Konferenz zu «Merging Media, Converging Newsrooms»

An der internationalen Konferenz des MAZ und des European Journalism Observatory Anfang März 2008 diskutierten 20 hochkarätige Medienwissenschafter und Journalisten aus Europa und den USA die Frage, welche Auswirkungen Newsrooms und multimediales Arbeiten auf den Journalismus und seine Qualität haben. Und sie wagten Prognosen zur künftigen Rolle und Arbeitsweise der JournalistInnen.

Die Rede war von «heiligen» Werten, von journalistischer Kernkompetenz und Glaubwürdigkeit, aber auch von Synergien, Click-Rates und der Mauer in den Köpfen der Journalisten - Statements aus den Referaten und Präsentationen der JournalistInnen und MedienwissenschaftlerInnen aus Europa und den USA (Konferenzsprache war englisch).

“There will be quite a lot of change in journalism, but the elements of journalism remain. These are: critical thinking, good reporting, creative writing.”
Sylvia Egli von Matt, director MAZ, at the opening of the conference.

Martha Stone, director World Association of Newspapers WAN, and Marcello Foa, who represented the European Journalism Observatory EJO. In the background: Markus Spillmann, editor-in-chief, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland.

“There should be only one strategy in converging processes: It’s for the audience out there – and not for converging itself! … We have to do what we do best: Journalism. Which means quality and credibility.”
Martha Stone, director WAN World Association of Newspapers, Paris

„Our underlying goal is to create a curriculum that trains our full time students as well as continuing education professionals to survive and thrive in a merged newsroom“.
Sandeep Junnarkar, professor, City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism

“We must not allow ourselves to restrain our role as journalists. We have to be strenous on quality content… Local content is the only content where you survive.”
Gigi Donelli, editor-in-chief multimedia, Il Sole - 24 ore, Milano, Italy
Gigi Donellis presentation

“Newsroom convergence in Germany requires changing mindsets: bridge the traditional barriers, think and act in teams across platforms and departments, and tear down newsroom walls and mentally walls.”
Klaus Meier, professor, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Germany.
Klaus Meier’s presentation

“Our goal has been and will always be high quality in journalism. We must not damage these fundamental basics.”
Markus Spillmann, editor-in-chief Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland

„Journalists have lost their monopoly. We are not any more in an ink-on-paper-business. We have two options: We can build windshields – or windmills… We decided: We want it to be fun going to work.”
Ulrik Haagerup, news editor-in-chief at the National Danish Broadcasting Corporation

“To achieve synergies in merging processes, the approaches are 1. limiting investments in activities, 2.engaging in coopetition, 3.making multiple uses of all content, 4. integrating cross media activities into single content production centers, 5. increasing the skill sets and activities of personnel.”
Robert G. Picard, Hamrin Professor, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden
Robert G. Picard’s presentation 

“Since 2007 we publish 18 titles under one brand: ‘Polska’. We have to consider: Our audience thinks globally - and lives locally.”
Wojciech Rogacin, deputy editor of ‘Polska’
Wojciech Rogacin's presentation

“When takeovers happen in the media industry, you can be sure of two things. First, they virtually always go through against a background of massive protest. Second – and here is the surprise – almost all of them are a success in publicistic terms. Newspapers often go up in quality after a takeover, giving the lie to all that initial doom-saying.”
Kurt W. Zimmermann, columnist, Zurich

„Let’s take the ‚Standard’ in Austria. There, we don’t talk about symbiosis. We talk about online editors taking part at the meetings of the print editors. Afterwards they go back into their offices, - offices which are separated in different buildings”.
Daniela Kraus, Medienhaus Wien, Vienna
Daniela Kraus’ presentation

“We must have a big eye on relevance… I am convinced: It always needs specialists who know their topic… If you want the loyal reader, don’t forget community building.”
Hansi Voigt, editor-in-chief 20.minutes.ch, Switzerland

“To survive, news corporations have to rethink their core values. They have to ask themselves: Why are we different from competitors?”
Kostas Saltzis, lecturer in journalism at the De Montfort University, Leicester, UK

“Quality content is the key of journalistic work. And a good story is the content”.
Marlis Prinzing, freelance journalist, lecturer at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Prinzings Presentation (PDF)

“I am convinced that merging processes will provide new fields of activities for freelance journalists. And that they require more freelance journalists.”
Verena Lugert, freelance journalist “Plan 17”, Hamburg, Germany

 “Studying journalists is a neglected research topic. They are confronted with new technologies, changing contexts of production, new pressures on the job.”
Roger Dickinson, professor, University of Leicester, UK. Left: Hugo Bigi

Hugo Bigi, chief-moderator of TeleZüri“, who is currently studying for a PhD degree at the University of Leicester, UK, together with Roger Dickinson presented a study on journalists, who are already forced to prove themselves on more than one skill: “The video journalist: freedom and constraint in a multi-skilled role”.

“Cross referencing means more readers, more sold copies. Ringier’s use of mobile boxes is only a first step, we have to integrate premium content creatively. To put it into practice, the representatives of each channel has to work together, otherwise they are faced with bitter debates about who owns which surface.”
Andras Nyiro, New Media Expert, Ringier Eastern Europe (right). Left: Hugo Bigi, background: Gigi Donelli

“Investigation, well-argued commentary, thrilling stories, and reliability are more than ever newspapers assets, even in the web age. Quality and excellence will prevail over shapeless journalistic mass fabrication. Yes, also in Germany newspaper readership declined by ten percent during the past ten years, but the biggest success story is our printed Sunday edition, which was launched in autumn 2001. It’s circulation grows constantly.”

Werner D’Inka, member of the board of editors-in-chief Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany, who sent his message by mail since he was prevented.

Programm (PDF)

Fotos: Vinicio Barreno.