Federal Council would welcome payments to Press Council
The Federal Council would welcome it if the Publishers Association were to support the Press Council financially again. This was said by Media Minister Doris Leuthard on Monday during question time in the National Council.
Self-regulation is important for the credibility of the media, Leuthard said. Even though the publishers' association has suspended payments, the Federal Council does not consider self-regulation to have failed. However, he would welcome it if the publishers' association resumed its support and did not question the future financing of the Press Council. SP National Council member Cédric Wermuth had inquired. The Swiss Media Association (VSM) had announced in August that it was cancelling its contributions to the Press Council for three years (Werbewoche.ch reported). The Press Council reacted with incomprehension. It was "incomprehensible and alarming" that the publishers no longer wanted to provide funding for journalistic quality, it stated. The Press Council assesses complaints about violations of the Journalists' Code of Conduct. This sets out the rights and duties of journalists. The Press Council is financed in equal parts by the journalists' unions on the one hand and the Conference of Editors-in-Chief, the SRG and the Association of Swiss Media on the other. (SDA)
Image: Parliamentary Services 3003 Bern
