gional and national level, which relies on a mix of funding from subscription and advertising revenue,” explains media journalist Nick Lüthi. This is because there are no alternatives for readers or advertisers, and because these local publications continue to provide a service that people use and appreciate. “Tamedia newspapers no longer offer as much depth as the ‘Unter-Emmentaler’ can afford to do.” Furthermore, the village butcher and the farm shop around the corner can reach their target audience more effectively with an ad in the local paper than through an online campaign. “Important role” Politicians lament how Tamedia has pared back local journalism in their region, which is why they applaud how the “Unter-Emmentaler” is able to report on stories in their respective municipalities. “It reports on events, functions and official communications that would no longer reach our communities otherwise,” says the mayor of Langenthal, Reto Müller, who is less enamoured by the direct affiliations – political and sporting – of some individuals at the newspaper. He would like them to drop these ties. Hans Peter Baltensperger, who has been the mayor of Wyssachen for years, believes that the “Unter-Emmentaler” fulfils an extremely important role, without which his little village would barely register in the media anymore. Citizens need to stay informed for local politics to work, he says. Big media outlets report on world events. “You need local newspapers for local news.” As a gesture of solidarity, Baltensperger’s haulage company helps to fund newspaper ads for local clubs and associations – which is good for the “Unter-Emmentaler”. “A piece of local heritage” The people at Schürch Druck & Medien are confident that their business model for the printed newspaper will remain viable. In a catchment area with 45,000 or so inhabitants, it should be possible to keep the proportion of subscribers at 10 per cent or more, says Ryser, who notes that younger people are also starting to reconnect with old traditions. “Our 150-year-old newspaper is a piece of local heritage.” One that is also read by expats, who now subscribe to the “Unter-Emmentaler” from around the world. The company archives contain the newspaper’s first-ever prints, which were published in 1875. Photo: Susanne Wenger New online media helping to fill the gap In urban areas in particular, new online media is helping to fill the gap in local journalism left by the big publishers. Independent platforms like “hauptstadt.be”, “tsüri.ch”, and “bajour.ch” are trying to disrupt the media landscape, building their own reader communities that pay for content mostly through subscriptions. Foundations provide the start-up capital. However, it is hard for these models to generate sustainable revenue. In 2022, Swiss voters rejected legislation proposing new forms of funding that would have also helped online media. The federal parliament ratified this result during its 2024 winter session. However, lawmakers recognise the importance of regional and local journalism for democracy and have instead decided to bolster indirect funding of the press through postal charges. (SWE) Berne: www.hauptstadt.be Zurich: www.tsüri.ch Basel: www.bajour.ch www.unter-emmentaler.ch Swiss Review / January 2025 / No.1 18 Society
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