"If journalism dies, so does the free word".
Powerful calls to fight for relevant journalism, and, for the first time, diplomas for students specializing in online journalism—the 38 graduates of the 2015–2017 journalism diploma program—were treated to a varied program at the graduation ceremony held at the Kleintheater in Lucerne.
"Without journalism, there is no democracy. If journalism dies, so does the free word," said Nadja Schnetzler, Collaboration Coach at Project R, in response to study director Dominique Strebel's question "What makes journalism particularly exciting right now?" In her answers, she appealed to the young journalists to take up their task as the fourth estate - namely, "to criticize power. Otherwise, journalism is just entertainment."
Patrick Müller, Editor-in-Chief of AZ and Schweiz am Wochenende, is convinced: "Journalism is more meaningful than ever. We also have Donald Trump and all the discussions around him to thank for that. Because people sense that there is a difference between working as a journalist and simply broadcasting something to the world. According to Müller, journalism has a future, and young journalists at the start of their careers are a particular guarantee of that.
This year, for the first time, the diplomas also went to five students in the online specialization - a first at the MAZ. How did these graduates experience the new model? Even if some things were unclear at first, "I'm glad about the development I went through," says Martin Burkhalter, BZ. And Lina Giusto, AZ: "It was sometimes like a job on the side. Because a lot of what I learned at MAZ I couldn't immediately put into practice in the newsroom.
Have completed the diploma course in journalism (in parentheses the editorial offices of the traineeship):
Christoph Albrecht (BZ), Sven Altermatt (AZ), Alexandra Aregger (Radio Sunshine), Raya Badraun (St. Galler Tagblatt), Livio Brandenberg (Luzerner Zeitung), Martin Burkhalter (BZ), Fabia Caduff (RTR), Cathrin Caprez (various media), Livio Chistell (RTR), Yaël Debelle (Beobachter), Fabienne Eichelberger (Schweizer Familie), Fiona Endres (SonntagsZeitung), Gion Gieri Flepp (RTR), Severin Furter (Volksstimme), Lina Giusto (AZ), Matthias Gräub (Tierwelt), Raphael Gutzwiller (Luzerner Zeitung), Raoul Hüppi (Radio Top), Kristina Ivancic (Südostschweiz), Anne-Sophie Keller (Migros Magazin), Caroline Kienberger (various media), Vanessa Kobelt (Radio L), Noemi Landolt (AZ), Salome Müller (Tages-Anzeiger), Evelyne Murer (Tele1), Onur Ogul (various media), Deborah Onnis (AZ), Flavio Razzino (Toggenburger Zeitung/See & Gaster Zeitung), Esthy Rüdiger (Bieler Tagblatt), Simon Schär (Radio neo 1), Patrice Siegrist (Tages-Anzeiger), Carmen Stalder (Bieler Tagblatt), Janne Strebel (Radio 24), Lisa Stutzt (Wohler Anzeiger), Andrea Tedeschi (various media), Jennifer Vollstuber (Radio Munot), Fabio Vonarburg (AZ), Flavio Zwahlen (Wochenspiegel).
