On March 8, the Swiss population will decide on the future of public broadcasting with the “200 francs ça suffit” initiative. In a context of polarized opinions and a growing share of uninformed citizens, making an informed choice in the collective interest requires access to a plurality of viewpoints and genuine spaces for debate.
For 30 years, Fondation Hirondelle has been working to promote access to reliable information by supporting independent media in fragile contexts. Local media, accessible in several languages and across different platforms, are essential to a peaceful society. They also serve as a bulwark against disinformation, now amplified by artificial intelligence (AI). This mission is that of a non-profit organization such as Fondation Hirondelle, as well as of public service media such as SSR / RTS.
In Switzerland, as elsewhere, the international context and local realities are weakening media serving the public interest, whether private, community-based, or public service. Malicious content produced on a large scale, insufficiently regulated activities by “big tech,” and growing threats against journalists are all factors contributing to a climate that is dangerous for democracy.
As guardians of the public interest, media outlets such as SSR / RTS have a responsibility to produce and make accessible factual, balanced, and well-sourced information, in accordance with the ethical principles of journalism. This requires rigorous journalistic research, verification, and dissemination. Such a mission demands adequate resources and relies on genuine independence, grounded in a strict separation between editorial decisions and funding sources.
In the current context, supporting public interest information is our responsibility. This means defending pluralistic media models in which the power to inform is not concentrated in the hands of a few actors.
With the March 8 initiative, a budget reduction of this magnitude, in addition to the cuts already announced, would directly weaken local journalism — a reflection of Switzerland’s cultural and linguistic richness and an essential pillar of the country’s political life.
The media license fee supports a media model that is accessible to everyone. With no financial stake in this vote, Fondation Hirondelle opposes the “200 francs is enough” initiative. We stand in defense of public interest media models that are essential to social cohesion.
Caroline Vuillemin, General Director of Fondation Hirondelle