"Nobody is interested in biased information" /Hermann Strittmatter on the newspaper projects of SP and SVP
"Nobody is interested in biased information "Hermann Strittmatter on the SP and SVP newspaper projectsBoth the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS, see also page
"Nobody is interested in biased information "Hermann Strittmatter on the SP and SVP newspaper projects
Both the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS, see also page 21) want to merge their cantonal and internal member information and each launch a medium-sized newspaper, partly financed by advertising, which should also appeal to audiences outside the two parties. Do both projects have any chance at all? Hermann Strittmatter, owner of GGK, Zurich, and SP member, clearly thinks not.
Hermann Strittmatter, is the timing of these projects a coincidence?
Hermann Strittmatter: How should I know that? In any case, your question overestimates the intellectual planning potential of a party. And if you are referring to external influences: In terms of simultaneity, the only connection is that the SVP doesn't yet have a party paper and the SP almost doesn't.
Do you believe in the resurgence of a kind of party press?
Strittmatter: No, because apart from the apparatchiks, nobody is interested in biased information. This is pure job creation. That's actually a good thing. But the danger of ideological navel-gazing remains acute.
As an SP member, is that also what you say about an SP project?
Strittmatter: Yes, of course, otherwise I wouldn't dare to talk about it like that.
So you no longer give the party press a chance. But what about the NZZ? As an FDP
It has been able to hold on to its position as a close newspaper to this day and even gain a good reputation.
Strittmatter: But only because it has helped shape the transformation of Swiss liberalism for 150 years and is very liberal, intelligent and well written in the non-political sections such as features, sport and even local affairs.
The SVP and SP also emphasize that they don't want to bring ideologically biased newspapers onto the market, but rather journalistically produced ones. Don't you trust these parties to do that?
Strittmatter: Yes, it is, and it is also perfectly legitimate to want to make such a newspaper. But it seems to me that the need for it has not been sufficiently explored in either case. It's not a contradiction at all: ideas are the prerequisite for communication.
Does this mean that, at best, a party can only produce a (self-)critical scene paper?
Strittmatter: This means that a party cannot produce a journalistically and financially successful newspaper. Otherwise, these people could work successfully in the business world and earn ten times as much there.
What hurdles will they fail to overcome?
Strittmatter: The requirement to be able to write about topics and events in such a way that they interest the reader and not in the way that they interest the author. In my opinion, however, party writers are not in a position to do this because they have to fulfill a party task: It's called PR writing.
At what point could one speak of success or failure?
Strittmatter: Never at all, there's no need to talk about it, because party papers with the aforementioned claim are a contradiction in terms and therefore not viable.
Will the two newspapers also be unsuccessful in the advertising market? After all, they are opening up to advertising and are likely to have clearly definable target audiences that are now also quite affluent.
Strittmatter: No matter how good or large the target audience is: If no one in this target audience consumes these products, there is no point in talking about them. And if the two papers are now open to advertising, that may be interesting, but only advertisers with esoteric offers, cultural organizers or Denner with its initiatives will advertise in the left-wing papers. And with the SVP, only those who want to try to get into these circles will advertise.
What consequences could the SVP paper have for the Schweizerzeit and the SP paper for the WochenZeitung (WoZ)?
Strittmatter: The WoZ and Schweizerzeit have an independence that is not affected by the party circus. Just like Blick, Tagi, NZZ and other successful media.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
Both the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS, see also page 21) want to merge their cantonal and internal member information and each launch a medium-sized newspaper, partly financed by advertising, which should also appeal to audiences outside the two parties. Do both projects have any chance at all? Hermann Strittmatter, owner of GGK, Zurich, and SP member, clearly thinks not.
Hermann Strittmatter, is the timing of these projects a coincidence?
Hermann Strittmatter: How should I know that? In any case, your question overestimates the intellectual planning potential of a party. And if you are referring to external influences: In terms of simultaneity, the only connection is that the SVP doesn't yet have a party paper and the SP almost doesn't.
Do you believe in the resurgence of a kind of party press?
Strittmatter: No, because apart from the apparatchiks, nobody is interested in biased information. This is pure job creation. That's actually a good thing. But the danger of ideological navel-gazing remains acute.
As an SP member, is that also what you say about an SP project?
Strittmatter: Yes, of course, otherwise I wouldn't dare to talk about it like that.
So you no longer give the party press a chance. But what about the NZZ? As an FDP
It has been able to hold on to its position as a close newspaper to this day and even gain a good reputation.
Strittmatter: But only because it has helped shape the transformation of Swiss liberalism for 150 years and is very liberal, intelligent and well written in the non-political sections such as features, sport and even local affairs.
The SVP and SP also emphasize that they don't want to bring ideologically biased newspapers onto the market, but rather journalistically produced ones. Don't you trust these parties to do that?
Strittmatter: Yes, it is, and it is also perfectly legitimate to want to make such a newspaper. But it seems to me that the need for it has not been sufficiently explored in either case. It's not a contradiction at all: ideas are the prerequisite for communication.
Does this mean that, at best, a party can only produce a (self-)critical scene paper?
Strittmatter: This means that a party cannot produce a journalistically and financially successful newspaper. Otherwise, these people could work successfully in the business world and earn ten times as much there.
What hurdles will they fail to overcome?
Strittmatter: The requirement to be able to write about topics and events in such a way that they interest the reader and not in the way that they interest the author. In my opinion, however, party writers are not in a position to do this because they have to fulfill a party task: It's called PR writing.
At what point could one speak of success or failure?
Strittmatter: Never at all, there's no need to talk about it, because party papers with the aforementioned claim are a contradiction in terms and therefore not viable.
Will the two newspapers also be unsuccessful in the advertising market? After all, they are opening up to advertising and are likely to have clearly definable target audiences that are now also quite affluent.
Strittmatter: No matter how good or large the target audience is: If no one in this target audience consumes these products, there is no point in talking about them. And if the two papers are now open to advertising, that may be interesting, but only advertisers with esoteric offers, cultural organizers or Denner with its initiatives will advertise in the left-wing papers. And with the SVP, only those who want to try to get into these circles will advertise.
What consequences could the SVP paper have for the Schweizerzeit and the SP paper for the WochenZeitung (WoZ)?
Strittmatter: The WoZ and Schweizerzeit have an independence that is not affected by the party circus. Just like Blick, Tagi, NZZ and other successful media.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
