Cantonal gardens are cleared

 
Press A small earthquake for French-speaking Switzerland: Le Matin abolishes its editorial outlets.  
Le Matin, the tabloid of the Lausanne publishing house Edipresse, is closing its editorial outlets in the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland and in Zurich. The journalists and photographers affected will in future work at the Lausanne central editorial office. The French-speaking Swiss press is talking about a turning point, but editor-in-chief Peter Rothenbühler assures us that this is merely a measure as part of the announced relaunch. Rothenbühler wants to turn his newspaper into a "daily magazine". "We will remain a news newspaper, but our perspective will be magazine-like," he defines. More background is the magic word: speed is less of an obligation than staying on the ball and setting topics. We are no longer looking for local topics, but rather those that are of interest to the whole of French-speaking Switzerland. It is no longer the personal network of contacts of the locally based journalist that counts, but the ability to send several reporters to the scene to investigate if necessary. The closure of the editorial outlets, including the one in Zurich, is not a cost-cutting measure, assures Rothenbühler, but part of the new editorial concept: "We will continue to report regional stories, but we no longer want a cantonal garden."
Even if Rothenbühler denies it: The decision to centralize the editorial office in Lausanne was made under the pressure exerted on the paid newspaper by the in-house free paper "Le Matin bleu". The paid-for "Matin" lost around 6,000 copies last year and six people were made redundant last summer for financial reasons. Advertising is also continuing to migrate from the paid newspaper to the free paper. The newspaper La Liberté speaks of a loss of 19 percent in the first five months of this year, a figure that Rothenbühler neither confirms nor denies.
However, the newspaper has already been working on a relaunch for a year, which is expected to take place on September 10. "The newspaper is doing well. We simply have to manage to clearly differentiate ourselves from the free newspapers in terms of content." Local facts are left to fast media such as the Internet, radio and television or the free newspapers. The newspaper has to offer more than all the others on the topics that are important to Matin readers according to surveys. And what are these topics? "Sport, celebrities and faits divers of social importance."
The decision to abolish the cantonal editorial offices has made headlines in the French-speaking Swiss press. This is because the newspaper, which until Rothenbühler's arrival proudly set itself apart from the tabloid style in German-speaking Switzerland, has played an important role in French-speaking Switzerland in recent decades. At least as long as the local press was the only medium and was under the influence of religion or political parties. Thanks to the editorial outlets, Le Matin was often able to publish revelations that the local press kept under wraps for economic or political reasons.
Matin seems to have abandoned this political role, which can only be fulfilled by well-established and networked local journalists. It is also fitting that the newspaper and its star illustrator Barrigue, who was able to get to the heart of social contradictions with bilious humor,
agreed on an "amicable separation" in the spring. Barrigue did not comment on his departure from Matin, for which he had worked for 29 years. He put the matter in general terms: the media should inform and sensitize people, not dull them with sensationalism, he told the media magazine Klartext. Bernard Reist, head of information for the cantonal government of Valais, who was interviewed by Le Temps, echoed this sentiment: "Le Matin seems to want to abandon the continuous coverage of politics and focus solely on entertainment," he interpreted the abolition of the regional offices.
 
Peter Rothenbühler does not agree with this view of things. In the case of political scandals, where the local press has inhibitions, his newspaper will continue to "say everything". But you don't need local journalists for that. And it is true, he says, that there is no need for continuous consultation and parliamentary reports. "When it comes to major political issues, we want to play an even more important role than before with research, editorials and commentaries."
Helen Brügger