Study links shrinking local media landscape and lower voter turnout
According to the Quality of the Media yearbook the number of regional newspapers in Switzerland fell from 36 to 28 between 2001 and 2016.
Keystone
There is a direct connection between the steady disappearance of local newspapers in Switzerland and lower participation in communal votes, according to a study released on Tuesday.
This is the conclusion of Daniel KüblerExternal link, a political scientist at Zurich University, who has analysed data from six urban regions – Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Lucerne and Lugano – or a total of 408 municipalities.
He found that in areas with larger circulations of local newspapers, turnout in communal votes was greater.
Participation in municipal and city council elections has been falling steadily in Switzerland for decades. In canton Zurich, for example, in the 1970s turnout at municipal elections was around 70%. It stood at 37% in 2014.
At the same time, communities have been struggling with the crisis of local journalism. Local newspapers have come under pressure, partly because of free newspapers and new online media. The number of independent regional and local newspapers has been steadily decreasing, while larger press groups have been consolidating. According to the Quality of the Media yearbook,External link the number of regional newspapers in Switzerland fell from 36 to 28 between 2001 and 2016.
The mergers of local newspapers have resulted in press groups talking less about regional issues and proposing fewer articles on local news, said Kübler.
The hope that local online news would step in to replace local newspapers that are being phased out has not occurred, he added.
“No one has found the solution to earn money with local online news,” he declared.
To defend democratic values, Kübler believes non-commercial players, such as foundations, political parties and local authorities should step in with new local media offers.
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
Flat-hunting in Switzerland’s cheapest and most expensive municipalities
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland presents special toilet for cows to cut emissions
This content was published on
A toilet specially designed for cows, aimed at reducing ammonia emissions per animal by 15%, was presented at a farm in Hellbühl, canton Lucerne, on Wednesday.
Swiss petition against US F-35 fighter jets gathers 42,000 signatures
This content was published on
A petition by the "Stop-F35 Alliance" urging the Swiss government to immediately halt the purchase of new US fighter jets has gathered 42,500 signatures.
Swiss House of Representatives backs online Schengen visa system
This content was published on
In future, Schengen visa applications should be made via a European Union online platform. On Tuesday, Switzerland's House of Representatives adopted a revision of Swiss legislation on this issue.
UBS study: Switzerland is still the richest country in the world
This content was published on
Average per-capita wealth in Switzerland rose last year to $687,000 (CHF561,000), the UBS Global Wealth Report said on Wednesday.
UBS and Pictet report data leak after cyber attack on provider Chain IQ
This content was published on
Swiss banks UBS and Pictet on Wednesday confirmed they had suffered a data leak due to a cyber attack on their subcontractor Chain IQ in Switzerland.
Iran will respond firmly if US gets directly involved in Israeli strikes, says UN ambassador
This content was published on
Iran says it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Swiss politicians concerned by cut to Lausanne-Paris TGV services
This content was published on
The Vaud cantonal parliament wants to maintain six direct daily TGV high-speed train services between Lausanne and Paris.
This content was published on
Switzerland and Norway have signed a bilateral agreement for the future storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the North Sea.
Switzerland must better protect whistleblowers, says OECD
This content was published on
Switzerland must step up its anti-corruption efforts and provide better protection for whistleblowers while increasing fines for guilty firms, an OECD anti-bribery group says.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland’s largest media group strengthens dominant position
This content was published on
Switzerland’s largest media group, Zurich-based Tamedia, has struck a deal with one of the country’s most controversial politicians, Christoph Blocher.
This content was published on
Tamedia, Switzerland’s biggest private media company, says its 14 different newspapers will soon be produced by two editorial offices.
Government minister calls for media quality and diversity
This content was published on
In a wide-ranging interviewExternal link on Monday with the Watson news platform and several regional newspapers, Leuthard said a dominant role for a single player in the media sector was not desirable. “It must be the goal to secure diversity and quality in the media for democratic reasons,” she said. Leuthard also expressed concern about…
This content was published on
The staff at the Swiss News Agency (SDA-ATS), the main source of news for many Swiss media, have launched a warning strike over job cuts.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.