Berlin’s Public Transit Authority BVG: From object of hate to «cool cat» on social media. DMO

Legendary coach Toni Nadal on methods, leadership and learning. And on , Federer and his own nephew Rafa. Uncle Toni

In-house journal December 2019 CONTENTS

4 «Nice words won’t get you anywhere.» Toni Nadal is the most successful coach in tennis history. In his big interview with DOMO, he explains the basis for all 18 success: hard work. And tough love. 28 12 Lippy like a Berlin bus driver Growth thanks to social media. Berlin’s public transit authority BVG knows how that works. It takes love of your client and a lot of guts. And really thick skin.

16 F ocus on Ringier The best press photos of the last quarter.

18 Making women visible The «EqualVoice» initiative will make sure that women are represented more equally in media coverage at Ringier.

20 I am sailing ... Hits on the high seas. How the Blick Group stages events in its quest for new sources of revenue. A report from a crooner cruise.

25 Digitally enraged citizens Publisher Michael Ringier’s column on analog selfishness and digital indigna- tion.

26 «The job gives me pleasure» 16 Editor-in-chief, construction-site manager, bus driver and host on a cruise ship: How Blick boss Christian Dorer copes with his week.

28 «Vietnam will never let me go» Peter Balsiger is one of Blick’s most 4 20 legendary journalists. In his dispatches from the front in the Vietnam War he created a new form of foreign reporting.

30 Retro Lady with Aloha Spirit Anniversary: Gabrielle «Gaby» Jagel / Recommended reading by Marc Walder

Cover photo: Dirk Schmidt

Publishing information Publisher: Ringier AG, Corporate Communica- tions. Executive Director: Johanna Walser, CCO ad int, Dufourstrasse 23, 8008 Zurich. Contact: [email protected] Editor-in-chief: Alejandro Velert. Contributors: Ulli Glantz (visual realization), Vinzenz Greiner, René Haenig, Adrian Meyer, Katia Murmann. Translators: Gian Pozzy (French), Claudia Bodmer (English), Ioana Chivoiu, (Romanian) Proofreaders: Peter Hofer, Regula Osman, Kurt Schuiki (German), Patrick Morier- Genoud (French), Claudia Bodmer (English), Lucia Gruescu (Romanian). Layout/Production: Zuni Halpern (Switzerland) Image Editing: Ringier Redaktions-Services Zurich. Print: Ringier Print 12 Ostrava and SNP Leefung Printers. No portion may be reprinted without the editor’s permission. Circulation: 10 000 copies. DOMO is published in German, French, English and Romanian. Photos: Dirk Schmidt, Rudolf Rohr, Sébastien Agnetti, Olivia Pulver DOMO – December 2019 | 3 TONI NADAL

«Nice words won’t get you anywhere.»

Tough love. That’s how Toni Nadal shaped his nephew Rafa Nadal into one of the best ten- nis players of all time. «Only hard characters can deal with big challenges.» In his interview with DOMO, «Uncle Toni» ex- plains why he did not make a cent off Rafa. And how you can become one of the world’s top contenders. Not only in tennis. Interview: Alejandro Velert Photos: Dirk Schmidt

Toni Nadal at the Rafa Nadal Academy in , . «When Rafael was young, we often played a game up to 20 points. Most of the time, I’d let Rafael lead until the match point,

only to win after all.» picture-alliance/Keystone dpa Photos:

4 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 5 TONI NADAL TONI NADAL

Toni Nadal, I hear your German is The key thing is to shape the pretty good. Could we do the inter- students’ character. You need to be view in German? able to accept, endure and over- (In German) No. I don’t want you to come great adversities in life and think I’m an idiot. sport. Because luck and happen- stance only very rarely help. How did you come to speak German? I learned the language at university. Do you think that young people are Also, I once had a German girl- well prepared for life by the school friend, and of course I often got to system? talk to Germans on the tennis In my opinion, there is too much courts. insistence on learning concepts. I think it is more important to shape Your protégé Rafa Nadal was only 19 characters that know how to deal years old when he won his first Grand with challenges. Slam tournament in 2005. You must have fairly burst with pride. How did you shape Rafa’s character? After he’d won the final against It was clear to me that what Rafael Mariano Puerta, I left him a letter in had set out to do would be very his hotel. It listed everything he hard. So, we had to prepare for had done wrong during the these hardships. The only way to do tournament. that is to toughen the player.

That’s brutal. So, you gave him a hard time. We no longer had to work on the Yes. I often had him train with bad present, that was already done. You balls on bad courts. I extended the always need to think about the 90-minute training sessions over future. I also gave Rafael a list of all and over again – without comment. the Spanish players who had won So he would develop stamina. We only one in their career. often played a game up to 20 points. And I asked him if he wanted to be Most of the time I’d let Rafael lead one of them or if he wanted to until the match point, only to win achieve more. after all. terms of tennis: Doing things like A sports-minded everything. Rafa’s response was You trained your nephew from an Federer is very difficult. family: Toni Nadal quite angry. How did Rafa handle it? early age. Can you turn a child into a (at left) was one of He was the best student you could star? Rafa Nadal has become one of the Spain’s top 30 Hardly surprising when you’re dis- imagine. Rafael was always very Many coaches think so, but it’s not best tennis players in history. Did you tennis players and couraging your own player. willing to learn, or I wouldn’t have true. The child must want to be a have a master plan? won the Balearic But it wouldn’t have helped to lead done it this way. But toughness and champion, that is the most I don’t complicate things in life or Islands junior table him on. Because on the court, at the severity should never be a method, important thing. And he must want sport and I prefer to work with logic tennis champion- latest, he will face reality. Better if only a means. Over time, my high to learn. What you are shown in life and common sense. What I expect ships. Toni Nadal’s he knows it beforehand. demands became his own. This is is not important. All that matters is is commitment, respect for brother, Miguel the best possible outcome. After all, what you learn. everyone and everything. And high Ángel, played You might have encouraged him a a player should do something demands on yourself. What struck soccer for bit so he’d feel upbeat going into the because I convinced him. Not What can be learned, what can’t? me at an early stage was that and match. because I demanded it. Almost anything can be learned. successful people work to get a lot appeared in 62 Listen, in life, lying to other people But what is even more important is of opportunities. And that is matches on is generally a bad idea. Because you Still, it’s not easy for a child to under- that everything can be improved. something you can achieve with a Spain’s national hardly ever get away with it. And stand that. The problem is that many people well-developed personality. soccer team. what’s really dumb is lying to Goethe is said to have written that nowadays don’t have the persever- Pictured here, Toni yourself. It’s smarter to think about talent is formed in silence, while ance this requires. How does a well-developed personal- and Rafa in 2000. how you might win anyway. character is shaped in the tumult of ity behave? the world. When you work hard, Why is that? Such a person will behave properly. And did he do that? you form a hard character that Many people get frustrated too Not only in the sense that they Yes, Rafael won in four sets. considers challenges normal. That’s motivated him and built him up. Incomparable playing the forehand with one quickly when they don’t succeed at behave decently. But properly in Because his spirit and commitment something you can’t achieve with But when everything was going intensity – even as hand, he did it with his left. That’s something. And many people are terms of necessity. First, you have were outstanding and he played nice words. well, I asked him to work harder so a teenager. At age how it came about. It’s still not prepared to change their habits to be honest about facing reality, every point as if it were the last one. we would continue to improve. 14, Rafa Nadal amazing, though. Because and do things as well as possible. which is particularly hard. Do you run the risk of hurting or beat Wimbledon otherwise he is pronouncedly Which always amazes me. It seems What is the philosophy of your teach- damaging a character by constantly They say you even made Rafa, who is winner Pat Cash at right-handed. perfectly logical to me that you Why is it so hard to face reality? ing at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where insisting that their performance is right-handed, left-handed! an exhibition bout, want to get better every day. Because it is painful. Before one of young talents train and learn? not good enough? That whole thing is a legend that and by age 15 he Your nephew is generally described the first games Rafael played We know that only very few will Yes, there is that risk. That’s why a won’t go away. If only I’d had so was listed as a as being very decent and modest. Maybe it’s easier said than done. against Roger Federer, it was the make it to the top. At the Academy, coach needs to have a sense of much foresight! The fact is, until he professional. Character won’t help you if you No. Those who pay attention to finals in Monte Carlo 2006, I told my we therefore set high scholastic when to push and when to hold was about ten years old, Rafael don’t hit the balls. And that’s what detail improve automatically. The nephew what Federer could do standards. If you don’t meet them, back. When things didn’t go well played forehand and backhand it’s all about. Rafael has a great

question is, up to what level. In better. And that was pretty much you can’t take part in tournaments. Tenis/vidaytenis.com y Vida Images, Sport/Getty Blondeau/Corbis Manuel Photos: for Rafael or he doubted himself, I two-handed. When we started drive, a very good backhand and

6 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 7 TONI NADAL TONI NADAL

can place the ball well from difficult positions like nobody else. And on top of that, he also has a good character! So much the better. Because we’ve always worked on that as well.

So, it’s not just about hitting the balls well? As I said, you always need to think about the future and the big picture. Bad behavior leads to problems. On the tennis court as in life. That’s why I would never have tolerated Rafael throwing a racket away. Ergo, you had better work on your behavior. But Rafael is not necessarily modest.

What then? It’s not about modesty, it’s about normality. Rafael knows he is an excellent tennis player. But nothing more. And he knows that he must not feel special because of that. It’s the same with Federer. Rafael was always smart enough to let adults with life experience guide him at the right time. That’s why fame and money never went to his head.

«What you are shown in life is not important. All that matters is what you learn.»

Toni Nadal

Is it true that when Rafa was a little boy, he thought you were a magician? Yes, that was funny. I told him I had won the Tour de France six times, on a motorcycle! When we watched recordings of football matches, I in pretended it was live and predicted 2019 at the Monte what would happen. Or I told him I Carlo Masters, was invisible. Previously, I had told where he won everyone to pretend I wasn’t there. eleven of his 59 He long believed that I was a tournament phenomenon. victories on clay.

You could even make rain. Brunskill/Getty Clive ImagesPhoto: Another wonderful episode (laughs). We drove to a tournament game. But he was in the lead and Usually, the player is the boss, not the dependent on a little boy. After The man with the money makes the I beg your pardon? where all the other players were assured me that he had everything coach. With you, it was the other way that, he was the one who set the rules. If I had been dependent on his older boys. So, I told him I’d make it under control and I could stop the round. course. What I have never done is to He has never paid me, not a cent. wages, I would have had to accept rain if he was losing badly. And it rain again! I was the boss until he was 16 or 17 agree with him just because he is things I would not have wanted. I actually started raining during his years old. As an adult, I can’t be the boss. essentially bought my independ-

8 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 9 TONI NADAL TONI NADAL

ence and freedom of speech by not always felt that Federer should be taking any money. much more aggressive with his return and speed up the pace of his How did you finance yourself and playing. Instead, he let Rafael play your family? and that should be avoided. Rafael’s father and I inherited a company from our father. He took In this conversation, you have fre- care of this and any other family quently referred to Federer as a good business, I took care of tennis. example. You like to watch him, don’t That’s pretty much how we divided you? our duties. Very much, in fact. Because he’s great in terms of esthetics and his technique is almost perfect. He’s lucky in that he is basically able to do everything very well and still «He’s great in does. I used to like watching him terms of esthetics even more than I do now. Like Rafael, he has changed his game so and his technique he can hit more and run less. is almost perfect» Looking back on all those years of Toni Nadal about Roger working with your nephew: Would Federer you do a lot of things differently or has most of it worked out? I would do a lot differently. Only a stupid person wouldn’t. But I also Can your methods also be applied to say: On Monday mornings, anyone professional life? Does a boss in an can talk, because by then everyone office have to be tough? knows the score. The bottom line is: I have never used hardness as a I have worked according to my matter of principle. Moreover, in principles. Today, I might be less professional life, adults meet other hard and demanding. But then, adults, so there is more call for Rafael hasn’t had such a bad time empathy. A boss should be able to of it.  empathize with people and their thinking. And demands and esteem should be in balance. You’re on the right track when employees feel committed to the goals of the company. That’s how you get the best performance from your staff.

Will you take offence if I call your attitudes a little old-fashioned? Not at all. I know that young people nowadays usually operate differ- ently. Biographical note What has changed? We’re living in a world where Antonio «Toni» Nadal was born in people primarily want to have fun have tended to replace what was no The greatest me. Such developments are a Manacor, Spain on February 22, 1961. He and have a good time. Even the longer essential for humans, such rivalry, the danger to society. First and only began to play tennis at age 14 and trainings should be fun and as muscle power. But the new greatest respect. foremost in life are perseverance, did not quite manage to secure a Toni Nadal entertaining. But life isn’t just technologies want to replace man’s Roger Federer (at diligence, renunciation, discipline professional career. He dropped out of coached his about fun and entertainment. If most important thing, his intellect. left) and Rafa and respect. Beyond that, I law and history studies to run the nephew Rafa until you want to improve a stroke in And that weakens us human Nadal after the welcome technology. Manacor tennis school. There, he began 2017 and is tennis, you have to practice it a beings. 2008 Wimbledon to coach his nephew Rafael Nadal when considered to be thousand times. That can be finals, arguably the In closing, let’s get back to sports. the boy was four years old. He remained the most brutally monotonous. Those who In what way? best tennis match Rafa Nadal lost his last duels against Rafa’s coach until 2017. Toni Nadal has successful coach constantly need a rewarding input A tennis coach constantly needs to ever – which Federer, except on sand, and usually three children and lives in Porto Cristo in tennis history. or praise hardly improve. monitor and analyze every stroke ended better for quite clearly. Is he no longer Federer’s near Manacor. He runs the Rafa Nadal Today, he runs the and every movement. And subse- Rafa (top). At the most feared opponent? Academy for gifted young tennis players, Rafa Nadal How are you coping with the digital quently, if necessary, to correct 2019 Laver Cup Federer has found a very effective has written two books («Nadal serves, Academy in world? things. Nowadays, computers spit team event in system against Rafael that works Socrates returns», «Anything can be Manacor. I’ve always been interested in out countless statistics. The sharp Geneva, they well right now. I used to tell Rafael trained») and he is internationally in humanity. Throughout the history eye of the coach is replaced and no watch and cheer that in my opinion Federer was demand as a speaker.

of mankind, new achievements longer trained. This is a problem for together. wrong about his style of playing. I DecemberenPhotos: Images Finney/Getty

10 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 11 BVG ON SOCIAL MEDIA BVG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Almost 700,000 people follow the asks for a plan B. «We said: ‹We don’t campaign accounts on Twitter, Face- have one›,» Büch remembers. book and Instagram – that makes Plan A meant: «Be more laid-back almost one in five Berliners. In addi- and streetwise,» as Büch puts it. And tion, there are dedicated service above all: communicate with cus- Lippy like a Berlin channels with tens of thousands of tomers on their own terms. Be raw, followers each. mercilessly blunt, with black humor, Companies like Netflix cooperate sometimes at your own expense. In with BVG because of their coverage. a word: with «Berliner Schnauze», Others want to learn how this social Berlin lip. media stuff actually works: organi- And Berlin lip is what those peo- zations like the German Farmers’ ple hear whom Frank Büch leads us bus driver Association, but also electricity to through an open-plan office: the providers and banks wend their way BVG Call Center. Here, the in-house Berlin’s public transit authority Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is the service to the BVG headquarters in an elon- social media team minds one pillar the capital’s inhabitants love to hate. On social media, however, they are one of the most successful companies – because they practice something most PR consultants advise against: irony. By Vinzenz Greiner «We took into account that there might be a little shitstorm. But we never expected it to be so violent.»

Frank Büch, Head of Marketing BVG

BVG head of marketing Frank Büch: «A campaign in Zurich or Munich would look different. But anyone can have character gated brick building at Gleisdreieck of the BVG strategy: the service chan- and show it.» in Berlin. DOMO also stopped by. nels used to notify followers of line Inside, a man wearing a sailor’s closures, delays, strikes and the like. tan and a white smile matching his Emergency: A passenger has left shirt leads us across linoleum floors vital medication on a bus. Thilo past woodchip wallpaper. There is a Stracke immediately grabs his cell- sense of lumbering civil-servant- phone. The 33-year-old is a team dom, the almost 90-year tradition of leader and plans formats such as the BVG. «Its image hasn’t always «driver-generated content» – and been good,» Frank Büch admits. But something more: «We are the BVG’s the Berliners and the BVG have al- digital social workers.» ways been closely linked, says the On Equal Pay Day, for example, marketing manager, who is ultimate- when BVG sold tickets to women at a ly responsible for the social media. It 21 percent discount, transgender was «like a longish marriage. A kind people complained to Stracke’s team. of love-hate relationship develops.» How would the BVG know you felt What would such couples do? Büch like a woman? Stracke grins: «Live by asks himself. His answer: «Remarry.» the zeitgeist, die by the zeitgeist.» That’s how the idea for the decla- On this hot day, the team is ration of love came about. But it rubs plagued by a different sort of com- Berliners the wrong way: #weilwird- plaints: lack of air conditioning, magine you are responsible for per year. The best way to do this is by On equal terms: takes and make a declaration of love ichlieben (becauseweloveyou) is saunas on wheels. «A seasonal Isubway trains, trams and buses in selling season tickets. On social media to the Berliners. In 2015, you start the ripped to shreds on the Internet gripe,» says staffer Christopher Lück the German capital. Imagine you are The problem: Berliners don’t like and advertising 2.8 million-euro promotional cam- when it comes out. Users twitter: (34) with a Berlin accent. He is scan- the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, BVG you. The image of your company, as posters (above, paign «Because we love you». Par- «That is a love I can do without.» ning Twitter and looking into the for short. you freely admit, is that of a paunchy from a 2015 ticularly on social media. Germany’s most important news e-mail inbox. Some days, there are Your promise: Your product is civil servant. Maybe even with sau- campaigns), BVG’s The result: a shitstorm of hurri- platform writes that the charm offen- hundreds of messages. Some of them clean, always on time, accurate. sage-roll crumbs in the corner of your language cane proportions. sive has backfired. seethe with rage. «One man wrote That’s what you vow to one billion mouth and a lousy mood. You break sometimes sounds Today, the influential business «We took into account that there that we must hire apes to drive the passengers a year! Done. Done? your product claim regarding the like street slang: weekly «Wirtschaftswoche» claims might be a little shitstorm. But we subway trains,» recalls Lück. The The challenge: Unlike Deutsche regular interval timetable. Your bus «Not even your that BVG is «the cool cat» of public never expected it to be so violent,» team replied: «Thank you, we’ll be Bahn, which runs the S-Bahn (local drivers snap at the passengers, tram mutha would pick transport. BVG is considered one of Büch explains. Even at the Gleis- happy to consider your application.» railway) in Berlin, you have to make services are cancelled, subway trains you up at 4:30 the most successful German compa- dreieck HQ, the mood soured: «At Berlin lip. Copywriter Finn Kirchner from the social team of the «Because a lot of money to cover rising costs, are dirty. a.m.» nies on social media. It has won over first, some employees said: ‹This is no Stracke and his team, which will we love you» channels: «Other companies could learn

which increase at some three percent Your solution: You own your mis- 30 awards, including a Cannes Lion. Kirchner Finn Photos: longer the BVG I know.›» The board soon comprise 20 people, collabo- something from our presence.»

12 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 13 BVG ON SOCIAL MEDIA BVG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

end of 2014. «Because we love you» the time will sometimes miss the had already been decided on. Artopé mark. When the airline Air Berlin found the slogan «daring», he says. went bust, BVG posted an airplane in Yo @BVG_Kampagne you’re real gentlemen 4 finding He remembered how the New York BVG’s own white and yellow colors. my ca$h and keeping it safe! Gotta ride to the Police Department had asked the web They would take on the airline’s pas- lost&found w.o. a ticket tho. Sry Christian Artopé community to share great photos and sengers. Many people found that in (2nd from right) experiences under #iloveNYPD. Peo- poor taste. at the agency ple shared pictures of police vio- «A typical borderline case,» says GUD and up to 15 lence. Welcome to the shitstorm. Artopé. «But it would be boring al- coworkers look That’s why it was clear to Artopé: ways to play it perfectly safe.» And an Answer to after their client «If you’re 100 percent serious about aggressive post may in fact bear fruit. .@McSippi3000 Dear ticket collectors, please look out BVG. this, it’ll go down the drain. The to- One passenger complained via Twit- for @McSippi3000. Photo enclosed. nality must comprise self-irony.» ter about bad music on the subway Irony? PR consultants and edi- line U2. The reply on the «Because we tors-in-chief would shudder at the love you» channel alluded to the

idea. Artopé and his team turned it band U2: What did he expect riding Answer to into a triumph. on a U2 train? Building on the tonality of the «The people at Universal thought Must be a great feeling when it’s not me looking out for social media team, the Jung von Matt it was funny,» Büch recalls. Later, the ticket collectors but the other way round. Looking agency developed «Alles Absicht» band U2 played at different stops of forward!  («They do it on purpose»). In this the homonymous Berlin line. A huge video, an employee explains the PR gag that even got BVG mentioned price of BVG season tickets with the in the New York Times. A sporting enormous effort behind it. He shows, goods manufacturer took notice: At Answer to for example, how a squirrel deter- the beginning of 2018, 500 pairs of You’re still laughing. But if we get you, you’ll have to mines by means of a nut lottery Adidas shoes were sold – with a BVG pay 60 euros. Or what you amateur rappers call a which line will be delayed today. annual season ticket sewn in and month’s wages. How bus drivers train to shut doors patterned like the BVG seat covers. as closely as possible in a hurriedly The shoe fit: BVG scored close to Bluff and banter between a BVG customer and their Twitter approaching passenger’s face. The eleven billion media impressions. team. BVG employees had found the man’s money (Potte) but video went viral. Eleven bil-li-on. he is warned of fare-dodging on his way to pick it up.

Another eight days to go until Fashion Week and there’s white powder everywhere. rate with the second pillar of the so- ing with anyone. Posts, however, are cial media strategy, people who go discussed at the freelancers’ weekly «It would be boring always to much further than the reply to the editorial meetings. Online, he dons a ape post: A team of four professional role, he says: «The tone is based on the play it perfectly safe.» copywriters freelancing for BVG who Berlin lip we all know from bus driv- Hello! Today, Carnival will start in Cologne! Here's a handle the «Because we love you» ers,» says the 36-year-old. The BVG picture of the train with all the Berliners who care. Christian Artopé , Managing Director GUD channels: the core of BVG’s social buses actually got Kirchner his job. media success. He had posted a hate page about a bus When, for example, a user writes line on Facebook. «In Berlin, hate and in street slang that he will be riding humor are often bedfellows,» ex- without a ticket, this team tweets plains Kirchner. Anger indicates in- Creativity thrives in freedom. But can all of this really be turned that fare-dodging can get you fined terest. The advertising agency GUD, There are no ratings they have to get. into money? Marketing boss Büch: 60 euros. «Or, as you would-be rap- whose biggest customer is BVG, took «There are no hard KPIs at BVG, but «Two to three percent annual growth pers would say, a month’s wages». A an interest in Kirchner. the two central values of coverage can be achieved with season-ticket user who calls the BVG a «society of GUD sits between prefabricated and image are continuously meas- campaigns. Thanks to our last sea- sons of bitches» is corrected: BVG is buildings, galleries and a naturo- ured,» says Artopé. The only guide- son-ticket campaign in 2018 we sold a public-law entity of sons of bitches. pathic practice in a Berlin-Mitte line: no politics! around 20,000 more subscriptions Finn Kirchner, who works for courtyard. A man with sporty glasses Really? When the German Social than usual.» agencies as a concept developer, has and a smartwatch is standing in a Democrats did disastrously in the Can the concept be transferred to been there from the very beginning. room with whitewashed brickwork. European elections, the team posted other companies? «A campaign in DOMO reaches him by phone, at His name is Christian Artopé, 46, a picture of a Berlin Underground Munich or Zurich would look differ- home. Office is where the laptop is. partner and managing director. Up bridge from below. The caption read: ent,» says Büch. «But anyone can Every working day, Kirchner scans to 15 GUD employees work on the BVG «Berlin as the SPD sees it.» Büch over have character and show it.» what is written to the BVG via social campaign. When new image posts at the Gleisdreieck was contacted by Social media expert Kirchner media, and where links to BVG have are developed, they are discussed the political department. The red- takes a similar view. «To take a step been posted. No day is like any other, with the BVG. BVG generally tests red-green government of Berlin, back from yourself, to reflect on today, they have already had a man how picture posts are received. If a which owns the BVG, didn’t find this yourself and to respect client percep- with a beehive riding on the street- post is rejected by five to ten percent at all funny. «Where is the line be- tion» were things other brands and car, which Kirchner calls «Berlin in of the test audience, it is put on the tween social debate and politics?» companies would certainly do well Wordplay as a profession. The social media team takes current miniature». web. The stuff of controversy. Artopé says in his defense. to learn.  events and makes fun of them. Here, they make fun of cocaine

Replies he writes without consult- BVG approached the agency at the Daily business: Taking Berlin culture for a ride. Kirchner Finn Photos: Anyone who tries to be funny all use at the Berlin fashion fair.

14 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 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 of the last quarter Six pictures and their stories: A fallen hero, a mountaineer in the horizontal and the unfathomable horror of the Alexandra Macesanu case.

STYLE BLIC BERGLIEBE MICHA FREUTEL Photographer SNEŽANA KRISTIĆ Photographer THOMAS SENF Photographer SUSANNE MÄRKI Editor SLOBODAN PIKULA Editor DENISE ZURKIRCH Editor

It takes a moment for the eye to Immovable, the statue of It is Switzerland’s most realize what it is seeing. And the Pobednik, the spectacular granite needle. that is quite deliberate. monument to the victor, And the symbol of the Because the fashion feature stood in the Belgrade Bregaglia valley: the «Point of View» in Style fortress Kalemegdan–for 91 years. A symbol of «Fiamma». It is called «Fiamma» by the locals magazine is playing with the Serbian capital, at 46 feet high it was part because it looks like a petrified flame. The different, sometimes unusual perspectives. In of the cityscape. It was erected in commemo- Fiamma is slim, hard as iron and 74 feet high. It this instance, photographer Micha Freutel ration of the victories over the Ottoman is therefore an irresistible challenge for good sent a drone flying high above the Zurich Empire in the First Balkans War and on the climbers. Photographer Thomas Senf University of the Arts. On the left, in the dark, Serbian front against Austria-Hungary in the accompanied the mountain guide Marcel is the square in front of the building. And lying First World War. And now, the proud victor Schenk to the granite needle for BergLiebe. on the roof terrace, maybe not entirely has fallen. Shipped off to the small town of As if the terrain weren’t already difficult comfortably, is the model. Wearing a Smederevo, to the studio of sculptor Zoran enough, Senf carried not only his photograph- monochrome outfit by the Italian fashion label Kuzmanovic. He has been commissioned to ic equipment but also a drone. It was worth it. Max Mara. The photo shoot was conceived by restore the statue to its former resplendent Because on top of the Fiamma, Marcel Schenk Fashion Director Laura Catrina: «For this glory before returning it to its site. Too bad, skillfully made a spectacle of himself by feature, we sometimes photographed the really. Only now, thanks to photographer performing the «human flag». At least he is model close-up from below, then again from Snezana Krstic of Blic, can we see how secured as he goes horizontal in the far away. The selection of outfits in signal beautiful and vulnerable even great victors are perpendicular: Natascha Knecht, the editor of colors and playing around with near and far, when they are not looking down on everyone. BergLiebe, while not visible in the picture, is big and small, this combination makes our also on site. She is holding him by a line in case pictorial piece special.» L’ILLUSTRÉ of an emergency. Unnecessary. Because SÉBASTIEN AGNETTI Photographer Marcel Schenk has everything under control. LIBERTATEA NATALIA MOTTIER Editor «Still, I wouldn’t recommend trying this stunt VLAD CHIREA Photographer & editor yourself,» says Knecht. What if the «He’s coming, he’s coming!» French-speaking part L’ILLUSTRÉ Those were the last words of Switzerland were to VALENTIN FLAURAUD Photographer ever heard from Alexandra send only women to JULIE BODY Editor Macesanu. It was her parliament? L’Illustré’s desperate call for help to the police. The day editorial team For four months, 894 sheep before, the 15-year-old had been kidnapped performed this thought experiment prior to have enjoyed free grazing. while hitchhiking on her way to the Romanian the federal elections – and turned it into a They are scattered around town of Caracal. «Please stay on the phone story. Photo editor Natalia Mottier was the Aletsch area up to an with me, I’m scared,» she begged the commissioned to design a cover picture – for elevation of 10,000 feet above sea level. At policeman talking to her. But the policeman almost 50 women! «Photographer Sébastien the end of summer, ten young men from the told her to clear the line. It took another 19 Agnetti and I decided to set the women up on town of Naters herd the animals together to hours for the police to start looking for the a scaffold,» says Mottier. Thanks to the bring them back to their owners down on girl. By the time they found her, it was too late. support of enthusiastic companies, they Belalp. It takes them three days to even find Alexandra had been raped and then murdered managed to place a 20-foot scaffold in a the animals, mainly Valais Blacknose sheep. by her kidnapper Gheorghe Dinca. He later 54,000-square-feet hall. Forty female Sometimes they risk life and limb to catch confessed to the murder of another girl. The members of parliament and candidates from them. And the cattle drive down from the alps case sparked great indignation and demon- all parties came together for the photo shoot is even more trying for man and beast. strations against the police in Romania. People despite the stress of the election campaign. Because the path to Belalp is lined with deep from all over the country made a pilgrimage to Photographer Agnetti gave his instructions gorges and steep slopes. Photographer the «House of Horror» to leave flowers and with a megaphone. «Working on this picture Valentin Flauraud accompanied the men and letters for the victims. A small chink in the was an unforgettable experience,» says photo the sheep for L’Illustré throughout the garden fence of Dinca’s house was enough for editor Natalia Mottier. And maybe the picture experience. «An unforgettable time, but hard Libertatea photographer Vlad Chirea to played its part in getting more women elected work,» says Flauraud. Deploying a drone, he capture the dread. That’s all it takes. to parliament than ever before. achieved exactly what he had set out to do before embarking on the assignment: to show this spectacle from a new perspective – with breathtaking perfection.

16 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 17 FOCUS ON RINGIER In this feature, DOMO regularly presents the best photographs published by Ringier titles in the past quarter. EqualVoice EqualVoice

Making Women Visible More women in media coverage. That is the purpose of the «EqualVoice» EqualVoice provides an excellent initiative. And that goes for Ringier, too. «EqualVoice allows us to provide a journalistic opportunity to discover new and exciting faces. Join in!» platform for this important issue,» says initiator Annabella Bassler. Michael Ringier, Publisher By Katia Murmann

Katia Murmann, f all articles in Swiss media, 75 percent EqualVoice Factor. It measures how many Editor-in-chief Digital Oare about men. As the Global Media men and women are represented on our at Blick Group Monitoring Project 2016 shows, the figure websites and in the articles (see box). It worldwide is as much as 82 percent. The provides the editorial offices with a data- statistics are three years old – but not much base for the development and implementa- Katia Murmann has changed since then. On Blick.ch, the tion of measures. More and more women are ratio is currently 75 percent men and 25 «The goal is not to have 50 percent men taking on executive duties, and explains EqualVoice percent women. and 50 percent women in all titles all of a This raises a lot of questions: Are there sudden,» says Walder. Journalists are not we want to offer them a platform. Be- «The EqualVoice Factor shows no women worth reporting on? Do men activists, and each title has its own DNA cause diversity brings companies for- how visible women and men are make for better headlines? Or is the ratio in which needs to be protected. Rather, it is ward – and we want to do our share.» on the Ringier and Ringier Axel the media simply a reflection of reality, about the editors-in-chief sensitizing their Springer websites and in our where women are less represented on the teams to the issue. «We are convinced that Stefan Barmettler, executive floor? men and women can achieve much more articles. Our data tool Sherlock The fact is that scientists are speaking of together than men or women by them- Editor-in-chief Handelszeitung We want to position counts the number of women a «gender content gap». This issue is widely selves; and, there are more women worth and men in each online article. discussed – also at Ringier as a global media men and women more reporting on.» house. «We want to position men and wom- Numerous Ringier editorial offices were This results in two scores: The en more equally in our media,» says Anna- equally in our media.» already dealing with this issue before the teaser score, consisting of bella Bassler, Chief Financial Officer of Annabella Bassler, advent of EqualVoice. BLICK regularly fo- image, superheadline, headline, Ringier AG. She has launched the «Equal- cuses on topics that matter to women. Blick. Voice» initiative, which is intended to have CFO Ringier AG and ch editor-in-chief Katia Murmann initiated lead. It tells us: How visible are an impact both inside and outside the com- EqualVoice initiator the joint «edit-a-thon» with Swiss Radio and women on our pages? And pany and is chaired by publisher Michael Television SRF and Wikipedia, which brings secondly, the body score, which Ringier and CEO Marc Walder. women’s biographies to Wikipedia. «We want EqualVoice to make women At Beobachter magazine, a team of edi- refers to the body of the article. more visible in media coverage,» explains tors regularly assess the gender ratio in the It tells us: How often do women Marc Walder. The core of the initiative is the content and make sure this relationship is get to speak? Both as a magazine and as discussed at the editorial meetings. The The people in the pictures are issue also factors into the daily editorial an institution, Beobachter work at Schweizer Illustrierte and the busi- identified with Amazon Recog- According to the Advance & ness media. has always stood for fairness nition. The algorithms and the HSG Gender Intelligence Re- «There are already so many good meas- and equal opportunities. Still, quality of the data are regularly ures,» says Annabella Bassler. «With Equal- port, 65 percent of all promotions in Voice, we want to pool our strengths, learn there is the risk of falling into checked by our data specialists Switzerland still go to men. The share from each other and provide a platform for the trap of convention. When and editors - and they are this important issue.» constantly learning new things.» of women in upper and top manage- The initiative was presented to all em- we are looking for interview ment is just 18 percent. The Equal- ployees on November 25. Project teams will partners or experts for example, well-known men may be now be put together in each editorial office Voice initiative is also intended to to deal with the questions, what does Equal- suggested more quickly than women who are as yet less produce internal measures to pro- Voice mean for each title – and how can we well-known but equally competent. EqualVoice can implement EqualVoice in our daily busi- mote equality and equal opportunity ness? Publisher Michael Ringier: «Equal- sensitize us and help us overcome such conventions by in our companies.» Voice provides an excellent journalistic paying more attention to these choices in our daily work.» opportunity to discover new and exciting Sabina Hanselmann-Diethelm, Editor-in-chief Style/Bolero faces. Join in!»  Andres Büchi, Editor-in-chief Beobachter

18 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 19 STARS AT SEA

f you want to yodel on the high I seas, you first have to let your shoulders slouch. Or as Barbara Klossner, 39, aka «Miss Helvetia» puts it in her broad Bernese back- woods dialect: «D Schouteri la I Am Sailing ... gheie.» This afternoon, the yodeler and singer has lured about 80 yode- ling enthusiasts to the Grand Bar ... Rod Stewart liked to croon. In search of new sources of reve- Orpheus on deck 6 of the cruise ship Costa Victoria - for a yodel workshop. nue, «Blick» is banking on events like «Stars auf See» (Stars at Now, casually dressed people both Sea). While the money is not pouring in just yet, they are surf- young and old are standing in a sem- icircle around the woman in tradi- ing on a wave of success – thanks to the popularity of cruises tional costume, making «theatrical- ly shocking faces» on her command, and Schlager music. Text: René Haenig Photos: Olivia Pulver, Siggi Bucher then abusing their cheeks with their tongues at her instruction – before finally, as in a choir rehearsal, voic- ing at her behest first a «Mamamamaaaaa», followed by a «Memememeeee» and a «Moomoo- moomoomooooooo». «Yodeling is a high-performance sport,» Miss Hel- vetia explains to her students. «The owl and the pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat ...», according to the old nursery rhyme. The Costa Victoria is not pea- «We’re investing green but it is beautiful – and a lot of in the future and fun in October. The motto of this Mediterranean cruise initiated by strengthening our Blick and the travel agency Hotelp- lan is: «Stars at Sea - From Schlager brand.» to Volksrock». On-board entertain- ment will be provided by just about Nicolas Pernet, Head Publishing every star of the genre from Switzer- and New Business Blick Group land, Austria and Germany – from Beatrice Egli and Francine Jordi to Florian Ast, DJ Ötzi, Die jungen Zill- ertaler and Miss Helvetia to the four boys of Rebell Tell, the band that «It was a strategic decision to co-or- recently even caused Dieter Bohlen, ganize the event,» says Nicolas Per- perennial judge on the RTL casting net, 39, Head of Publishing and New show «Das Supertalent» and legend- Business at the Blick Group. For ary for his hazing of candidates, to some time now, in view of declining go nuts for their rocky Schlagerbilly advertising and reader market reve- sound. nues, Ringier’s second mainstay has The Schlager ship’s route takes it been revenues from other activities from Venice via Brindisi first to the unrelated to the core business. The Greek port of Kefalonia, from there Swiss Jass Playing Championship to Saranda in Albania and on into the presented by Blick and the Swiss fjord-like bay of Kotor in Montene- Lottery Swisslos is one example – gro, lined by high and steep moun- and so is «Stars at Sea». tainsides, with its medieval town, But why Schlager music, of all which was already included in the lished in Switzerland 60 years ago, A yodel workshop- things? Pernet offers a simple and Unesco World Cultural and Natural in mid-October 1959. with Miss Helvetia plausible explanation. «Stories from Heritage List in 1979. The last stop Three years of planning went into (top). Blick the Schlager industry meet with before returning to Italy is «the most this one week at sea, as Christian editor-in-chief extremely great interest from read- beautiful city in the world», Split. At Dorer, 44, editor-in-chief of the Blick Christian Dorer ers of the daily newspaper as well as least this is what the inhabitants of Group, writes in his letter welcoming with Swiss online at Blick.ch.» This becomes the city say. It was built in the 4th the approximately 1,100 cruise Schlager music readily apparent when the tickets are century by the Roman Emperor Dio- guests aboard. For the first time, star Beatrice Egli. raffled off. In addition, the market for cletian and is now part of Croatia. Blick has organized the event in And Francine Jordi cruises has steadily grown in recent The eight-day music cruise is a tandem with Hotelplan; for last fans sing along years. «If you put these two factors highlight of Blick’s anniversary year. year’s Schlager ship, the tabloid was with their idol together, you get the Schlager ship.» The tabloid’s first issue was pub- «only» involved as a media partner. (bottom). In Switzerland alone, the number

20 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 21 STARS AT SEA STARS AT SEA

«The real work is in up the «Stars at Sea» brand in order to make money in the long term. the preparations, «That takes time,» says Pernet. Someday after the return of the Cos- the show itself is a ta Victoria they will sit down with their partner Hotelplan in order to pleasure.» discuss the plan of action. «It is con- ceivable that we will send out a Singer Beatrice Egli Schlager ship every two years.» Hundreds are queuing up on deck of cruise passengers has more than 7 in the Capriccio Bar, to get an auto- doubled within ten years. Last year, graph from Beatrice Egli, 31. Accord- 150,000 people boarded a cruise ing to the platform schlager.de, the ship. And there is no sign of this up- 2013 winner of the German casting swing abating. show «Deutschland sucht den Super- But before we get out of the har- star» is the second most popular bor and into the fun, we have to wait Schlager singer after Helene Fischer. for the launch on Saturday. The em- Noa Hutzli has already met her idol barkation of the passengers should at least 20 times. «We do recognize have begun at 1 p.m. But the Costa each other when we meet.» The Victoria arrives late at the terminal. twelve-year-old has crafted a card The reason: Venice’s city govern- game especially for Egli – as a gift. ment has started to let the cruise The singer wrote something in Noa’s giants enter the port for a limited diary as a thank you. What exactly? time only. The gigantic ships have «I don’t want to reveal that,» says been a burden on the lagoon for years Noa. Cornelia Kuhn, 46, is also pa- and are a source of strife not only for tiently waiting with a sweater the inhabitants of the Most Serene clamped under her arm to have it Republic. This does not dampen the signed. This treasured item is one of exuberant mood of the gradually her first fan souvenirs of Egli. She is growing number of passengers. The not afraid that the autograph might sound of Schlager music is blaring vanish or blur when she next washes through the terminal – canned, for it. Before she puts the signed sweat- now. Although we are still on land, er in the washing machine she will there is already a lot of rocking and iron it three or four times. «That’s old swaying going on. housewives’ know-how,» she ex- It’s not only senior citizens and plains to the baffled reporter. country bumpkins crowing through Speaking of reporters – Michel the hall along to «Atemlos durch die Imhof, 27, is reporting daily for Blick Nacht» by Schlager queen Helene from aboard the ship in his «log- Fischer or «Le Li La» by folk-music book». His first headline after the favorite Beatrice Egli. Schlager music Costa Victoria left Venice reads is very popular. According to a new «Schlager Ship Heaving to Star- survey on Schlager music popularity Board». The text is adorned with a in 2019, among the German-speak- photo by Linda Fäh. The pop singer ing population about 14.9 million and former Miss Switzerland not people aged 14 and over are very only sings on board, but also sends a fond of listening to German Schlager wake-up call through the ship’s music. That’s one in five. loudspeakers every morning as the Joelina Gisel is 22 years old, loves cruise’s «good-mood captain». Re- Schlager and takes part in the yode- porter Imhof, himself a Schlager ling workshop. The young woman music fan, knows all the stars per- heard Miss Helvetia the day before at sonally. His personal highlight on the pool concert on the deck of the board? «The story of the Beatrice Egli Costa Victoria. «She gets everyone fans from Mississippi.» The married into a great mood,» she says. Gisel couple Lavell, 67, and Julie Brown, herself has been taking singing les- 64, came from the USA especially sons for a year and a half and could because of the Swiss Schlager singer. now imagine carrying on with yode- It must cost around two million Whether it’s Imhof spontaneously set up a meet- ling. «It’s great fun,» says Annabeth dollars to charter a cruise ship as Beatrice Egli (top) ing of the retired couple with Egli on Kubli. She is usually more into sing- large as the 827-foot Costa Victoria. or Miss Helvetia – the ship. «This is the best day of this ing classical music, the 59-year-old Neither Blick nor Hotelplan will everybody wants trip,» says Lavell Brown, visibly tells us. And Silvio Zaniolo, 67, who name exact figures. Does this pay off their autograph. moved. has been making music as part of a for the Blick Group? «At least we’re DJ Ötzi rocks the If you are a fan and want to be male choir for 23 years, is also full of not making a loss,» says Nicolas Per- cruise ship in the even closer to your idols than at the praise for this «completely new ex- net. It’s not a matter of making a evenings breakfast table or the lunch buffet, perience». quick one-off profit, but of building (bottom). all you have to do is stray to the

22 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 23 STARS AT SEA MICHAEL RINGIER Analog Ethics

chance to park his car properly by nomenon in one of the world’s occupying a newly vacated space. So, wealthiest communities is sobering, he goes about this without caring a to put it mildly. Too many people fig about whether another car is absolutely put their own interests standing behind him. Only by in- first – even if civility or politeness tense honking is a major fender fall by the wayside. But why am I bender averted. In lieu of an apology, even writing about this? the culprit emits only abuse, under- lined by unequivocal hand gestures. Because the Internet is teeming with At least he has parked his car in a moralizers. When Michelle Hunziker regular spot. posts a picture on Instagram in which she wears an edelweiss in her Most of the other potential shoppers buttonhole, she receives masses of pay no heed to any of this. Parking admonitions from self-styled bota- has absolute priority and civility can nists. When a Berlin undersecretary take a back seat. That is why the only has her picture taken wearing a way to reach the exit past the gas Rolex, her social democratic base pumps is constantly blocked by im- flies into a rage, quickly creating the properly parked cars. Let everyone hashtag «Watchgate». When a super- else figure out how to get to the road. market chain sells sliced tomatoes Michael Ringier, Publisher But that kind of impudence not only wrapped in cellophane, the photo is wins out, it can even be topped: You shared thousands of times on Twit- simply park your ride at the gas ter and Facebook, and everyone «Everything is so The scene of the crime is a pump and go shopping, without wallows in indignation. And if an gas station in Küsnacht, my buying gas. The queue behind your artist is alleged and in no way prov- relaxed here! I don’t place of residence. Very pop- car doesn’t even rate a conciliatory en to have behaved improperly to- ular on Sundays, because it smile when you return. wards his girlfriend, people call for feel at all crowded.» Tincludes the only shop that also sells his works to be removed from an Singer Vincent Gross food on holidays. As a result, busi- The space next to mine becomes exhibition. Oh, how ethical we are. ness is lively on this Sunday, and I available. An SUV driver backs up must count myself lucky to have ob- into it at lightning speed, maneuver- The amount of digital finger-wag- aperitif bar on deck 11. Here, in the tained a regular parking space with a ing in such a way that I fear for the ging has become intolerable. Digital evenings, DJ Ötzi, 48, and his buddy view of everything that’s going on. paintwork on my car. She has left indignation and analog selfishness Florian Ast, 44, discuss new songs, The perfect place for a brief lesson in less than four inches between our are a cozy new couple with a big net- singer Vincent Gross plays a round of behavioral research while I am wait- cars; there’s no question of opening work. Or is it not so novel after all? table football with fans, while nos- talgia rocker Ralph «Räphe» Güntlis- ing for my daughter, who is shop- the door. Instead of driving forward «L’enfer, c’est les autres,» French berger philosophizes about love over ping. and then back again, she finds a philosopher and novelist Jean-Paul a beer. «That is the beauty at this quicker way out: She exits on the Sartre has his character Garcin say. journey,» says singer Francine Jordi, are yodeling through the Grand Bar Sun, singing and were no more than ten people to As parking spaces are in short supply, passenger side, handily leaving the His play «Huis Clos» premiered be- sipping cham- «we come into contact with our au- Orpheus in the late afternoon. Miss whom she had to say: «I’m sorry, but the law of the quickest and the most access problem with me. fore the advent of television. dience more than at any other gig.» Helvetia has done it again – the work- pagne – Schlager you’re no good at this». But on «Stars Somewhere off the Albanian shop’s participants are happy. She music fans know at Sea», everyone gets to be a little brazen appears to apply. A driver in coast, on deck 6 of the cruise giant has been giving yodeling courses for how to party at yodeling star.  front of me has realized that only What I have witnessed within fif-

Costa Victoria, 80 men and women twelve years. In all this time, there «Stars at Sea». Photo: Maurice Haas hurried backing-up will give him the teen minutes as an everyday phe-

24 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 25 MY WEEK Christian Dorer (44), Editor-in-Chief of the Blick Group since February 2017

Everybody who is anybody visits us in THURSDAY the newsroom: politicians, business «Because the job gives me pleasure» leaders, stars from entertainment and sports, colleagues from other media. Sometimes they even make a newspaper and online review - in front of the entire editorial staff. He has the most beautiful and the second most beautiful job in the world. Nevertheless, In this picture, Federal Councilor Karin Keller-Sutter asks print edi- BLICK editor-in-chief Christian Dorer is sometimes in a bad mood. Jogging helps! tor-in-chief Andreas Dietrich what the BLICK of tomorrow will look like. Our workplace is a living organism, constantly evolving. This makes us not only the oldest newsroom in Switzerland, but also the most The imminent launch of modern. Print, online and soon TV production flow into each other here. MONDAY Blick TV is the biggest change in the Blick Group since the introduction of Switzerland’s first newsroom - or, as CEO Marc Walder says, since the launch of SonntagsBlick, exactly 50 years ago! At the moment we are putting the team together, designing programs and setting up the new studios. The digital FRIDAY television channel will revolutionize the entire Where do I have the opportunity to meet more than 1000 readers at newsroom: How do we want the same time? During the BLICK cruise “Stars at Sea” in the Mediterra- to work in the future so that nean! So I make a detour to the south and ride from Venice to Brindisi: I TV, online and print appear greet the guests, moderate a Schlager talk - and for once, the meet and as one? In the middle of the greet on the deck of the Costa Victoria is not with the skipper but construction site, I’m talking with the captain of the Blick group. to Jonas Projer, edi- tor-in-chief of Blick TV, and Katia Murmann, edi- tor-in-chief of Blick.ch.

In all projects, management tasks and TUESDAY representative duties, I make sure that WEDNESDAY journalism as such is not neglected in my everyday life. I love to take part in the discussions at the editorial meeting. Every Saturday I write BlickPunkt, a commentary on the most important topic of the week, and conduct interviews with interesting or important personalities. Today we have a slightly larger editorial meeting: the Plenary Assembly. The entire newsroom team, around 200 employees, show up there. When it comes to TV, we bring everyone up to date.

WEEKEND

If I’m not allowed to move, I get fidgety at some point; some would say: I live in Baden - in a semi-detached house from 1928. I prefer to spend the weekends obnoxious. That’s why I schedule a jogging session twice a week at with friends or my godchildren Sophie (10) and Julian (6). Here I am invited to the lunchtime. Either I run along the lake (9.5 km) or do the “mountain tour”, open day of a construction company. Julian is allowed to operate a crane – to him that along the Wehrenbach to Tiefenbrunnen (8.5 km). Roman Sigrist is one is the ultimate! And yes, I also have a second job: For 22 years I have been driving a of my most important employees as Head of Operations and Projects in regular bus once a month for the Lenzburg regional transport. I’m one of the longest the Chief Editorial Office. We often get the best ideas on how to solve serving drivers there. Why do I do that? Quite simply: because it gives me great one problem or the other while running. By the way, Roman is so fit that pleasure and is something completely different from my desk job. Bus driver - for me he pulls me along even on bad days. this is the second most beautiful job in the world. Right after editor-in-chief.

26 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 27 60 YEARS OF BLICK 60 YEARS OF BLICK

ing for someone to do the foreign reporting. I immediately agreed and chucked everything, studies, officer candidate school and my completely outdated ideas of a career. My first assignment at BLICK was the Six-Day War in 1967. «Vietnam will BLICK didn’t have the best reputation. It had a bad reputation with the so-called refined society and our colleagues of the established press. A gutter paper! An ac- quaintance warned me, if you go there, you can forget about a career with a serious newspaper. never let me go» What attracted you to BLICK? BLICK gave us incredible opportunities and In 1967, Peter Balsiger (78) was a 26-year-old BLICK reporter and travelled to freedom! The «Neue Zürcher Zeitung» would never have sent a reporter to Vietnam the Vietnam war, which turned him into Switzerland’s most famous journalist. for months. BLICK was modern, immersed in what was happening. We were allowed to Interview: Adrian Meyer And into a pioneer of a new kind of foreign reporting at BLICK. break taboos, buck trends, tackle tricky topics and provoke. We banked on human Mr Balsiger, what does the Vietnam War death. That was when I realized, so this is Peter Balsiger (second from left) after his return. «I became the most famous journalist in Switzerland.» interest and emotions. That made us stand smell like? war. out from the others, it made us unmistaka- When you land at the airport in Saigon, Would you have fired? ble and successful. there is a reek of kerosene. And fear. I came close. The lieutenant thrust an M-16 What sort of people worked in the editorial Fear? into my hand and told me to just pull the office at the time? In Saigon, the American GIs pour out of the trigger. It was the gun of a wounded soldier. We were a motley bunch. Young college troop carriers. They have come directly If the enemy had come at that moment, I dropouts like me who found life at the uni- from the USA, you can see their fear. Then, would have fired. Thank God no one came. versity bland. Older journalists with an of- on the airfield, they meet the soldiers whose Were you afraid? ten obscure history but with a lot of life one-year tour of duty is over and who are Anyone who says he wasn’t afraid in Viet- experience and a large network of relation- now waiting for the return flight home. The nam is lying. The fear was always there. ships. An ex-policeman with excellent survivors. They know that out of the 150 Nevertheless, I grew terribly numb, got used connections to the red-light district. A pri- newcomers, 50 will not return or only return to the horrible images. Violence became vate detective from Zurich who used to in terrible condition. You can smell that normal. perform as a blond wrestler. A party-goer cocktail of emotions. How did you escape that ambush? with a PhD, who knew almost all the secrets In 1967, you were a 26-year-old reporter and At some point, US jets dropped napalm of the stars. We were outsiders, ostracized travelled to the raging Vietnam War. Why? bombs and the artillery fired at the enemy by the serious journalists. That bound us Very many people have asked me that. Sol- positions. That night, we retreated up a together. diers in such terrible places as Khe Sanh or mountain. They slung two rifles around me You went on to become editor-in-chief of Hue asked me, why are you here? It would and gave me ammunition boxes to carry. We BLICK, SonntagsBlick, l’illustré, Schweizer never have occurred to them to go to Viet- were on the road for hours and came under Illustrierte and the magazines «Quick» and nam voluntarily. I had trouble explaining fire again and again. I was completely ex- «SUPERillu». What shaped you most? myself. hausted. It was all about sheer survival. It Vietnam. It was an existential experience. What did you tell them? was anything but heroic. I didn’t really enjoy being BLICK’s edi- The truth. Vietnam was the biggest story of You stayed in the war for two months and tor-in-chief. I grew cynical. And I have to «The fear was always there. Nevertheless, I grew terribly numb,» says Peter Balsiger. all at the time. I wanted to be there. wrote a series of articles that turned into a say in retrospect, I didn’t do BLICK well. I Everything you got to read about the war Peter Balsiger at the BLICK archive: «Vietnam successful book. A few months later, you never wanted to be a political journalist. I back then was boring. Sober reports of was the biggest story of all.» returned to Vietnam and stayed for another totally in the moment. That is an effect I everyday life of Switzerland? never cared what happened in Bern. Emo- casualties or battles. I wanted human inter- eight months. Why? have sought again and again. Very difficult. Actually, I wanted to stay in tions and human experiences were what est stories. I wanted to go along with the Were you prepared for what you were to Because after the Tet offensive in 1968, it In what way? Vietnam. But the editors thought it was time fascinated me. soldiers, write down how they live and die, experience? looked as though the Americans might lose I went on to chase after those feelings for a to return. Was Vietnam the highlight of your life? what it’s like to be in a foxhole or in the Not at all. I arrived with naïve ideas and full the war. Nobody could have imagined that long time. But I never experienced them the Where did your passion for adventure come War reporter Michael Herr wrote in his cult jungle. What war feels like. of enthusiasm. Everything was thrilling before. I wanted to go back. I knew they way I did in Vietnam. At some point, I dis- from? book «Dispatches» that for many journal- You were motivated entirely by journalistic and an adventure. I got to fly on fighter were making history there. covered Buddhism. That was when I real- I grew up in Wangen an der Aare, my parents ists, this war was a substitute for a happy ambition? planes, in helicopters across the rice paddies What was your most dangerous piece of ized I could have the feeling of living in the were poor. The boys in the village had no youth. That’s true. And I’m still processing I also wanted to know, am I a hero? Or a into the sunset, I rode in patrol boats on the research? moment without war. chance to break out. I soon realized that this Vietnam. It will never let me go.  coward in the face of danger? Back then, I Mekong. I blindly launched myself into any My involvement in the battle of Khe Sanh, Did you feel like a hero in Vietnam? could not be my life. As a teenager I read the asked myself these childish questions about kind of military adventure. a jungle fortress encircled by the North Vi- No. But it shaped my image. Vietnam Balsi- book «Kon-Tiki» by the adventurer Thor masculinity. When did you become aware of the cruel etnamese. One day before I wanted to fly ger in uniform, with dirt on his face and a Heyerdahl. Then I knew there was another Biographical note: BLICK’s editorial team was not enthusiastic. reality of war? there, an airplane with Canadian journalists helmet on his head. I’m not proud of it. I world out there. They thought I was crazy. I had to take un- On my first combat mission. I went on a on board was shot down on approach. So, I didn’t mean to impress anyone, I thought Is that why you joined BLICK? Peter Balsiger (78) joined BLICK in 1967. As a war paid leave and pay for all my expenses. The search-and-destroy mission with a compa- thought, is it worth doing this? that’s who I am. That’s how I have to live. I was studying law and found it terribly reporter, he went to Vietnam, the Six-Day War Swissair ticket to Bangkok then cost 4,200 ny, and we were ambushed by the North You went anyway. Were you a war junkie? BLICK then oversold this image. Thanks to boring. I was also working for the news and the Biafran War. Later, he became edi- francs, a large chunk of my savings. Vietnamese. We came under fire, men were Anyone who has ever walked the thin line my Vietnam articles I became the most fa- agency UPI. One day, BLICK editor-in-chief tor-in-chief of BLICK, SonntagsBlick, l’illustré, It was worth all that to you? wounded right next to me. Some screamed between life and death knows that this puts mous journalist in Switzerland. Charles La Roche called me and asked if I Schweizer Illustrierte and the magazines «Quick»

All of it. for their mother. They were all scared to you into an incomparable state. You live Photos: Philippe Rossier, Felix Aeberli, Rudolf Rohr What was it like to return to the orderly didn’t want to join BLICK. They were look- and «SUPERillu». Peter Balsiger lives in Munich.

28 | DOMO – December 2019 DOMO – December 2019 | 29 ANNIVERSARIES Editor’s Choice by Marc Walder

Retro Lady with Aloha Spirit Ringier CEO Marc Walder tells you which books he With 45 years of Ringier and 45 years of Tele magazine, hardly anyone knows is reading and why they the Swiss TV landscape as well as Tele editor Gabrielle “Gaby” Jagel. Her fascinate him. passions: «Meeting people and telling their stories.» And: «Hawaii!» Photos: Geri Born, private Yuval Noah Harari HOMO DEUS It is a gloomy pic- ture that Yuval Noah Harari paints of the future. It concludes – in the worst-case scena- rio – with the end of our species. But first things first. Harari, an Israeli writer and his- torian, is probably the most ex- citing representative of the «Big History» school of thought. His book «Sapiens» made him world-famous. In it, he traces the success story of mankind from its beginnings to the pre- sent day. In his follow-up «Homo Deus», he expands the historical range: The journey begins in the Stone Age and ends far into the future. And that promises to be quite complicated. Because now that mankind finally has (more or less) managed to rein in war, famine and plagues, there is a lack of vision. All we get are social utopias and mo- From the telex to the IBM Selectric typewriter to the laptop: Gaby Jagel has experienced many technological changes in dels of the future designed in her 45 years at Tele. «The TV business has also changed significantly. In the past, some presenters were almost like family Silicon Valley. members,» she says. Top right: Gaby Jagel in 1981 with colleague Michael Furrer. Bottom right: Gaby Jagel in Hawaii. She In its search for «immortality, has been to the islands 19 times. «Trip number twenty is a sure thing.» boundless happiness and divine powers of creation», however, ichard Nixon is still president working with new bosses - and al- first editor at Swiss TV and little mankind will get on the wrong MENSCH, Rof the United States. VW is ways new technology. «The first Gaby was often at the TV studio as track in the course of the 21st currently selling its first Golf. And telex was fascinating. The text a child. No wonder, she knows century. New technologies will in Switzerland you can cycle on the transmission via acoustic couplers every TV personality and every initially lend human beings motorway because of (or thanks to) was even a wonder of the world. program from the beginnings of godlike abilities – both creative the oil crisis. This is what the world And with the IBM Selectric type- television to the present day. and destructive – and turn looked like when Gabrielle «Gaby» writer I felt like an empress!» Gaby Should she forget any, she would Homo sapiens into Homo deus. REGULA Jagel, 62, joined Ringier 45 years Jagel’s areas of responsibility were get help from the huge Tele archive, But over time, machines will ago. «On November 25th, 1974, I also changing. Her next boss, which she keeps meticulous and replace and surpass people. In started working for Tele as a secre- Hans-Ueli Indermaur, was an early guards as gold. «That’s probably the end, a small elite of up- Geschichten, die tary,» she says. And she has re- promoter of computers and sup- why my boss Gion Stecher lovingly graded super humans at best mained with Tele to this day. ported Gaby Jagel’s career. «Soon calls me retro lady,» she says with will benefit. The great majority die Schweiz bewegen. Getting the job was a stroke of I helped in the graphics depart- a laugh. Her personal TV favorite: of people will be (economically) luck at the time. Gaby Jagel had ment, in picture editing and wrote «Heidi Abel, a human role model.» useless. One small comfort: The Die neue just finished business school and TV program tips.» And at the Tele She has another two years until author says that «Homo Deus» was looking for a job. At the same subsidiary TPS, which still existed retirement. Gaby Jagel would say is not a prediction but a presen- time her neighbor, the legendary at that time, she was senior duty she «may» work for another two tation of options. Schweizer Illustrierte. Tele editor-in-chief Herbert «Jack» editor. years before she is retired. Then Yuval Noah Harari provides no Stark, was looking for a secretary. Her first major article in 2007 what? «Traveling is my hobby. I’ve answers or analyses to current «After a brief interview, he told me lead Gaby Jagel to former Federal been to Hawaii 19 times, the Aloha problems. But anyone who I would fit in well with the editori- Councilor Elisabeth Kopp. «That’s spirit won’t let me go. Trip number wants (and dares) to look at the al staff.» when I knew what I wanted: to twenty is therefore a sure thing.» big picture will be well served by In the following years, time and meet people and tell their stories.» AV  this powerful writer and brilliant again, Gaby Jagel found herself Gaby Jagel’s mother was the thinker.

30 | DOMO – December 2019

RZ_Ins_DOMO_210x297_SI_Regula.indd 1 21.11.19 10:09