Supino misses support for independent media among lawmakers
Publisher president and Tamedia editor Pietro Supino has accused the state and lawmakers of lacking support for independent media.
The draft of the new media law would weaken the diversity of the press and opinions, he writes in a commentary. The 52-year-old media manager writes in a commentary published by his publishing house that the draft law extends fee financing beyond radio and television to purely Internet offerings, and in doing so accepts a weakening of the position of independent newspapers and their digital offerings. Tages-Anzeiger Monday. "The bill as it stands would be harmful."
The president of the Association of Swiss Media went on to criticize that direct media subsidies would compete with privately financed offerings and reduce the incentive for private investment. "Instead of strengthening the diversity of the press and opinion, it would be weakened for a long time."
Supino's plea reiterated the publishers' position on the planned new law on electronic media. With the new law, the Federal Council wants to reorganize media funding. In the future, for example, not only radio and television but also online media are to be able to be supported with funds from the media levy.
The background to this is that online media use is increasing. The Federal Council believes that public service must be present where the audience is. Publisher Supino takes politics to task in his commentary. He lets it be known that he misses an idea for the big picture in media policy. The draft law is conceptually "incomprehensible," and its meaning, purpose and goal are completely open. "Does the policy assume a convergent media world or not?" he asks, referring to the convergence of traditional media and the Internet. It is paying off that the long-promised fundamental debate on media policy is being bypassed. (SDA)
