To the point: profile or neurosis?

Advertising in independent publications and the (supposed) resulting demands on (independent) reporting - this has become an ongoing issue in Switzerland. As a reminder: If the Baz doesn't write nicely about the SVP and UBS, Blocher and Bank no longer place ads, even though these are vital for the paper's survival. And publisher and editor-in-chief Markus Somm is even understanding about it.

Now the issue is reaching the next stage of its evolution. Once again, the U.S. shows the direction in which the debate is heading. Since the topic is no longer negotiated only by editors-in-chief and publishing directors, but has reached the readers, it has the potential for more: First, the wrestling between media and advertising companies or parties has a high entertainment value, at least for those who are not financially involved in the conflict. And secondly, the media can now create a new profile for themselves through their dealings with advertisers: Do they accept any form of advertising, as long as it brings in money? Do they take a stand against anything that is ugly, foul-mouthed, sexist, tendentious, too left-wing or too right-wing? (Is it even possible to advertise at all then?) Or do they hold out their hand for all advertising formats, but try to hide the advertising measures from their readers as well as possible, key words being content marketing and native advertising? Increasingly, a company's profile no longer arises only from what it does, but especially from what it doesn't do.

A bit of smear theater from America, with the currently universally popular and completely unelectable presidential candidate Donald Trump as the leading actor: The American Internet portal Buzzfeed has just terminated a lucrative advertising contract with Trump's Republican Party in protest against the "politics" of Donald Trump. "Buzzfeed cannot publish ads for Trump's presidential candidacy because Trump is violating the civil liberties of our employees in the U.S. and around the world," said company CEO Jonah Peretti. As an example, Peretti cited Trump's proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S., which would make it impossible for Buzzfeed employees to do their jobs. "Buzzfeed doesn't like to give up advertising revenue, which we depend on," Peretti stressed. But there are limits, he said: "We don't advertise cigarettes because they harm our well-being, and for the same reason we don't advertise Trump."

What a statement! And what an advertisement for Buzzfeed. The sympathy flash triggered by the termination was surely thought of by Peretti in his anti-reps campaign. Why else would he use Twitter to spread the news that he had canceled the advertising deal? I wouldn't be surprised if Buzzfeed were now inundated with a flood of ads and banners from all the companies and service providers who are for Hillary Clinton - or at least against Donald Trump.

This replacement advertising should casually fill the hole that the lost Republican advertising budget has torn into Buzzfeed's coffers. Although the portal did not want to give any details about its revenue losses due to the cancellation, the competitor website Politico estimated them at 1.3 million dollars (about 1.2 million Swiss francs). And even if new advertisers fail to materialize: Judging by the great media response and the many new readers Buzzfeed has gained through its Reps offensive, Peretti's clear course has already paid off. This is another way to campaign - and attract readers - at least in the US.

How many Swiss hearts would have flown to the Baz if Markus Somm had clearly opposed the SVP's course? Alone, we are not in the USA, but in Switzerland. And perhaps we would not have attested to Somm's clear line and backbone if he had given the SVP a thumbs-down, but to inadmissible partisanship for a media maker. On top of that, Somm is regarded as Christoph Blocher's mouthpiece; he has written a biography about the SVP chieftain and would probably have had a hard time authentically selling the headwinds arising in Basel. On the other hand, the attempt to show a line might have been worthwhile. After all, with Somm at the helm, the Basler Zeitung experienced the biggest drop in readership in its history. And Somm has already made many a change in his life, why not this one?

Well, further on in the American smear theater: The Republicans are said to have reacted calmly to Buzzfeed's decision, as reported by Handelsblatt. A party spokesman in Washington had said that advertising space had been reserved on Buzzfeed, but that there had been no plans to actually place ads anyway.

That would also be a strategy for the Baz, Mr. Somm: Why don't you just say, when UBS and SVP cut their budgets, "we wouldn't have printed your ads anyway! Bätsch!" That would even be good for reader advertising.

Anne-Friederike Heinrich, Editor in Chief
f.heinrich@werbewoche.ch