ABSTRACT

Switzerland is a small, multi-cultural country in Western Europe with international ties but also a strong national and regional media landscape. Different historical, political, and cultural backgrounds have resulted in a series of regional characteristics that differentiate Switzerland not only from its neighbors, but also by the different language regions (French-, Italian-, and German-speaking) within the country. Typically, linguistic borders within a country also function as cultural borders. In Switzerland, these borders affect the social structure of journalists, their professional education, and their self-understanding vis-à-vis Swiss society (Marr & Wyss 1999; Wyss & Keel 2010).