"There is always news"

Gratispresse The future editor-in-chief of
"today", Bernhard Weissberg, explains how the new Feierabendblatt
is positioned. WW: Why is Ringier launching an evening and not a daily newspaper?
Bernhard Weissberg: Because
we see a gap there. There is a need among readers for the later
afternoon. And together with the view, you can create a good combination
make

WW: In terms of advertising?
Bernhard Weissberg: Exactly.

WW: And in the reader market?
Bernhard Weissberg: Both newspapers are independent in the reader market. Mutual promotions for the content are planned.

WW: The danger is to compete with Blick with a free paper. Was that the reason for the Abendblatt decision?
Bernhard Weissberg: We
We have been dealing for some time with the question of what
free newspaper market is happening. From an entrepreneurial point of view
independently. You also have to ask yourself which
Developments on the paid newspapers, on the tabloid press
to come. If this can be ideally combined, then all the more
better.

WW: Still
Not long ago, publisher Michael Ringier said that journalistic
Content must not be free. What do you mean by this statement?
through your head?
Bernhard Weissberg: As
journalist, I am convinced that content has a certain value
must. Interchangeable content has no value. You have to
differentiate. However, there are social developments that can be
must take note of and accept. Just ten years ago
advertisers, the reader would have to pay more. In the meantime, they see this
probably different.

WW: But the aim of a free title cannot be to publish interchangeable content.
Bernhard Weissberg: That
content can be free of charge also applies independently of the
The existence of free newspapers. Internet has shown us: What everyone has,
You can't sell that. So you have to generate added value.
In the meantime, we have reached the point where readers can access the content for free.
and still get into the black with advertisements.
But this is only possible if you leave out a lot of the traditional newspaper.

WW: So there will be self-researched stories in "today".
Bernhard Weissberg: Yes.
But it is a slim product, 32 pages, with a slim
Editorial team. I used to have more people as editor-in-chief. It is
exciting because it's a different way of making a newspaper. It is
perhaps the kind we will have to deal with in the future.
have to: Media products will be sold on a different cost basis
produce.

WW: 20 Minuten is already a dominant and successful title on the market. How do you intend to compete with "heute"?
Bernhard Weissberg: We
are not competing against 20 Minuten. 20 Minuten has - like Metro, the
the world's largest free newspaper - opened up the market for free titles.
Free newspapers are now accepted, even in the
advertising industry. That is crucial, otherwise 20 Minuten would not exist.
The question was what areas of development there are for us. The
The classic way would have been to also bring a newspaper in the morning.
Then there would be a newspaper war and so on. But that doesn't help the
companies, advertisers and readers. Moreover, it is not
particularly creative to bring the same thing to the market.

WW: What is the creative solution?
Bernhard Weissberg: Man
can see people on the S-Bahn later in the afternoon who
pick up a crumpled copy of 20 Minuten, Tagi or Blick,
because they have nothing else to read. We believe that there is a
gap for a newspaper that is made for anything other than 20 minutes.

WW: Aren't people tired of reading in the evening and already saturated with news?
Bernhard Weissberg: No, we have clarified that in detail.

WW: What about the volume of news? Is there enough?
Bernhard Weissberg: News
will only make up part of the overall content. But news
are always there, that is not our concern. We live in a
24-hour society, are networked worldwide, people are interested in
also for things outside Switzerland. You also have to be
create news on a small scale. The concept of the newspaper
is not limited to news.

WW: You want to capture the positive mood of the audience in the evening.
Bernhard Weissberg: Exactly.
The audience doesn't switch off their brains in the evening, but the day does
continues. The young people in particular are thinking about
to be assumed. If the need for more magazine-like
stories, then we will have a good mixture of
get.

WW: How much news, how much magazine?
Bernhard Weissberg: The
I can't and don't want to say yet. We are constantly developing the product
further. Once we have decided on the start date and the
zero number is made, then we will show it. But that's how far
we haven't yet.

WW: That should happen very soon, before the summer.
Bernhard Weissberg: We try to show that even a large company can be very flexible and dynamic.

WW: How is "today" networked with other media?
Bernhard Weissberg: There
you will certainly get to see a lot of us. But that's not
can be produced so quickly, we will build up continuously. But it is
It is clear that a new print product today cannot avoid this. Our
target group lives with the digital products. But it certainly has
showed that they strongly accept the newspaper as an "old" medium. The
Mixing these two things will be very attractive.

Interview: René Worni