Swiss School of Journalism MAZ awards 28 diplomas
28 journalists have successfully completed their two-year diploma in journalism at the "MAZ - Institute for Journalism and Communication". The ceremony focused on values and resilience.
In her speech, NZZ journalist and psychologist Damita Pressl appealed to the graduates to offer their audience clarity. They should clarify what is true, what is uncertain and what is false. Pressl emphasized not only defending values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law, but also convincing society of the importance of these achievements. "We cannot win the race by playing into the hands of algorithms, becoming ever shorter, ever more sensationalist and ever more desperate for attention," warned the guest speaker.
In her speech, MAZ Director Martina Fehr emphasized the importance of resilience and curiosity in journalism, especially in the face of constant and rapid changes in the world. Journalism is more than a profession, she said, it is a vocation with great responsibility. Resilience enables media professionals to overcome challenges, while curiosity serves as a drive to ask deeper questions and explore complex topics.
Research on multilevel marketing, wind turbines and mass tourism
The graduates of the 2022-2024 journalism diploma course work for radio, TV or print/online media from various publishers in German-speaking Switzerland. This diversity is also reflected in the topics that the journalists have addressed in their diploma theses: In her report, one graduate sheds light on how young people are manipulated and financially exploited with multi-level marketing - and quite legally at that. An audio feature is dedicated to the controversial debate surrounding wind turbine projects in the canton of Zurich. A video journalist focuses her reportage on the profiteers and losers of mass tourism in Grindelwald. Other diploma topics include the search for clues in the Ukraine war, the influence of Swedes on Engelberg and dealing with taboos and the unspeakable.
The 2022-2024 journalism diploma course was completed by Michelle Amstutz, Nicolas Blust, Tobias Brunner, Sarah Buser, Lea-Maria Däppen, Flavio Desax, Riley Dülberg, Maximilian Karl Fankhauser, Maya Janik, Ramon Juchli, Jessica Kappeler, Manuel Kaufmann, Rahel Künzler, Linda Leuenberger, Joan Meier, Roger Meier, Carmen Monn, Sven Niederhäuser, Felix Ott, Lia Pescatore, Soraya Alexandra Sägesser, Stefan Schmid, Andrea Schuhmacher, Jule Seifert, Tomasz Sikora, Mengia Spahr, Aline Studer, Andreas Wolf.
