PETITION

A petition has been launched calling for the continued federal funding of Swissinfo, the international service which is part of the Swiss public media system.  

Read more: “Switzerland loses sovereignty of information”: swissinfo director on the impact of potential defunding (Interview)  

Currently, Swissinfo receives half of its funding through a federal contribution. The other half comes from the licence fee which also funds the national public service broadcasters.  

However, an austerity package by the Federal Council proposes axing the government’s full contribution to Swissinfo of CHF19 million. The international public media outfit has already seen the federal contribution reduce by 17 percent. 

Cutting Swissinfo’s budget would be catastrophic: “A cut would effectively mark the end of the independent international reporting from and about Switzerland. Instead of cuts, there is a geopolitical need to strengthen media presence abroad.”  

The petition was organised by a group of cultural, academic, and educational institutions and associations, as well as membership groups of Swiss living abroad.  

Why save Swissinfo?

International public service media have a critical role both nationally and around the world.  

• Providing impartial and independent journalism: International public media provide independent and impartial journalism, often targeting areas with otherwise limited access to such news and information, due to tight state-sponsored censorship.  

• Combatting the challenge from state media: Authoritarian states are investing billions into their international media arms, as a way of exerting soft power influence. Well-funded independent international public media is essential to combat this challenge, especially given the defunding of USAGM earlier this year.  

• Story sovereignty: With the ever-growing threat of information manipulation and interference, an international public broadcaster provides a source of trusted and accurate news and information based on the principles and values of its national public media services. In the case of Swissinfo, it also offers diaspora coverage from a Swiss perspective.  

• Serving citizens overseas: Swissinfo has a special responsibility to connect with Swiss citizens living overseas with information and education services. This is especially important given that Swiss nationals living abroad can vote in elections in Switzerland.  

• Taking Switzerland to the world: Swissinfo has a unique role amongst other international public media to acts as a cultural ambassador for Switzerland, giving a platform for their national culture to be showcased around the world.  
• Imparting democratic and civic values: Independent public service media uphold and underpin liberal democratic values, and do this through their provision of accurate and fact-based news and information. 

The proposal to cut federal funding for Swissinfo is the latest in a string of threats to the operations of international public service media around the world. We are deeply concerned that this, alongside cuts to USAGM-supported services, sets a stark precedent to other administrations, posing a real risk to the availability of trusted, quality, and independent news to millions.  

We encourage other public media workers, stakeholders, and supporters from around the world to join PMA staff in signing the petition, to show our solidarity with Swissinfo!