"Five to twelve" for the publishers
Will the new edition regulations lead to further admissions of manipulation? In any case, the publishers still have a grace period.
Will the new edition regulations lead to further admissions of manipulation? In any case, the publishers still have a grace period.
Publishers who "repeatedly attempt to falsify the actual circulation figures by deliberately providing false information" must expect a contractual penalty of CHF 50,000 per title - who carries out the manipulation is irrelevant. If the penalty is imposed, the publisher also loses "the right to the circulation certification for the next three years". This is stated in the circulation regulations, which have been in force since July 1, 2004.
Following the Landbote's confession (WW 25/04), the question now arises as to whether other newspapers or magazines will follow suit and disclose circulation manipulation. Since penalties cannot be imposed retroactively, publishers still have a grace period until the next declaration deadline (June 30, 2005). So will the new circulation regulations lead to a major clean-up? And was this even the intention of the Wemf?
Manipulations as individual cases
However, they don't seem to be able to do much with these questions.
not. When asked, Wemf Director René Schmutz writes succinctly: "I don't suppose you expect me to comment on your speculations?" And Christel Plöger, chief editor of the publication, even warns: "Your thesis is pure speculation, which I do not wish to endorse. I would find a publication on your part dangerous and not serious."
Wemf Chairman and NZZ Publishing Director Tobias Trevisan apparently has more distance from the matter. He writes that the new sanctions are not intended as a major clean-up. The fact that circulation manipulation can be prosecuted as forgery or fraud is already a deterrent today. In the case of the manipulation of Giornale del Popolo and Landbote, he assumes "individual cases".
Hanspeter Lebrument, President of the Swiss Press Association, takes a similar view, pointing out that the new regulations were "welcomed by the publishers". However, the two most recent manipulations "do not indicate a trend", writes Lebrument. On the contrary, efforts have been made in recent years - including by the associations - to report circulation and other figures accurately. "Apart from individual errors, the result is convincing," concludes Hanspeter Lebrument.
Advertisers are more suspicious. "Only transparency can create the necessary trust among advertisers," says Urs Schneider, Vice President of BSW/IGMA. However, since he has identified indications of further circulation falsifications using a simple calculation, he is skeptical. He calculates that the LpE value (readers per copy) of 1.59 for the Landbote has been a quarter lower than that of other daily newspapers (a good 2 LpE) for years. "The reason is clearly to be found in the over-declared circulation," says Schneider. "This is an indication of inflated circulation figures." However, it has nothing to do with the large circulation: "Wemf's new certification regulations already seem to be having an effect."
Jürg Siegrist, Director of the Association of Swiss Advertisers, also assumes that possible sanctions have "sensitized the publishing houses". "It is now five to twelve to clear the air," he warns and calls for an additional, confidence-building measure. "As most publishing houses are public limited companies, I expect the controlling department to check these figures too."
The Landbote as a "serious" exampleAn article by Piero Schäfer in the customer magazine Wemf-Report from June 2002 shows how a circulation certification is carried out. From today's perspective, however, it is embarrassing that the showcase certification visit described took place at the Landbote of all places. Even if it is not certain that the Landbote was already manipulating figures at the time, passages in that text seem directly satirical today.
For example, when the Landbote publishing director is certified as having "done serious work during the year". Or when he says that certification is "a very personal matter for him, because the advertising industry then works with these figures." He continues: "There is a quiet joy when everything is correct ... But we don't actually make any gross errors." When the Wemf inspector found an error of 24 copies, the publishing director spoke of a "small oversight". (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
Publishers who "repeatedly attempt to falsify the actual circulation figures by deliberately providing false information" must expect a contractual penalty of CHF 50,000 per title - who carries out the manipulation is irrelevant. If the penalty is imposed, the publisher also loses "the right to the circulation certification for the next three years". This is stated in the circulation regulations, which have been in force since July 1, 2004.
Following the Landbote's confession (WW 25/04), the question now arises as to whether other newspapers or magazines will follow suit and disclose circulation manipulation. Since penalties cannot be imposed retroactively, publishers still have a grace period until the next declaration deadline (June 30, 2005). So will the new circulation regulations lead to a major clean-up? And was this even the intention of the Wemf?
Manipulations as individual cases
However, they don't seem to be able to do much with these questions.
not. When asked, Wemf Director René Schmutz writes succinctly: "I don't suppose you expect me to comment on your speculations?" And Christel Plöger, chief editor of the publication, even warns: "Your thesis is pure speculation, which I do not wish to endorse. I would find a publication on your part dangerous and not serious."
Wemf Chairman and NZZ Publishing Director Tobias Trevisan apparently has more distance from the matter. He writes that the new sanctions are not intended as a major clean-up. The fact that circulation manipulation can be prosecuted as forgery or fraud is already a deterrent today. In the case of the manipulation of Giornale del Popolo and Landbote, he assumes "individual cases".
Hanspeter Lebrument, President of the Swiss Press Association, takes a similar view, pointing out that the new regulations were "welcomed by the publishers". However, the two most recent manipulations "do not indicate a trend", writes Lebrument. On the contrary, efforts have been made in recent years - including by the associations - to report circulation and other figures accurately. "Apart from individual errors, the result is convincing," concludes Hanspeter Lebrument.
Advertisers are more suspicious. "Only transparency can create the necessary trust among advertisers," says Urs Schneider, Vice President of BSW/IGMA. However, since he has identified indications of further circulation falsifications using a simple calculation, he is skeptical. He calculates that the LpE value (readers per copy) of 1.59 for the Landbote has been a quarter lower than that of other daily newspapers (a good 2 LpE) for years. "The reason is clearly to be found in the over-declared circulation," says Schneider. "This is an indication of inflated circulation figures." However, it has nothing to do with the large circulation: "Wemf's new certification regulations already seem to be having an effect."
Jürg Siegrist, Director of the Association of Swiss Advertisers, also assumes that possible sanctions have "sensitized the publishing houses". "It is now five to twelve to clear the air," he warns and calls for an additional, confidence-building measure. "As most publishing houses are public limited companies, I expect the controlling department to check these figures too."
The Landbote as a "serious" exampleAn article by Piero Schäfer in the customer magazine Wemf-Report from June 2002 shows how a circulation certification is carried out. From today's perspective, however, it is embarrassing that the showcase certification visit described took place at the Landbote of all places. Even if it is not certain that the Landbote was already manipulating figures at the time, passages in that text seem directly satirical today.
For example, when the Landbote publishing director is certified as having "done serious work during the year". Or when he says that certification is "a very personal matter for him, because the advertising industry then works with these figures." He continues: "There is a quiet joy when everything is correct ... But we don't actually make any gross errors." When the Wemf inspector found an error of 24 copies, the publishing director spoke of a "small oversight". (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
