XX: XX D MO Social media at NASA - Scott Kelly is spending a year in space In-house journal September 2015
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D MO
Grand Opening: The remodeledXX:
Ringier
XX Pressehaus opens to the world
Social media at NASA
Scott Kelly is spending a year in space
In-house journal
September 2015
CONTENTS
14
4T
he star in the virtual cosmos September
NASA’s social media universe is vast. So
is the number of its followers and its
edition of DOMO
lead players are out of this world. How as e-magazine
a bureaucratic government agency
became the darling of the Internet.
14 Hipster magazines
«Print Matters!» strikes a chord with
paper aficionados. Zurich’s hippest
newsstand has one hundred magazines
on offer.
16 Focus on Ringier
The best press photos of the last
quarter from around the world.
18 Interview
Swiss author Lukas Bärfuss talks about
journalists and their day-to-day reality.
4
20 The «new» Pressehaus
Open to the world – that’s the attitude
of the newly remodeled Ringier
headquarters.
16
24 Inhouse
20
On October 1st the Romandy daily Le
Temps will be launching a new
formula, a new look and a new Internet
presence.
ingier meets the stars
26 R
Swiss TV star Michelle Hunziker leaves
no one cold - including DOMO writer
René Haenig.
ichael Ringier
28 M
Our publisher on the sad reality in
editorial offices – print and digital.
alk
29 T
Questions for Ringier’s management.
18
nniversaries
30 A
Obituary / Employment Anniversa-
ries / Recommended reading.
Cover: Marco Grob for TIME
SUPLÉMENT CULTURE
SAMEDI 00 MAI 2015
Samedi
Publishing Information
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26
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Pei Translation (Chinese). Proofreading: Regula
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Photos: Marcel Nöcker, NASA (2), Geslin Laurant for L’Illustré, Dukas, Thomas Buchwalder, Lucian Hunziker/Ex-Press,Eddy Mottaz DOMO – September 2015 | 3
Nasa
NASA astronaut
Scott Kelly, 51, is
spending a year on
the International
Space Station,
some 250 miles
away from Earth.
Day by day he
communicates his
experiences
during this time
via Twitter,
Instagram and
Facebook.
The shining star in
At a time when every company wants to use social media effectively and
generate followers, a bureaucratic government agency has quietly come to be
the darling of the Internet: the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
the virtual cosmos NASA. Astronauts like Scott Kelly are tweeting from space. Read all about what
is possibly the most ingenious social media strategy of our day.
Photographs by Marco Grob
4 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 5
Nasa
Text: Bettina Bono
T he assignment came right from
the top: «Good luck, captain.
Make sure we get to see something
on Instagram. We are proud of you.»
Clear words from US President Ba-
rack Obama in his State of the Union
address on January 20, 2015, and
meant for NASA astronaut Scott Kel-
ly. Ever since the American started
out on his year-long mission on the
International Space Station ISS on
March 27, 2015, he has been following
the boss’ orders. Day after day we on
Earth receive Instagram pictures
from stationcdrkelly. And @station-
CDRKelly is similarly busy sending
his tweets across the universe.
The hashtag #YearInSpace, which
stands for Kelly’s year-long stay in
space, is one of the most popular
with NASA followers on social me- In fact, it coincided with the touch
dia. down of NASA’s Phoenix Mars
Lander on the planet’s northern po-
With 12.2 million followers lar region. Veronica McGregor, head
@NASA ranks number 98 of the of communications at NASA Jet Pro-
world’s most popular Twitter pulsion Laboratories (JPL) in Pasade-
accounts. In comparison, the White na, California, wanted to let her fel-
House tweets for a mere seven low Americans share the experience.
million Twitter followers. Number But she knew that on a Sunday like
one by far in the government cos- this most people would be standing
mos is the American president: around the barbecue in their back-
Barack Obama has 60.3 million yard, drink in hand, and hardly
Twitter followers. On Facebook, aware of what was happening at that
however, (with twelve million fol- very moment 171 million miles away.
lowers) and Instagram (4.8 million That on an alien planet a technical
followers), NASA boasts respectable masterpiece had just ended its jour-
numbers. The National Aeronautics ney of 423 million miles through
and Space Administration has won space. On the spur of the moment she
the «Shorty», the Oscar of the social decided to tweet in the first person:
media world for two years running. «Atmospheric entry has started.
Shorty Awards are not bestowed by Time to get really nervous.» «My sig-
an academy. The users, the commu- nal still getting to Earth. Awesome!»
nities themselves decide who «Parachute is open!!!!» «Cheers!
generates the best content on Tears!! I’m here!»
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, You- • It worked. Within minutes a meteor
•
Tube, Instagram, Vine and other between themselves and the public. are located. This is the ISS Mission ences on offer, from meeting astro- shower of comments set in. Veronica
platforms. Megan Sumner, Control Center. And this is where as- nauts and scientists to witnessing a In the NASA McGregor gave a voice to the Phoenix
Of course, NASA has a unique In Southeast Texas, a 45-minute 25, is in charge tronauts are monitored while in or- rocket launch. «In return we are hop- mission control probe through her tweets, at a time
product: fascinating pictures, drive from Houston lies Johnson of social media bit. Whenever Megan Sumner, head ing they will report on NASA on their room events on when companies were using Twitter
enthralling videos and unseen Space Center, one of ten NASA loca- at the Johnson of social media in Houston, sends channels, using our hashtags, and the ISS are closely solely as support for previously pub-
universes for us to discover. Thanks tions throughout the USA. In an Space Center in out an invitation for one of her thus raise awareness for NASA monitored. Craig lished media releases. Tweeting in
to social media we gain insight into area spanning 1,620 acres some Houston. «NASA Social» events, guests are among their own followers,» says Bernard, 47, the newly adopted first-person form
a world that our planet is part of 10,000 people work for the center. «Space travel sure to get exclusive insight: «The ac- Ms. Sumner. supports the NASA had another positive side effect:
but that we cannot readily access. Each of the more than 500 astro- didn’t use to cess our followers are granted on astronauts in their Writing «I» takes up considerably
Nevertheless, other companies can nauts from around the world ever appeal to me. these days corresponds to that of a NASA’s social media universe social media fewer characters than, in this case,
learn a great deal from NASA’s having visited the ISS or flown a Now I’m US senator. It’s an opportunity for us hasn’t always been quite so im- endeavors. using the term «the Mars probe».
social network success. NASA Space Shuttle was trained in Hou- obsessed with to take our online experiences of- mense. Like the universe itself, it be- This matters when you only have 140
excels at eliminating barriers ston. This is where the simulators the universe.» fline.» There are a variety of experi- gan with a bang on May 25th, 2008. characters at your disposal.
6 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 7
Nasa
Reid Wiseman military.
Born November So you could have sent your wife
11, 1975
flowers for her birthday from space?
A US astronaut,
he is married, with (Laughs.) Yeah, I could have done
two daughters. that ...
Number of Online access on the ISS allows you
spaceflights: 1 to follow family and friends on
Launch of first Instagram. Food porn is very big right
spaceflight: now. So how does it make you feel to
The personal voice struck a May 28, 2014 see a picture of a nice barbecue when
chord with people on social media. Time in space: you’re having to eat astronaut food?
It made them care. By 2008, just a 165 days, 8 hours, It makes you want to come down and
1 minute
few celebrities were using Twitter, eat some barbecue (laughs). That
EVAs: 2
Senator Obama and singer Britney stuff makes you miss home. But then
Spears among them. Nowadays, Total EVA time you just go look out the window at
outside ISS:
NASA employees from various de- 12 hours, the Earth, and you’re like: All right,
partments contribute, communi- 47 minutes this is way better than a barbecue or
cating via 500 accounts. The latest • a football game.
and most recognized example is Is it really as breathtaking up there
astronaut Scott Kelly. The man or- as the pictures you posted?
biting Earth at a distance of 250 A picture is beautiful, but if you’re
miles and at a speed of 17,500 miles looking at it with your own eyes…
•
per hour is a social media star, a job just to watch this thing fly over for a rookie. All I wanted to share was, You can never capture that, even
he deals with on the side. His as- ten seconds. That’s when my dream International what does it feel like the first few with video, how vivid it is, fifteen
signment is a different one. Scott was born, but I never expected it to Space Station days? What’s it like to look down at different layers of blues… I flew with
Kelly’s long-term stay in space is to work out.» The ISS is a your planet from above? You share a Alex Gerst, a German, and we joked
Reid Wiseman, how does your day manned space few things and you realize it’s pretty with each other: Who can ever look
• begin on the International Space station jointly popular. And then you get addicted out a cupola window and not take a
Scott (left) and Station (ISS)? operated by 15 to this feedback and this joy. But it picture? And we were unable to do it.
Mark Kelly – one is You wake up at 6.30. You go through countries including also kept me going, trying new You could always hear the Velcro
in space, the other your breakfast, you shave, you brush Switzerland. It has things, looking around corners I ripping as you pulled a camera off the
on Earth. Together your teeth. We don’t normally show- the dimensions of wouldn’t normally look around. wall.
they will move er, so you use a wet towel to wipe a soccer pitch, And, coming back, the coolest part What kind of camera do you use?
mankind a bit yourself down. making it the was: I have a social-media journal, at We had Nikon D2s and D3s. With
closer to the planet And then you start posting on social largest artificial least three comments a day. They about a month to go I threw them out
Mars. media? object in orbit at were even asking us about our train- and we got D4s. The pictures these
We don’t get any time for this. this time. It ing in Russia, whether we did some- guys are sending down now, it makes
reveal new insights into how peo- Throughout the day everything is harbors an thing in the simulator. I could go my heart bleed, those cameras are so
ple would fare on a journey to Mars. completely controlled. There’s a international crew back and find a picture of it and send much better. Our sensors degrade
A unique twin mission promises to screen with the crew schedule with of six astronauts, it to this guy. It’s amazing. over time because of radiation, so
take mankind one step closer to the boxes in different colors. Any task who engage in How important is it for you up there the longer a camera stays on orbit the
exploration of the planet Mars. An that’s grey they’ve completed, any- scientific research. to know what’s happening down worse quality pictures it sends,
important role in this endeavor has thing that’s green is in work, any- In 2014 the ISS was here? there’s a lot of dead pixels.
been assigned to Scott Kelly’s iden-
tical twin on Earth. Mark Kelly, a
former astronaut himself, has al-
«In space there is no spam» thing that’s white they haven’t
started yet. You get a break for lunch,
and if you get done any of these tasks
nominated for a
Nobel Peace Prize
as the largest
As a human you’re curious. So we
always want the news and we usual-
ly get it a day late. Then there’s social
Do you get spam in space?
On the ISS you don’t have access to
your Earth-based e-mail. There’s an
most identical DNA, thus repre- a little bit early, you can sneak to the international media and real-time events, like air account set up by mission control,
senting a perfect comparable coun- They tweet from orbit: the astronauts on the window and get a picture or do some- peace-time disasters or big earthquakes, and and I am only allowed to authorize
terpart. This is the only way we can thing fun. endeavor in that’s where Craig comes in. I also 127 people on this e-mail distribu-
currently learn the effects longtime International Space Station ISS. Reid Wiseman, 39, How quickly can these pictures be history. The ISS get condensed sports coverage. tion. When I receive e-mail it’s from
space travel might have on hu-
mans. The outbound journey to
was one of them. Since November of last year transferred?
If you’ve got time right there you can
may be seen from
Earth with the
There’s one channel of live TV we
can watch, so if there’s a game they
somebody I’ve already given a
thumbs-up to. So: no spam. It’s great!
Mars alone would take half a year. he has been back on Earth. @astro_reid with his download it and e-mail it down to naked eye; the app can reconfigure it so we can watch At 250 miles from Earth – who are
•
Will Scott’s DNA age faster than his Craig at ground support or you wait «Spot the Station» that. the people you most want to commu-
brother’s? Will it show more dan- On the ground for space videos and pictures of our planet has until the end of the day or the end of tells you when and To what extent is private communi- nicate with?
gerous mutations that could possi-
bly lead to cancer? Will his percep-
DOMO in Houston:
Bettina Bono.
changed how NASA uses Twitter. the week. I like being real-time. If
there’s something really amazing
where. cation possible?
E-mail is private, but it’s on a govern-
In general it’s very much like here.
But I did take a list of people who
tion and logical thinking be like a hurricane or a typhoon, some ment computer, so if somebody have changed my life in some way,
compromised?
In the meantime, Scott Kelly shares
his personal experiences and im-
H e is a child of the eighties. Reid
Wiseman grew up knowing that
men had been to the moon. However,
miles above the ground. All seven
astronauts lost their lives. What
Wiseman remembers much more
real current event, you want that
information immediately out there.
From taking a picture to getting it on
wanted to go look at it they could.
But an e-mail between me and my
wife should be private and protected
and I called every one of them while
I was up there. One of them was my
tenth-grade history teacher, and I
pressions on Twitter, Instagram, two specific events shaped his mem- fondly is the day a Boeing 747 flew a Twitter is within two minutes. It’s as by the government. We do have a had not talked to her since then. So I
and Facebook. Craig Bernard as- ories of space travel: One, he will space shuttle riding on its back live as you can get. little satellite phone that we can use call her on the phone, and she’s, like:
sists all NASA astronauts from never forget the Challenger disaster across his hometown Baltimore, Sounds like you really love this stuff. whenever we want, just for personal «You have to be kidding me! I cannot
Johnson Space Center in Houston. of January 28, 1986. Seventy-three Maryland, on its way to the Kennedy I didn’t mean to. When I went up calls. I would talk to my wife every believe I’m talking to you. Where are
This trained electrical engineer seconds after take-off, NASA’s third Space Center in Florida. «Everybody there I was gonna tweet because night before she put the kids to bed. you?» «Oh, I’m on the Space Station.»
keeps up with the latest way to space shuttle exploded some ten was going up to this mall parking lot other astronauts had tweeted. I was Much better than when I was in the «What!?» BB
8 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 9
nasa
Scott Kelly’s Instagram
account (stationcdrkelly) Sleeping and working in space The bed
On Earth a sleeping bag
primarily serves to keep
its user warm. In space it
chiefly keeps the
astronauts in place.
share imagery, provides training Otherwise they would
on platform selection and mechan- The long-distance float around.
ics, advises the astronauts on per- Thirst quencher relationship
sonal campaigns, reviews content In space the water bottle He would miss everything
for accuracy, and performs media is a water bag floating about her, Scott Kelly said
relations. near the ceiling. before starting his journey to
the ISS. Pictures of his partner
Astronauts are said to be keen Amiko Kauderer are on display
on experimentation: The first everywhere. He also follows
spacewalk selfie is 50 years old. It her Instagram account.
shows Edward White during his ex-
travehicular activity (EVA) on June
3rd, 1965. This was during the Gem-
ini IV mission, when Edward White
detached himself from the space-
craft, to a distance of some fifteen
feet. Reid Wiseman (see interview
on page 8) posted the first space
video on Vine. Scott Kelly launched
#SpaceGeo, a competition challeng-
ing viewers to find out which city or
region can be seen in the picture he The hardware
just posted on Twitter. Those who One laptop serves Scott Kelly
guess right win a print of the pic- for monitoring his daily
ture with Scott Kelly’s autograph – schedule and video calls, the
following his return in March 2016, other gives him access to the
that is. Internet – for reading the news,
Kelly followers are lovingly dubbed tweeting and enjoying video
space groupies. One of them is US calls with his family and friends.
President Barack Obama. The com- He uses the iPad to watch
mander-in-chief occasionally tunes downloaded movies.
into a tweet chat with Scott Kelly.
«Hey, @StationCDRKelly, loving the
photos. Do you ever look out the
window and just freak out?» Obama
wrote. Scott Kelly tweeted back: «I
don’t freak out about anything, Mr.
President. Except getting a Twitter
question from you.» It is hardly sur-
prising therefore that the coolest Scott Kelly’s Instagram followers number around 270,000 after
Photos: NASA
resident in our solar system and one six months in space. No selfie or cat video can compete with the
of the most powerful men in the scenery 250 miles away from Earth. John Yembrick, social media
world are said to have the perfect manager at NASA: «Scott is very keen on Instagram. I had no idea
«Twitter bromance». he is such a talented photographer.»
10 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 11
NASA
Just before takeoff
«You’ll not get bored»
in Baikonur, the
rocket taking
American
astronaut Scott
Kelly and Russian
cosmonaut Mikhail
Kornienko to the
ISS is getting a
More than 500 accounts on 14 different platforms – a.m. could see that all social media platforms
were simultaneously filled with images of
blessing. The two
men are expected
this is how NASA’s social media universe presents Pluto.
Your «product» is very attractive. What can
back on Earth in
the spring of 2016.
itself. The man at the helm is John Yembrick. other companies whose core business isn’t
shooting rockets to the moon learn from you?
His goal is to inspire and communicate, not just with It’s not just our content, but what we do with
that content. There are three things that we
Americans but with everyone on the planet. do. We’re constantly having people ask us
questions or having people participating in
events with us, come along for the ride. With
ble. Not just people like the uber-space the «New Horizons» fly-by we did a tweet
geeks; we want to reach people who don’t chat. The other thing they can learn from us
think about NASA in their everyday life and is that we do in-person events. We give peo-
show them how we’re relevant. There’s ple behind-the-scenes access to what we do.
something for everybody at NASA. That’s And we ask them to tell our story. It’s always
why we chose these platforms. They have to more powerful when someone else advo-
make sense for us to tell our stories. For ex- cates for you. When a friend or a family
ample, we are on Instagram. We are a very member tells you how great NASA is, I think
visual agency, so it makes sense to have our it’s much more powerful. The third thing we
content on that platform. We also reach do, we try to participate in conversations,
people via Tumblr, which is great for telling showing what NASA is about, not just being
stories. We’re very selective. We don’t just on social media but really engaged with
John Yembrick, with over 30 million follow- jump into platforms. people. That’s our secret.
ers can you lean back and relax? Which is more important - text or picture? Which is your greatest challenge?
It’s going to sound a little ambitious, but I The visual often grabs people’s attention. On We have a lot of content. Internally our big-
feel, personally, that there are so many more social media there are some amazing images gest challenge is trying to bring all that
people we could potentially be reaching out from the Hubble space telescope. But if you content into a strategic frame. We make a lot
there. also want to learn what you’re looking at and of noise at NASA, there’s just so much hap-
So you’re only just scratching the surface? get more information about what that is, the pening all the time. Our challenge is turning
Numbers themselves don’t matter, but there text is important. The first thing you do is down the noise and turning up the volume
are certain audiences we really want to com- often to wow people with images, and then on the things that are really important. For
municate with. Young people, for example, you try to provide as much content as possi- example, this week we were talking about
are really important, people that we can in- ble. If you follow the main NASA channels, the sea- level rise.
spire to want to study science, technology you’ll see that almost all of our posts try to Each of NASA’s field centers has a social
engineering and math careers. be informative. They want to tell you what media lead. We talk to them every week
Just recently the boygroup One Direction that picture is. So that’s very important to us about what’s ahead, what new stories are
shot the music video to their song «Drag Me» to try and communicate. coming out. We’re very strategic about that.
at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Is How do you manage to communicate com- When the Pluto fly-by happened, we’d been
this more than a marketing stunt? plex scientific content in 140 characters? thinking about that months in advance,
It certainly is. We try to participate in those It can be difficult. We try to make it accessi- what products we were gonna have, what
conversations where people are. While we ble to anyone reading it. You don’t have to kinds of messages we wanted to put out
were talking about One Direction on our have a PhD in astrophysics to understand there, what were our contingency plans if
social media we were also talking about the what the content of a story is. We put it in the mission failed.
real work we do at NASA (using links to @ plain language. We try to avoid using acro- To what extent does the government inter-
AstroRobonaut, @NASA_Orion und @NASA). nyms and scientific terms. fere?
Other brands’ primary objective on social Which kinds of news, stories or information If we want to use a new platform we need
media is often to sell a product or create work the best? approval, but on social media we have a lot
brand awareness. We’re quite unique in that New discoveries. Something big that no one of discretion, also to respond to things in real
respect, it’s difficult to compare us even with has ever seen before. For example, when we time.
other government agencies. Our primary recently had the Pluto fly-by of «New Hori- What would never happen on one of NASA’s
goal is to communicate the work of NASA zons» on July 14th, that was one of the best social media accounts?
and also inspire people, show how NASA’s days we had on social media. We try very hard not to endorse anything,
content can connect with their lives. NASA was the first to put a picture of Pluto products or celebrities. One thing you’re not
You primarily use Twitter, Facebook, on Instagram - as a preview, generating going to be: You’ll not get bored. Every day
Instagram, Google+ und Tumblr. Which are 100,000 likes within minutes. there’s some new amazing thing out there
your criteria for choosing the platforms? The Internet went crazy. Those who were that will inspire you. All you have to do is
Our goal is to reach as many people as possi- online in the United States on July 14th at 9 follow along.BB
12 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 13
print
Hipster magazines
A friend built the Schaffner. «Many readers don’t know
shelves; the maga- how variegated the world of maga-
zines were selected
by the collective zines is.»
themselves after One hundred magazines are on dis-
lengthy debates: play, a colorful selection comprising
Co-manager all types of subject matter: from the
Chöying Darpoling
is tidying up the Swiss magazine «Reportagen» to
Italian art journals («Toilet Paper»),
In this era of digitalization, «Print Matters!» strikes a chord with paper aficionados. display at «Print
Matters!». countless lifestyle and fashion mag-
Zurich’s hippest newsstand has one hundred magazines on offer. All of them are azines («So It Goes», «Printed Pages»)
and travel guides («38 HOURS in...»,
lovingly crafted journals that you won’t find at your corner store. «Travel Almanac»). On average, the
magazines cost 20 Swiss francs. «It
wasn’t hard to find so many periodi-
cals,» says Schaffner, «rather, to re-
Text: Adrian Meyer. Photos: Marcel Nöcker strict ourselves to a mere 100.» They
T hey make you feel like sniffing
them, each and every one of these
nicely lined up magazines. The «Print
independent magazines. Off the beat-
en track of the major publishing
houses these so-called indie mags are
could easily have put up 300.
Nostalgia for the real thing
Matters!» newsstand displays them all self-published. They defy the the- One thing is striking: Even periodi-
like works of art. Each of them at- ory that digitalization is leading to cals have come to be prestigious ob-
tracts you with its own scent. So you the extinction of print media. New jects. «Often people will buy a maga-
take one, briefly caress its spine, start layout and printing technologies, in zine as a gift to bring to a dinner or a
rifling through it and let the pages fact, have made it far easier and party,» says Florian Schaffner. A
patter. Only then do you devote your cheaper to produce a periodical to- particularly popular choice is «The
attention to the pictures and illustra- day. Printed Dog», a fashion magazine
tions, the typography. You feel great, featuring dogs as models. It is pub-
like an explorer. And you begin to 100 hand-picked magazines lished in a strictly limited run of
read. Before the Internet age, special-inter- merely 100 numbered copies – and
All summer long print aficionados got est magazines, with their often rath- costs the proud sum of 60 Swiss
to enjoy elaborately produced period- er nerdy focus, scarcely generated francs.
icals as presented at a dedicated enough of a readership to be viable. It is a strange trend: In a globalized,
magazine gallery in Zurich’s old Nowadays, social media or websites digital world, where products are
town. A young six-person collective permit magazine makers to present available at all times and just a
operated the pop-up newsstand themselves to the whole world – and mouse-click away, there is a boom of
«Print Matters!» here from June to get in touch with like-minded people. the ostensibly real and handmade
August, selling their favorite maga- That is how even a periodical like thing, objects you can touch and feel.
zines. It was a test run for a store of «The Plant» can find readers around Connoisseurs do not get their coffee
their own. «We didn’t know if it the world: a lifestyle magazine deal- at Starbucks but from their own trust-
would work,» says co-manager Flori- ing mainly with indoor plants. Nev- ed barista. Instead of streaming mu-
an Schaffner, 29. «But the response ertheless, the work rarely pays off for sic for free from Spotify they prefer to
was overwhelming.» And so they the magazine makers, as distribution collect pricey vinyl LPs. Or they buy
continue to offer their magazines, in costs remain high. These are labors expensive indie mags instead of what
a fashion store and in a delicatessen of love for aficionados. the newsstand has to offer. The idea
as well as by way of online mail order. «Print Matters!» almost exclusively is to show off their good taste and to
Of course they are still dreaming of sells magazines that are not available dissociate from cheap mass-market
their own shop. All that is missing is from mainstream newsstands. «We product. Even if is only to drape the
the right location. want to show people a realm beyond magazine stylishly across their coffee
mass-market publications,» says table. Unread.
Niche boom
So far, the six have travelled to Lon-
don or Berlin to stock up on maga-
zines from way outside the main- Favorite magazines
stream they are bored with. Those
cities already have magazine shops A selection of periodicals particularly appreciated
that are more like bookstores than by the creators of «Print Matters!». Clockwise,
newsstands. In Zurich, however, they from top left: So It Goes – lifestyle and art, New
could not find a place to browse their York; Printed Pages – contemporary culture. arts,
favorite periodicals in peace. In addi- design, London; 032c – art, fashion, politics, Berlin;
tion, Switzerland’s independent mag- The Travel Almanac – calls itself a post-tourism
azine scene is very limited. The crazy publication, talks about travel and temporary
Four of the six creators of «Print Matters!» idea of opening their own newsstand lodging for creative people, Berlin and New York;
(left to right): Rico Häner (28), Chöying finally led to «Print Matters!». Fantastic Man – fashion for men, interviews with
Darpoling (24), Matteo Mattmann (29), This project is in tune with the times: celebrities and intellectuals, Amsterdam;
Florian Schaffner (29). Not pictured: Laurin The periodicals scene is booming – as Il Paradiso – independent travel magazine,
Schaffner (24) and Matthieu Meyer (29).
a niche business. Recent years have each issue devoted to a single country, Berlin.
seen the creation of innumerable new
14 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 15
FOCUS ON RINGIER In this feature DOMO regularly presents the best photographs published by Ringier titles in the past quarter
Ringier’s best photos
1
of the last quarter
Six photographs from Germany and Switzerland: A historical mission;
a sly photographer’s secret and a refugee’s touching story.
LAURENT GESLIN Photographer BLAISE KORMANN Photographer FABIAN UNTERNÄHRER P hotographer
SIDONIE GOTTRAUX GARCIA CAROLINE ZINGG Editor DIANA OBST Editor
VILARCHAO Editor
1 Photographer Laurent Geslin often has to
be as cunning as a fox to capture wildlife
3 When Swiss minister of foreign affairs
Didier Burkhalter travelled to Cuba in
mid-August, he was following an invitation from
5 Basel is considered Switzerland’s art
capital. There are more than forty museums
and private collections, and then there is Art
with his camera. The Frenchman, who has his American counterpart John Kerry. It was a Basel, the fair that draws art collectors from
been living in Switzerland for some years now, historic mission, because it would be the first around the globe to the city on the Rhine.
primarily uses camera traps which he positions time in more than half a century that the US flag Monopol – Magazin für Kunst und Leben
in locations that wild animals are bound to was raised officially in this Caribbean country. (Magazine for art and lifestyle) takes this
visit: waterholes. The Romandy magazine The Romandy magazine L’illustré decided to opportunity to present the city, based on a
L’illustré devoted a major feature to images accompany Burkhalter, who would be the first guided tour with Ulla Dreyfus-Best. This
of animals that Geslin had managed to surprise Swiss Federal Councilor ever to set foot on wealthy art collector and jet-set lady reveals
and photograph by night. The photographer Cuban soil. This is all the more striking as her favorite places – among them the «Wunder-
camouflages his camera very well. An infrared Switzerland has played a crucial role for both kammer» (cabinet of curiosities) at the Basel
sensor triggers one or two flashes. Like any countries for a very long time. For more than 50 Historical Museum in the Barfüsser church.
other nature photographer Geslin works from years Switzerland represented U.S. interests Cabinets of curiosities harbor artefacts full of
a hidden observation point. In this photo in Havana as well as Cuban interests in mysteries, which may appear pointless but are
spread for L’illustré one picture in particular Washington. For the deputy editor-in-chief of nevertheless fascinating. And so, photogra-
stands out, according to deputy editor-in-chief L’illustré the photograph she chose is «the pher Fabian Unternährer – himself a citizen of 2
Caroline Zingg: that of a weasel walking right epitome of the completion of this diplomatic Basel – descended into the basement of the
into the trap on its way to the refreshing mission. Didier Burkhalter takes his leave, and Barfüsser church to capture marvelous things
water, netting Geslin a wonderful shot for his Kerry takes over and addresses the Cuban in the cabinet of curiosities with his camera.
animal photo album. people.» And all at once the fifty-year ice age
between the two nations is history; a history
that Switzerland helped to write.
KURT REICHENBACH Photographer
UWE H. MARTIN Photographer NICOLE SPIESS Editor
TANJA RAECK Editor
2 LandRush is a long-term documentation
by photographer Uwe H. Martin, who
PASCAL MORA
MARKUS SENN
Photographer
Editor 6 The «Aescher», dubbed the «most
interesting restaurant in the world» by the
«Huffington Post», draws tourists from around
has won several prizes for his work. The focus
of this project is the future of farming amid
the conflicting priorities of food safety, energy
4 A midmorning in August at a railway station
on the border between Serbia and
Macedonia. A train stops. Hundreds of men,
the world up into the Appenzell Alpstein
mountains. This mountain inn at 4770 ft. has
been photographed thousands of times. A
production and international land acquisitions. women and children get off, refugees fleeing drawing of it adorns the label of Appenzeller
In its August issue Cicero – Magazin für to Europe via the Balkan route. It is almost 90 liqueur. Due to its location there is only one
politische Kultur (Magazine for political degrees. One of the passengers is an old spot that this cliff-hugging inn can be
culture) presents a photo essay by Martin woman. She’s wearing a headscarf and walking photographed from. So it was not an easy task
about the drought in California. On his with a stick. A young man will accompany for Schweizer Illustrierte photographer Kurt
two-month research trip the photographer her on her two-and-a-half-mile trek across the Reichenbach when he was assigned to take a
devoted himself intensely to the effects of green border to the Serbian city of Preševo. picture of this guest house in an entirely
the drought on agriculture in California’s Pascal Mora takes the woman’s picture for the different light. Instead of using the morning
Central Valley. The LandRush project has also Blick Group. What is her name? Who is her light Reichenbach shot the Aescher in the
been programmed as an interactive app escort? A grandson? A stranger? He hardly evening sun – having secured a 5,000-lumen
and displayed in exhibitions all around the speaks any English. All he can say is that she is hand-held spotlight. (A flashlight emits 200
world since 2014. By the end of this year eighty years old and has fled from Syria. The lumen.) The spotlight allowed him to «paint»
the app will be available for download to the image captures the desperation of many the dark rock bright, while the accompanying
public. Martin not only provides the photo- people from war-torn Syria. Even a frail old journalist released the shutter of the camera
graphs, he is also a multimedia producer woman will take on this long, arduous journey. on a tripod set to 30 seconds exposure time.
working on films and texts about the issues From Preševo she will travel by bus to Belgrade, Around 9.30 p.m. Reichenbach’s «different»
that concern him. Cicero’s digital edition then on to the Hungarian border. She is hoping picture was in the can. He had also immortal-
offered its readers a multimedia report on the to be granted asylum in Germany, as are ized himself, and not just once. Here’s a little
subject of drought (www.cicero.de/duerre). hundreds of thousands of refugees. riddle: Where is the shadow man hiding?
16 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 17
FOCUS ON RINGIER 5
In this feature DOMO regularly presents the best photographs published by Ringier titles in the past quarter
6
3
4Interview
Swiss writer Lukas Bärfuss thinks highly of journalists while also being
sharply critical of the everyday realities of their working life. His guest
lecture at the Ringier School of Journalism’s graduation ceremony
provoked the following conversation.
Text: Hannes Britschgi
Lukas Bärfuss, shall we begin by And the media love icons and the them to practice their craft in such a
practicing the popular sport of reproducing of them. However, do- way that quality comes first. Getting
journalist bashing? ing that in this instance turns them it out there usually comes before
By all means! into propagandists. getting to the bottom of it.
What do expect of journalism? Or useful idiots. You are perceived as a political writer
Not much. Exactly. This sort of reporting cre- who wants to change the world and
Why? ates mobs. The mob mindset has a make it a better place.
This profession is currently undergo- very restricted range of response: That is a misconception. I am a
ing a change in seas. The publishers outrage and sentimentality. All you critical writer, that is true. But first
don’t know how they can still make need to do is imagine someone you and foremost I am telling a story.
money through reporting news. And love being presented in this way – in I am not quite as political as many
the journalists don’t know what that orange clothes, awaiting death. And people think.
might even be anymore – news, that you get the message very quickly. Are critics not intrinsically political?
is. There used to be a delay between What would be the alternative to the Sure, if they go public. That is some-
an event itself and the reporting of war of images? thing I have always done. At first
the news. This interval in between Maybe journalists should go back to for economic reasons. I organized
was the period of time journalists being witnesses. Witnesses are never my readings in order to put food on
had to do their job – report, weigh, unconcerned. They are affected by my table and to find an audience for
comment. Nowadays this period events. They feel a different respon- my writing. And theater is a public
of time is dwindling to nothing. sibility towards things than simply forum by definition. In my case there
Everything is moving towards a live to fill a publication with lurid pic- are hardly any texts that I haven’t
stream. The minute something hap- tures and texts – irrespective of their published. Apart from one novel.
pens it has already been disseminat- source. The indifference of news is You come across as serious and
ed. What is the role of the journalist inhuman. Grief, joy, knowledge and severe – sometimes even dogged.
in this process? A mere technician curiosity: these are all stirred into Do you recognize yourself in that?
linking networks? What is there one big media stew. Dogged is not a word I would like.
to categorize when the timeline In your political novel «Hundert The severity may be a result of dis-
dictates the structure? What is the Tage» (One Hundred Days) you cipline, which is a prerequisite of
point of weighing when space on the engage with the genocide in Rwanda. artistic endeavor and stands in a di-
Internet is unlimited? How does your approach differ from alectic relation to freedom. Stravin-
In your speech you addressed the that of a journalist? sky is quoted as saying: Freedom
decapitations performed by IS thugs. The key difference lies in the pro- is the highest form of discipline. If
What do you find is wrong with the duction time. «Hundert Tage» took you want to learn anything, about
coverage of these beheadings? twenty years to mature. Also, I’m your own way of thinking, you must
Everything. Because it’s nothing bound to have a different attitude to be willing to be disciplined. The
more than propaganda for these things I don’t know or understand. only way to bear this, however, is
murderers. I search out ambivalences like a pig by remaining serene and cheerful.
Would it be better to be silent hunting for truffles. I deliberately I try to accept everything with se-
about it? look for the points at which things renity. That is the greatest form of
That is the usual killer argument. In become unclear. opposition.
this case, though: Who could object Swiss writer Lukas Where do you get your information Is it only your personal friends who
«Journalists should go
to silencing the IS? It might be better Bärfuss, 43, won from? get to experience this serenity?
Photo: Christian Grund/13Photo
to give them the silent treatment the 2014 Swiss We started out bashing journalists. This serenity may be found in all
than to silence them with weapons. Book Award for his My anger and my dissatisfaction of my books and texts. No-one has
Even so, of course you can still report novel «Koala». His are a result of my cause. I need good ever seen or read anything of mine
back to being witnesses»
on this. The question is, how. If you latest book, «Stil journalists. We all need them. And without laughing at some point or
portray people in orange outfits you und Moral» (Style I often meet smart and educated other. At the graduation ceremony
are adopting the executioners’ es- and Morality) was people in this profession. The insti- there were people laughing. Or did I
thetics. The color orange, for exam- published in tutions, however, whether private or just imagine that?
ple, has become an icon of cruelty. March. public, often make it impossible for Not at all.
DOMO – September 2015 | 19THE RINGIER pressehaus
the Pressehaus at Dufourstrasse 23. tion desk is now adorned with the
The idea did not meet with immediate entropy formula. This term, coined in
enthusiasm by the radio guys. They 1948, stands for the expected average
were afraid that their station’s youth- value of information in any message
ful culture would not be a good fit with received.
printed press and the publishing On the second floor, the Blick group
company’s tradition. In addition, had to give up space for Radio Energy.
there were doubts with regard to im- Ringier installed a brand new radio
plementing the technology: Would it studio there, featuring cutting-edge
even be possible to build a modern technology and state-of-the-art work-
radio studio inside the Pressehaus? spaces. Radio Energy boss Dani Büchi
Mr. Walder eradicated their doubts, kept tabs on every detail of the design.
highlighting the opportunities. Old Only the best was good enough, de-
and new media should move closer spite concerns that the high-end stu-
together, digital and analog worlds dio finish might provoke envy among
In «The Gallery»:
Ringier CEO Marc A conversation
should merge. The CEO was the driv-
ing force behind the idea of installing
Ringier employees under constant
pressure to cut costs.
Walder (from left.),
artist Liam Gillick with Liam Gillick
and publisher
a restaurant right next to the lobby, a Michael Ringier Mr. Gillick, as you know, journalists
public eatery that would be open to Room at the inn love to read their own texts. Do you
everybody in the neighborhood, not The remodeling was intended to build also contemplate your art with a
just staff. sense of satisfaction?
In order to cut down on expenses, the 1 No, I am very pragmatic in this
newsstand on the ground floor was respect. I primarily check whether
scheduled to go, not least for being an they were executed the way I had im-
ostensible relic from the old days agined them. Then I take a few steps
when print prospered. But publisher back, looking at everything from afar
Michael Ringier has a soft spot for the and particularly in the context of the
newsstand, although it is hardly eco- room. Last night I walked past the
nomically viable. A compromise was Pressehaus and looked at the room
reached: A small but architecturally by night. It looks good.
high-end newsstand would be in- It looks very good! You are obviously
stalled next to the entrance. not given to exuberant emotions.
The interior designers at Retailpart- I am not, no (laughs) – and I keep
ners, based in Wetzikon near Zurich, finding something that could have
Open to the world
drew up the plans and concepts for the been done better or differently. As
remodeling. Their assignment was to indeed do journalists. On the whole,
open up Ringier. The result of their 2 though, it has turned out really nice,
endeavors is an open reception area yes.
on the ground floor, «The Gallery» to What was the challenge?
the right, «The Studio» to the left. The It’s a very busy space with a lot of dif-
Gallery makes contemporary art ac- ferent perspectives and a connection
cessible while the Studio does the to the street. Dividing the room into
same for contemporary radio. Further, individual niches was a particular
now more than ever, the Pressehaus challenge. Michael Ringier gave me
Ringier’s headquarters are undergoing moderate refurbishments, which reflect truly qualifies as a meeting place. In
the smart new restaurant journalists
carte blanche. The result is a very
modern lobby with an artistic bent.
the changes in the world of media. The Pressehaus is opening up to become a meet their readers while radio listen-
ers pick up their concert tickets and
How does such a space evolve? As
computer animation, on paper or in
place where work and life increasingly intermingle. chat with deejays. your head?
I always draw everything by hand,
Text: Peter Hossli Security at the Pressehaus over and over again. Then I speak
Photos: Geri Born, Thomas Buchwalder, Philippe Rossier
When visitors and staff access the new bridges. The editorial teams of Blick 1 The reception with the architect and the engineers.
desk at the Ringier
A reporter sits in a display window; his presenting a live broadcast on Radio Grand Opening: Pressehaus, which opened its doors in entrance, they step into an open lobby. and Radio Energy, for example, were Pressehaus. The They often have good ideas, as was
open laptop is lying on a very smart Energy. On September 1978 in a prime Zurich location, now Instead of sheltering behind metal, to move closer. CEO Marc Walder felt entropy for- the case here. We made several ad-
3rd 2015, Ringier mula describes
table on the ground floor of the Ring- threw an opening houses a gallery on the ground floor, a the new ground floor is now only en- that nerds of a feather (from both justments.
ier Pressehaus. The journalist is com- In the display window café with a radio studio as well as seats closed in glass. teams) should sit together in one the expected Which reactions to your art are you
party for the average value of
posing a portrait of German Chancel- The big windows in the façade allow remodeled Presse- in which people can relax and work. Early 2015 saw this openness sudden- room, jointly pushing Ringier’s digi- information in any hoping for?
lor Angela Merkel. The wall behind passers-by on Zurich’s Dufourstrasse haus in Zurich’s ly jeopardized when two terrorists talization forward. Construction is- message. That people will come inside or walk
Seefeld district. The construction process
him is hung with contemporary art. to watch people inside the Pressehaus forced their way into the offices of the sues, however, have kept this from 2 This table in past outside, behold the room, pause
Next to the reporter two Ringier con- at work: having meetings, thinking, In early September 2015 the house French satirical weekly «Charlie Heb- occurring – so far. «The Gallery» is for a moment, look at it and then
trollers are having a meeting, compar- working, eating and drinking. Work staged its «Grand Opening». Remode- do» in Paris, killing twelve people. It was not easy to find a restaurateur designed for spon- move on. There is art by other artists
ing figures and spreadsheets, lounging and life begin to blend. ling had begun in the spring of 2014. This suddenly led the new Pressehaus for «The Studio». Zurich’s Seefeld taneous meetings. on the walls, making the foyer a total
Reporters will be
comfortably in armchairs. That was the objective of the remode- What originally got the ball rolling was planners to put more stock in security neighborhood is known for its wide writing here. work of art. In any case, it is neither
A few feet away three sweaty cyclists ling project at Ringier. The global the fact that Radio Energy needed to than in transparency. At the end of the range of eateries. Ringier’s own staff corporate branding nor interior
are drinking espresso and ordering media company will adopt an even update its operating technology. Ring- day, however, the open solution pre- cafeteria in the Pressehaus, «Inside», design, nor pure architecture. It’s a
salads at «The Studio». In the same more open attitude with its newly ier CEO Marc Walder had the brain- vailed. Ringier refused to give in to is also very popular. Various restaura- mixture of everything, and I think
room, a young female radio host is renovated Swiss headquarters. The wave of bringing the radio station into terrorism. The wall behind the recep- teurs who were approached about that is suitable for Ringier.
20 | DOMO – September 2015 DOMO – September 2015 | 21THE RINGIER pressehaus
Soccer legend Ottmar
the job demanded that «Inside» be feast their eyes on. The carpentry The changes are not just superficial. Hitzfeld (left) in
conversation with
shut down. Publisher Michael Ringier work is exceptional, as is the garden The server technology on the lower IWC boss Georg Kern
turned them down. The Ringier res- area, scented with lavender growing ground floor is already new and the (right) and Marcel
taurant is now run by Kramer Gas- in planters. access to the indoor parking lot is Guerry, Mercedes
tronomie, a Zurich-based company about to be refurbished. The budget Benz Switzerland AG.
familiar with Ringier and the neigh- What will the Pressehaus for the renovation started out at 10.7
borhood: They already operate the be called? million Swiss francs. When the euro’s
Hotel Europa across the street and the The wall features a 200,000-dollar minimum price against the Swiss
nearby restaurant Quaglinos. «The high-resolution screen that plays franc was abolished the objective was
Studio» allows them to welcome pa- concerts put on by Radio Energy. to accomplish the refurbishment for
trons in a particularly distinguished A narrow hallway leads from the res- less than 10 million Swiss francs. This
setting. The floors are covered in fine taurant to «The Gallery», designed by 1 Love for detail: goal was not quite achieved.
ship-deck style parquet; the restau- British artist Liam Gillick. This area, The lamps from What will the Pressehaus be called?
the U.S. had to be
rant is furnished with designer chairs reminiscent of New York’s Museum of converted to Swiss At this time it still houses journalists Federal Councilor Doris Leuthard opening the new
and tables. The ceilings are hung with Modern Art, is a kind of office of the voltage. who produce newspapers and maga- rooms at the Ringier Pressehaus to the delight of The radio host interviewing Radio Energy’s
CEO Marc Walder. boss: Patrick Hässig and Dani Büchi.
lamps specially imported from the future. Business and lifestyle mix 2 Lots of things to zines. However, the focus is no longer
U.S.; an electrician had to convert freely. People linger here for several feast one’s eyes on just on the printed press. CEO Walder
them from American to Swiss voltage. hours or a matter of minutes, relaxing – plus fresh salad, wanted to rename the house «Medi-
THE SOURCE OF ENERGY
Patrons have use of the fast, free In- on fancy furniture, getting inspired sandwiches and enhaus» (Media house). Publisher
ternet connection, while eating fresh to come up with new ideas – and move delicious cakes. Ringier likes the traditional name.
salads, soups and sandwiches as well on. The spaces here cannot be re- 3 «The Studio» The compromise will be that the old
as delicious cakes. The bar offers beer served, it is a meeting place for people allows patrons to name will be taken down from the
and fine wines, hard liquor and strong surf the Internet
whose paths would not normally façade, leaving only the Ringier logo.
for free and listen
coffee. Most of all, however, «The cross, who don’t mind others staring to radio – even in But the Pressehaus itself will still be
Studio» is a place for connoisseurs to at them from outside. called Pressehaus.
the restrooms.
Pop star Milow fired up 150 VIPs and a Federal Councilor at the grand opening of
1 3
the revamped Ringier Pressehaus. The café/bar «The Studio» incorporating the
Radio Energy flagship studio is the new place to be in Zurich – for coffee and art.
Zurich’s First Lady: Corine
Mauch. The mayor is a
supporter of Ringier’s
project Zurich Digital 2025.
2
All smiles: Google Switzerland
boss Patrick Warnking (right)
and Jura appliance king
Emanuel Probst.
The Federal Councilor and the Dalmatian Enthusiastic partying: CEO Marc Walder with
Firing up the celebrity
guests at the new
wife Susanne (right) and Swiss singer and TV Ringier Pressehaus
time - had the honor of giving the opening of the bring her big Dalmatian to work, a fact that personality Paola Felix. café «The Studio»:
new building a touch of governmental glory. Oswald was not aware of. To forestall a surprise pop star Milow.
Anyone familiar with Heinrich Oswald, then for the boss and the Federal Councilor, the dog
Chairman of the Board of Directors, knew that had been given a huge veal bone to chew on.
Phtos: Geri Born, Thomas Buchwalder, David Biedert
meticulous organization and military precision in Having been fed, he was to spend the rest of the
all things were crucial to him. «There are to be no morning in his owner’s car. The inevitable came
surprises, planning is everything,» he used to to pass. Furgler was late and the tour was turned
say. In view of the high-ranking guest this upside down at short notice. When the Federal
involved scrupulous directives to the editors to Councilor and Oswald stepped into the
get desks and offices cleaned up. There was a documentation center with publisher Hans
minute-by-minute schedule for the tour through Ringier and his entourage, they were greeted by
the different departments in the house. At its a munching Dalmatian and his bone. Soon
Openings at the Pressehaus have always been end, the Federal Councilor was to visit the afterwards Heinrich Oswald declared a general
attended by one of Switzerland’s Federal documentation center with its thousands of ban on dogs in the Pressehaus.
Councilors. In 1978 Kurt Furgler - head of the photographs. One employee at this documenta- – Fibo Deutsch (Schweizer Illustrierte’s
Federal Department of Justice and Police at the tion center, however, had been permitted to editor-in-chief at the time) Left to right: Ringier CFO Ringier board member
Publisher Jürg Marquard with Annabella Bassler with and self-made millionaire
Nadja Schildknecht, one of the founders owners Evelyn Lingg-Ringier Claudio Cisullo with his
of the Zurich Film Festival. and Annette Ringier. partner Tamara Raich.
22 | DOMO – September 2015You can also read
