The Future of Local Journalism: GPV Winterthur Seeks Answers

How can independent local journalism be strengthened in the region? Representatives from municipalities, the media, academia, associations, and foundations addressed this question on September 9 in Rikon. All ten media outlets active in the region were represented at the event organized by the Association of Municipal Presidents (GPV) of the Winterthur District. The future of local journalism is thus high on the region’s agenda—the GPV will continue to address the issue at its fall meeting on November 5.

Independent local reporting is under increasing pressure. Media concentration and centralized newsrooms, the reduction of local capacity, the consolidation of publications, and declining revenue from advertising and subscriptions are leading to a steady decline in locally tailored reporting. This trend affects more than just the media itself: Strong local journalism is considered an essential prerequisite for informed political debates and a functioning federalist militia system.

Ten media outlets at the table

Against this backdrop, the GPV Winterthur District invited representatives from municipalities, the media, academia, associations, and foundations to a thematic event in Rikon on September 9, 2026. Together, they discussed how to strengthen independent local journalism in the region. The event was organized by Manfred Leu, mayor of Seuzach, together with Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Wyss. The municipality of Zell served as host.

«It’s a warning sign when even politicians—who are supposed to be subject to critical scrutiny by the media—lament the consequences of the decline in local reporting,» says Vinzenz Wyss, professor of journalism at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), regarding the importance of local journalism for democracy.

Representatives from all media outlets active in the region accepted the invitation: Spatz News, Tele Z, Wnti.ch, Top Medien, the Elgger/Aadorfer Zeitung, the Winterthurer Zeitung, the Tages-Anzeiger, Radio Stadtfilter, the Andelfinger Zeitung, and the SRF Regionaljournal Zürich Schaffhausen. As a result, a broad spectrum of different media formats and journalistic perspectives was incorporated into the discussion.

«Local journalism keeps the exchange of ideas and the flow of information alive and helps shape the opinions of a diverse population. Our democracy thrives on this, and it is our responsibility to safeguard it,» says Maja Reding Vestner, mayor of Neftenbach and president of the GPV Winterthur District.

Inspiration and mutual exchange

Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Wyss explained the democratic significance of local journalism and the market failure regarding its financing. Prof. Dr. Guido Keel, Director of the Institute for Applied Media Studies at ZHAW, examined the possibilities and limitations of media funding from a legal perspective, building on the presentation by attorney Manuel Bertschi. Nina Graf, former co-managing director of We.Publish, presented the shared infrastructure for independent media and the «Dorfkönig» project for hyperlocal news. Nicolas Bernet, project manager for media funding strategy in the Canton of St. Gallen, reported on the experiences and considerations from his canton.

During the subsequent «World Café,» participants discussed which forms of support are realistic and politically viable without jeopardizing journalistic independence.

The key takeaways from the event are as follows: Local journalism is affected by market failure, as advertising revenue and subscriptions are insufficient to finance independent local reporting, even though it provides significant social benefits. Local journalism is also considered essential to democracy: it enables independent information, criticism, and oversight; lays the groundwork for local election and referendum decisions; and strengthens community cohesion. Finally, funding must preserve journalistic independence—various direct and indirect approaches were discussed, with clear criteria and the separation of funding from editorial decisions considered crucial.

The findings were then discussed and analyzed during a panel discussion. Moderated by Jakob Bächtold, Managing Director of House of Winterthur, the discussion featured Claudia Kratochvil, Director of the Swiss Association of Municipalities; Andreas Zoller, Head of Public Affairs at the Swiss Media Publishers Association; Prof. Dr. Guido Keel, Director of the Institute for Applied Media Studies at ZHAW, and Rebecca Vermot, Chair of the Volkart Foundation’s Media Commission and former journalist. The discussion focused on the practical, political, and financial feasibility of potential measures, as well as the next steps.

Follow-up at the Fall Meeting

The GPV Winterthur District sees a need for coordinated indirect funding at the federal, cantonal, and municipal levels. It will evaluate the findings from the event and follow up on the topic at its fall meeting on November 5, 2026. Until then, potential measures to secure the future of local journalism at the municipal level will be examined in greater depth. The initial focus will be on fleshing out the approaches discussed and better assessing their potential contribution to independent local reporting.