How media professionals in Switzerland are going through the crisis

In qualitative group discussions, 33 media professionals from Switzerland's three major language areas provided a multi-layered insight into how they have perceived and coped with the Corona crisis to date. The EMEK has documented the conversations. In its report, it gives the floor to the journalists and rounds off their statements with its own conclusions.

No criticism, but a sense of community

According to their own assessment, the media act in their role as mediators in the acute crisis period in the sense of the Federal Council and mostly refrain from taking critical positions. The focus is on strengthening the community and overcoming the crisis together. Many emphasize their important function and see their performance in the context of a "public service. This also includes listening to their audience and responding to perceived needs from the population.

In the medium term, however, the media are once again taking on the role of gatekeeper to a greater extent, setting their own priorities and sometimes even questioning the authorities. Many media organizations notice that there is a lack of expertise from a science journalist in their own house.

Organizational challenges

The crisis is forcing media professionals into the home office. For many traditional media companies, this is uncharted territory and is associated with a fundamental rethink in the area of management and work organization - and with a technical innovation push.

Overall, the journalists are satisfied with their performance during the crisis, but they are also self-critical. This is especially true with regard to the question of how they have fulfilled their function of the fourth estate.

Three discussion points

In its conclusions, the EMEK points out three points for discussion.

1. Service (public) performance versus service public missionAll media have shown a self-imposed extraordinary performance in the context of Corona and have thus accompanied the population through an extraordinary situation. They have thus committed themselves to society and served the public mandate, irrespective of whether they are obliged by a concession under the RTVA to a defined performance mandate.
2. Lack of science journalism: As a result of a thinning out of specialist editorial departments that has been going on for some time, many media houses lack the relevant expertise. The Corona crisis clearly demonstrated this. Many, especially smaller, media organizations are not only depend on external experts, they also lack the in-house expertise to contextualize and journalistically process this information.
3. Journalism in the home office - is that possible? To what extent does telecommuting affect journalistic quality? From a purely technical point of view, there's nothing to be said against working from home. However, journalism also thrives on the exchange of ideas in the editorial offices. Consistent telecommuting also possibly favors the tendency to do journalism from the desk and to grasp the world via Google. The on-site experience is missing. Is this desirable? This is a discussion that needs to be had.