Campaign against Fake News
Developments in recent months have sparked a controversial debate about the role of the media. The professional conduct of journalists contributes significantly to democratic discourse. The Swiss Media Association wants to send a clear message about this through an advertising campaign.
The campaign will be launched with striking small advertisements explaining the journalistic way of working, according to a statement from the association. In large-format advertisements, which will be placed from the second half of March, personalities from politics, business and culture will emphasize the importance of, but also their expectations of, the independent Swiss media. The advertisements will appear in the newspapers and magazines of VSM members. "When the political and social debate is increasingly about emotions rather than facts, the time has come for independent media. With their critical and independent reporting, they enable us citizens to form our own opinions. This is indispensable in our democracy," says Pietro Supino, publisher of Tamedia and President of the Swiss Media Association. "The campaign was designed in-house and the first subjects will be on display in the coming days," says Andreas Häuptli, Managing Director of VSM.
The printed press in Switzerland enjoys a high level of trust. It is the most important type of media for forming opinions before votes in Switzerland. This is confirmed by the VOX study from spring 2016: 83% of voters primarily inform themselves about the pros and cons of a voting issue using press products. This figure is very stable; in 1999 it was 85%.
