of her grandfather, who led a double life under the sign of the secret service. Another thesis focuses on concerts by Swiss bands in the Metaverse. A journalist tested how easy it is to obtain hard drugs like crystal meth via social media. Topics taken up in several theses include the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and gender fluidity and sexual identity: trans people and their stories were the focus of several theses.
"If you can take it, there's no better job".
Martin Aldrovandi, who had reported from China for Radio SRF for six years and will now start his new job as Southeast Asia correspondent in Bangkok, said: "It's a privilege to be able to report on the world." As a correspondent, he said, you are often left to your own devices. But, "If you can stand it, there's no better job."
Aldrovandi advised the young journalists to always try new things and not to be discouraged by critical feedback or ideas that didn't work. "Just keep going!"
