New platform for local journalism planned
Together with the Swiss School of Journalism Maz, the Investigativ.ch association wants to expand its existing activities. A new platform for local journalism is planned, which will provide knowledge, ideas and research approaches for stories.
The existing platforms Investigative.ch and Publicity law.ch are to come under one roof and be operated by a joint office.
Initial funding for the project has been pledged by the Foundation for Media Diversity, which already supports the Basler Daily News or the Bernese online magazine Journal B co-financed. The Competence Center for Research will be permanently supported by Swiss publishers and other sponsors.
The investigativ.ch association already operates a research information pool that is mainly aimed at journalists working on a national level. Around 100 media professionals have joined the association since it was founded in 2010. The aim is to create a national research network that benefits everyone from local journalists to highly specialized business journalists.
A new office, run by two media professionals, will bundle the activities of the Competence Center for Research. The website Öffentlichkeitsgesetz.ch will also be operated under the umbrella of the office. The association of the same name is committed to the good implementation of Swiss publicity laws and was recognized as the "best quality initiative in Swiss journalism" by the Association for Quality in Journalism in 2011.
Promoting cultural and value change in journalism
Investigativ.ch is developing the new internet platform for local journalism together with Maz. The site is due to go online next year. The Maz has been training local journalists for years and has been organizing the Swiss Forum for Local Journalism since 2011.
According to the concept paper, the project aims to promote a change in culture and values in journalism. It wants to promote journalism that is characterized by independent research. "Strengthening research also strengthens media diversity and the quality of journalism in general," it says.
