Why do we need media?
Media such as newspapers, television, radio and the internet have three important tasks: They should inform us, help us to form an opinion and control politicians and other important people or companies.
This allows us to find out what is happening in the world and in Switzerland from the media. For example: What new laws have been passed? Where is there a war? How did your favourite football team play? Without the media, we would not know much about what is happening around the world and around us.
The media also helps us to form our own opinions. If you know what's going on, you can decide better how you feel about it. For example: Do you think what politicians decide is good or bad? What are the most pressing problems at the moment that we should take care of?
A supervisory authority
The media also have the task of scrutinising people in politics or companies. For example, journalists look closely at whether politicians keep their promises or whether companies act honestly and fairly. This enables us all to make better decisions about who we trust, and adults can decide who they want to vote for in the next election, among other things.
Fake news in the media
But beware! Unfortunately, there is also fake news. Sometimes people deliberately spread false information to confuse or influence others. It can be difficult to find out what is really true, especially on the internet. That's why it's important to compare different sources and not just believe everything you read or see.
Although Switzerland is in a very good 9th place out of 180, there are still problems here too, according to RSF: Media concentration has increased, many print publishers are cutting staff and anti-press tendencies in society are on the rise.
Media freedom
In Switzerland, most of the media are free and independent. This means that they can report honestly. This is not the case in all countries. In many places, media professionals are not allowed to say what they really think.
