Publishers' Association Speaks Out Against Ancillary Copyright and Elects New Board of Directors
At its 2019 general meeting, the “Media with a Future” Association elected a new board of directors. The association’s upcoming second fiscal year since its founding will be focused on participation and cooperation.
In its first financial year, the association Medien mit Zukunft (Media with a Future) was able to make its first mark, writes the association in a press release on Monday. The publishers' association, which currently has 19 members, has been able to play an active role in media policy and was widely heard in the run-up to the No Billag vote and during the consultation process on the new media law. The publishers are committed to journalism with a future that can play its role in society even in a difficult market environment and in times of digitalization.
This is why publishers have also called on the new Media Minister Simonetta Sommaruga to set up a transformation fund to support media companies. The fund is to be filled with around CHF 100 million, similar to the indirect press subsidy, and is intended to enable the development of new technologies and business models as an indirect media subsidy.
New member Andreas von Gunten, a publisher from Kölliken, presented his criticism of the ancillary copyright law, which is currently the subject of heated debate in media policy. After a detailed discussion, the members present decided by a large majority to campaign against the ancillary copyright and to join the "Alliance for a fair copyright".
At the General Assembly on Thursday, the members elected a new Board of Directors. Camille Roseau from the weekly newspaper WOZ and Simon Jacoby from the city magazine Tsüri.ch now serve as co-presidents. The board is completed by the former Olaf Kunz (Wepublish), Hansi Voigt (Zentralplus), Patrick Vallélian (Sept) and the new Dennis Bühler (Republik), Min Li Marti (P.S.) and Simon Jäggi (Surprise Magazin).
The current year 2019 is characterized by participation and cooperation at the association Medien mit Zukunft. Publishers want to work together more closely in the future. Be it in technological developments, such as with Wepublish, or in content-related collaborations.
