2023-12-18 13:41:28
As part of our interview with Isabelle Falconier, first female director of Swiss Press Clubwe addressed the issue of the media, their quality and press freedom, in particular.
Despite the currently difficult economic conditions, the Swiss media demonstrate excellence in the quality of investigation, reporting and analysis, whether on radio, television or in the written press. The Swiss media are therefore very good in all areas.
A quality press in French-speaking Switzerland
Isabelle Falconier explains to us that there is “very great freedom of speech and expression in Switzerland in relation to the actions, whether of the cantonal governments or the federal government. In addition, international policy is well followed in Switzerland. And this is largely explained because Geneva is in French-speaking Switzerland, and very big decisions concerning the world are made in Geneva. Swiss journalists naturally develop a very keen interest in questions of international geopolitics. »
Topics that are current
“Today, there is an immense demand on the press, here in Geneva or elsewhere in French-speaking Switzerland,” according to Isabelle Falconier. Journalists are fewer and fewer in number and are in demand by everyone, whether by companies, associations, communities or even international agencies.
It is therefore important to stick to current events, which is a priority for the media, in order to get journalists to take an interest in a subject. The key therefore consists of establishing “a good relationship with certain journalists in certain areas and knowing their centers of interest, choosing the right agenda in a way, the right time to bring out certain themes, and asking them to cover them”, reveals the director of the Swiss Press Club.
The Club also tries to offer debates that reflect current events, whether on the themes that are covered during human rights sessions or other agendas of UN agencies, in terms of health, economy or even artificial intelligence.
Freedom of press
The annual ranking of “Reporters Without Borders” places Switzerland around tenth position out of more than 140 countries, so working as a journalist in Switzerland remains relatively comfortable compared to other international countries.
According to Isabelle Falconier, “this is mainly due to the legislative arsenal” if “Switzerland is not in the top three. » Indeed, today, in Switzerland, people who feel attacked no longer hesitate to file a complaint once morest journalists and use the right to ban the publication of an article. It is also an object of struggle for people who defend media rights in Switzerland. This involves being able to publish the articles, even if it means giving a right of reply before the provisional measures are activated. Currently, these make it possible to prohibit the publication of an article in the event of particularly serious harm to a third party, if the latter requests it.
Switzerland is also more restrictive than some countries regarding certain journalistic techniques, such as hidden cameras or “undercover” journalism.
Journalist: a profession that is less and less attractive
Journalism is no longer an attractive profession from a salary point of view. In fact, Swiss journalists earn less and less well. Wages have clearly fallen. Most pricing conventions are no longer applied by the media themselves.
Isabelle Falconier adds that “the editorial offices are laying off a lot of journalists.
Consequently, many journalists choose to work independently, as external collaborators, or as freelancers. And there, the conditions are deplorable. »
A journalist who goes freelance must either work non-stop or have another activity on the side.
“We can almost say that the profession of journalist in Switzerland is becoming more precarious and risks no longer attracting people who have studied, for example, law or economics or scientific studies. However, today, we need journalists who are well trained in these areas,” Isabelle Falconier tells us.
The question of media financing
The media crisis in Switzerland is the same as that in other Western countries, that is to say that the balance between revenues from and readers has completely broken. This is due to the fact that, on the one hand, is devoted much less to the media, and more to social networks, and on the other hand that the public has gotten into the habit of not paying for information.
Isabelle Flaconier adds: “Today, what is urgent is to make the public understand that if they wish to have reliable information, if they wish to read interesting information, reports, investigations, if they wants to admire journalists, if he wants to trust them, this work must be able to be paid. »
It is also necessary for press groups to invest in the media and not to capture the resources that come from to do something else.
Finally, the independent journalistic structures that are being created, and which today are largely the future of journalism, must find a way through the jungle of possible economic models.
Today, public communities, states and cantons want to invest in guaranteeing quality journalism, but everyone is looking for a way to do it, whether direct or indirect funding.
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Photo credit : macor via depositphotos.com
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#fragile #balance #quality #precariousness
