The Fourth Estate

The media have changed radically since the introduction of the internet. Messages are available in infinite abundance, but an increasingly small number of people are willing to pay for quality journalism. Editorial offices are under pressure: Job cuts and uniformity are just two of the serious consequences. Faith in the media has suffered badly and their independence is at risk. But are journalists as bad as their reputation? We accompany employees of Der Bund, Echo der Zeit, watson and Republik in their everyday tasks and see how they fight and have to adapt. The filmmaker does as they do: he observes and calls things into question – including himself. (Locarno Festival)