While Tamedia managers assured the Geneva Council of State last week that the sustainability of the Tribune de Genève was part of their strategy, it is clear today that the survival of the oldest Geneva daily is indeed very threatened, and with it the local media coverage, both in the canton of Geneva and in the canton of Vaud.
With the announcement of this consolidation, which is accompanied by new layoffs representing 25 full-time equivalents, it is difficult to understand with what resources quality information can be preserved throughout the territory covered by this new editorial.
If Tamedia has affirmed its attachment to the “Tribune de Genève brand”, its managers should be reminded that local media are much more than a branding element. They are at the forefront in providing the population with quality information on events in their region. Their survival as a counter-power is essential to the proper functioning of our democratic institutions.
La Tribune de Genève, like 24 Heures in Lausanne, provides an essential local information mission, guaranteeing a plurality of opinions and a vector of democratic debate. The disappearance of the editorial staff of the Tribune de Genève, after almost 150 years of shared history with our canton, is that of an institution, but also that of the know-how of generations of journalists invested in covering the news of our region.
In view of today’s announcements, it is reasonable to wonder whether the survival of the Tribune de Genève and 24 Heures will not require the publication of two newspapers with different titles depending on the canton, but with identical content. The Administrative Council therefore today affirms its deep disagreement with Tamedia’s strategy. It is indeed not acceptable that news coverage of the country’s second city is relegated to the background.
The municipal authorities hope that solutions can be found to ensure the survival of a true local press title and are available to Tamedia managers to discuss the future of its publications in French-speaking Switzerland and in Geneva in particular.
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