Publishers believe in the future of the newspaper
After a period of uncertainty, Swiss publishers are rediscovering their love for newspapers. According to Publishers Association President Hanspeter Lebrument, the digital world has caused the newspaper readership and advertising markets to shrink significantly. Yet he says newspapers still have a future.
It is not the first time that a new medium has shaken up the newspaper markets. "Newspapers also had to fight for a new place back then and seek cooperation with the intruders," said Lebrument on Friday at the Swiss Media Congress 2014 in Interlaken. The latest figures on newspaper readership are very unsatisfactory. However, they only show half the truth. They do not include those who read newspapers online on smartphones or tablets. It is therefore urgently necessary to include this reach, as Advertising Media Research has now announced in a pilot test.
Preservation of newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland
In his speech to the assembled publishers, Federal Councillor Alain Berset appealed to the responsibility of large publishing houses such as Tamedia and Ringier. French-speaking Switzerland still needs regional and national newspapers. French-speaking Switzerland will continue to depend on strong, independent newspapers with attractive working conditions. He does not agree with the chorus of those who condemn the media for orienting itself solely towards the mainstream. He trusts in the innovative strength of the media companies. "And I am sure that there will always be high-quality journalism," said Berset. In any case, it will not fail because of demand. Because hardly ever before has a debate about society as a whole been more important than it is today. And only good newspapers can provide this debate - whether online or in print.
Multilingualism important for Switzerland
Multilingualism is of central importance in order to understand each other. "Globalization - and with it the dominance of English as a global language - poses a challenge to our national cohesion. Our national languages are more than just a means of communication. They are the ticket to an entire culture." Publisher President Hanspeter Lebrument once again addressed the relationship with the SRG, which had already been discussed the previous day. Cooperation on videos is one side of the coin. However, the SRG's ban on online advertising must not be lifted under any circumstances or circumvented by new technological developments. There is still mistrust among publishers in this area. This mistrust could only be overcome if clear statements were made by politicians, SRG and private broadcasters. This has not yet been the case. (SDA)
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