Recognition for our report from the Swiss mountains

Thanks to technology, journalist Sibilla Bondolfi was able to work in the region that she was researching: the Alps. swissinfo.ch

A longform report that we published last autumn has been shortlisted for the Swiss Press Award. The nomination is an honour for our team. 

SWI’s Bondolfi, Pisani and Rihs (from left) Swiss Press Award

Can people in Switzerland really live and work wherever they want on account of the digital revolution? Even in the mountains? A longform multimedia report by SWI swissinfo.ch has the answer. Published in October 2019, it has been nominated for the Swiss Press AwardExternal link.

SWI colleagues Sibilla Bondolfi (text), Carlo Pisani (videos) and Daniel RhisExternal link (photos) were curious: Why does everyone crowd into the foggy lowlands when sunshine, fresh air and untouched landscapes are so (relatively) nearby? Can technology fulfill the dual wish of more space and well-paid jobs?

“We visited people who are able to live and work in the mountains thanks to digital advances. They gave us insight into their daily lives and told us how they were able to make a living in the mountains,” says Sibilla Bondolfi. 

Here is the result:

“I am very pleased that the hard work that went into this story is being acknowledged in this way”, says Jo Fahy, Head of the Multimedia Department. The result comes from the joint efforts of the editorial, multimedia and IT teams. It shows a new side of Switzerland, shedding light on it and questioning its standard of development.

These are all aspects that are of great importance to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation’s international service: SWI swissinfo.ch publishes credible and balanced information for a foreign audience in ten languages, whereby quality and journalistic independence always come first.

The winners of the Swiss Press Award will be announced on Wednesday.