New online portal brings local journalism back to the region
bezirk.ch is a new news platform for independent local journalism in Adliswil, Thalwil, Rüschlikon, and Kilchberg. This free service is complemented by a monthly print magazine.
A new addition to the local media landscape: Adliswil, Thalwil, Rüschlikon and Kilchberg now have a new journalistic voice with bezirk.ch. The news platform of Bezirk Medien AG focuses on critical, open and participatory journalism without a paywall.
The concept aims to fill the gap in local reporting left by the withdrawal of national media companies. The first issue of the free print magazine "Bezirk", which is distributed monthly to all households in the four municipalities, will also be published at the end of December.
The financing of the project is based on several pillars: Raiffeisenbank Thalwil is acting as a financial partner, with further theme partnerships and a main partnership to be announced shortly. In addition, readers can directly support local journalism with a support subscription. For companies, the platform offers targeted advertising opportunities in the region.
A special feature of bezirk.ch is its participatory approach: in addition to the professional editorial team, associations, institutions, parties and authorities can also submit contributions - provided that they comply with the editorial guidelines and are of public interest.
Communications-Revier from Langnau am Albis is responsible for editorial coordination. The team has over half a century of journalistic experience. "Precisely because local authorities have become too accustomed to the sovereignty of their own communication due to the decline in journalistic reporting, we need to take a closer look again," explains editorial manager Pascal Münger.
Publisher Samuel Rudolf von Rohr sees bezirk.ch as an important contribution to the future of local journalism: "We are convinced that vibrant neighborhoods and strong communities need independently prepared information."
