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“Shoot yourself in the knee” is a popular expression, probably from the hunter’s language. One of the most influential media managers in Switzerland, Ringier CEO Marc Walder, has now met in his own knee. On Friday afternoon, the online portal nebelspalter.ch published a video that was almost a year old.
In this, Walder says the words that are now flying around the ears not only of him, but of the entire media industry: “We (Ringier) had said in all the countries where we are active (…): We want to support the government through our media coverage that we can all get through the (corona) crisis well. “
Ringier media that “support” the respective government at the behest of their boss? That irritates, no: that is outrageous. «Support» instead of questioning? “Support” instead of looking for the truth, as journalists usually like to describe their work? One hopes that Walder didn’t mean what he said 1 to 1. At least he now relativized his statement at the time to the NZZ and Radio SRF: He is now speaking of an unfortunate statement, of a misleading formulation – a mistake.
Salvo against the entire industry
But the shot is already in place. And it hit not only in the own knee, but as an all-round salvo, the entire media industry. In the pandemic in particular, the accusation is repeated that large media companies report too closely to the government. It is true that anyone who follows the reports from publishers and SRF in Switzerland can quickly refute this accusation – but now the word of the Ringier boss is against it.
Other media react correspondingly sharply. The NZZ writes of a “journalistic declaration of bankruptcy”, “Poison for democracy”, is in Tamedia titles (including the Tages-Anzeiger). The “observer” – belonging to Ringier Axel Springer – even felt compelled to make it clear in public that there was no influence on the part of management.
In the service of the public
Walder’s volley could unintentionally hit SRF. The SRG and thus SRF act independently of the state and are organized as an association. But because of the publicly approved fee financing, critics keep trying to portray the SRG as a “state medium”.
The position of SRF is clear, even in the Corona crisis: Based on extensive information, SRF wants to enable citizens to form their own opinion and to be able to judge social processes themselves. This requirement in the service of the public is the very first that the journalistic guidelines of SRF formulate and according to which the journalists at SRF have to work. Supporting the government is of course nowhere in the SRF guidelines. Comprehensive information explicitly includes examining government decisions, reporting them based on facts, and expressing criticism. Even government decisions are not per se suitable for getting through the crisis well.
What does independent information mean?
Comprehensive information also includes independence, not just from a government but from all stakeholders. “Independent”, as the journalistic guidelines of SRF state, “our journalistic work is when editorial offices prefer or spare no ideology, no party, no association, no institution, person or other interest groups.” The government is not spared, and certainly not “supported”.
Perhaps the discussion about Marc Walder’s fatal statement ultimately has something good to offer: It sharpens the need for journalism, which is only committed to clarification. Journalism that says what is. Journalism that doesn’t have anything in common, not even a good one. In other words, journalism that citizens can rely on.