Watson expands into western Switzerland
According to the NZZ am Sonntag and Le Matin Dimanche, the news portal Watson is preparing to expand into French-speaking Switzerland. Sandra Jean is set to head the French-language branch, which is scheduled to launch in 2021.
The former editor-in-chief of the newspapers Le Matin and Nouvelliste has already started work and is setting up an editorial team of around 20 people in Lausanne. Watson managing director Michael Wanner is also looking for an investor to take a financial stake in the project. Initial talks have already taken place, he said. According to Le Matin Dimanche Michael Wanner said that, if necessary, the project would be managed on its own. On the reasons for the expansion into French-speaking Switzerland, Wanner explained to the NZZ on Sundaythat the portal has developed well in German-speaking Switzerland. In addition, the advertising industry wants to launch campaigns for both of Switzerland's major language regions in a single title. And finally, French-speaking Switzerland had become journalistically impoverished in recent years, it was said. (SDA/hae)
