when you enter the old brick house at the Zurich Sihlquai 125, in a world of opposites. There, where once stood the students of the art school designed, it is now used between. On the ground floor of the asylum, gather the end, who want to improve their knowledge of German in the Autonomous school. On the first floor Start-up founders English Business-Talk talk. In the photo’s Bastion is reminiscent of the youthful disobedience. Photographer Olivia Heussler has documented the Zurich riots in the 80s. There are images of new beginnings, of maladjustment and of the class struggle.
terms in which Lukas Tobler again. Would be the 25-Year-old born a few decades earlier, he had participated in the riots. Today Tobler is standing at the window of his editorial space that is connected to the Start-up-Central. He lights a hand-rolled cigarette, the lighter is: “The lamb – to-the-point and against the grain”. It is the Motto of the online magazine, the Co-editor-in-chief for five years, writes and lives. With research against abuses of the fight, that is the claim of the portal. And this with the of probably the smallest editorial team in Zurich.
“just before the”
Last year, published the Team increased research, which were taken from large daily Newspapers. A revelation on the right-wing conservative Chocolate Läderach, for example, or a strict monitoring regime on the Area of the Federal asylum centre in district 5. The awareness of “The lamb” rose: The users of a year, a doubling of numbers within. With pleasant consequences. “In the meantime, we will no longer be perceived in requests, as members of an Evangelical youth group, but as a journalistic platform,” says Tobler.
The unpleasant side of it: the professionalization of the magazine increased the fixed costs. “It is a paradox,” says Tobler. “We are going to read so well, as never before, are now but a short time before the Off.” “The lamb” the castle last year with a Minus of 37’000 Swiss francs. The reason: The editorial began, wages to pay, a very small, but still. Expressed In Numbers: 7314 francs for 200 percent – write under the existence minimum. The major portion of their livelihood, the editor-in-acquire artists and editors in part-time jobs.
Paid work at the “lamb” was long just a pious wish: “Eventually we came to the conclusion that journalistic work must not cost something, Yes, must,” says Alexandra Tiefenbacher, club President and last remaining founding member. “The lamb” made in the same time step by the student Blog, Research and opinion portal. The financial bottleneck has now to follow: make percents were removed and wage cuts carried out. Only in this way “The lamb can hold” for the time being on the water. “Of course, this Troika Fitness to puke on us-program total,” says Tobler. “We will not carry it forever.” The editorial Board has therefore set itself until the end of April, a period of time, then the Situation will be assessed new. For Tobler is: to operate A left-wing magazine, and not to criticize in it abuse, but at the same time to engage in deep “in the box of tricks of neo-liberalism”, “the”.
“The lamb,” never had a business plan. The magazine was born in 2009 from the accident, from one of the most important journalistic virtues out of curiosity. Tiefenbacher, at that time a student of the environmental Sciences, wanted to know from the city, which is why in Zurich no compost collection, as in other cities. The following e-mail communication with the city, she has published on a Blog. At that time, under the name of “The League of extraordinary Monday mailer”.
It was derived from “The lamb”, the heading “Monday mail” has maintained the editorial until today. The Portal was established as a sustainability magazine. “We are of the view that sustainability is not just a question of plastic consumption, but above all a question of solidarity,” says Tobler.
Unconditionally, regardless
sustainability and solidarity. These are the attributes that write to other editors on the Flag. At one point The lamb is different, however, from them: in the absolute independence. The magazine is today publishing ad-free, independent, and is not supported by individual patrons. A paywall for articles for Tobler out of the question. On the back of his fire is a tool-not a democracy is: “The Paywall”.
The Journalist explains: “Our content will be open to all Interested parties.” Only in this way, the democratization of a journalist is to be ensured, contents. There are users who can’t afford a subscription: for example, students or asylum seekers. For example, a floor Supplement below your knowledge of the German language. For Tobler potential “lamb”-reader, especially since the Portal writes regularly on Migration – always from a decidedly left perspective.
“We don’t want to give up,” says Tobler. “We write because we are angry,” he says, “and we articulate this anger in our analyses.” What it need to Survive? Tobler thinks for a moment: “Good stories and some 1000 members, who pay a voluntary amount.”
Created: 14.03.2020, 08:57 PM
