Al Jazeera We are The DNA of the Arab news network - Ringier AG
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D MO
Obituaries: The New York Times‘ crown jewels page 18
In-house journal
December 2013
We are
al Jazeera
The DNA of the Arab news network
CONTENTS Top 100 Galerie
der Gegenwa
rt
in-house journal
12
Pierre Huygh
e „Untilled“,
2012
4 Al Jazeera
Die Arbeit hinterfr
agt, was Kunst
kann. Wer sie ist und sein
betrachtet, geht
Allianz zwische eine kulturelle
n den Arten ein,
der menschli-
The Arab network reaches 200 million
chen und nicht
menschlichen.
die Relikte der Sie kompostiert
Avantgarde des
derts (zum Beispiel 20. Jahrhun-
in Form der abgesto
Beuys-Eiche oder rbenen
der Skulptur einer
households in more than 100
Frau) gemeins nackten
am mit pulsiere
hendem Leben, ndem neu entste-
ohne genetische
ohne die neurow Veränderung,
issenschaftliche
chungen unserer n Vereinfa-
countries. In Doha alone, reporters
neopositivistisc
Arbeit ist auch hen Zeit. Die Vija Celmins
politisch relevant „Galaxy #4 (Coma
poetischen Widerst , als ein Akt des Berenices)“,
ands gegen den 1974
nologischen Finanz- hyperte
und Überwachungsk ch-
and producers from more than 60
lismus von Program apita- Seit über 40 Jahren
zeichnet Celmin
men mit Unfassbare: s das
künstlicher Intellige das Meer, die
nz. Sternenhimmel Wüste, den
. Kampf gegen
Carolyn Christov-B die schwarzen die
Löcher des Lebens Leere,
nations work for its channels. An
akargiev,
künstlerische
Documenta
Leiterin der . Wer ge-
13 winnt? „Art
is what ma-
kes life more
interesting
than art“, lautet
Arabian Nights fairy-tale?
einer ih-
rer Lieblingssätze.
Sebastian Frenzel,
Monopol
22
8 Arab Reality
Der Hund aus Pierre
Huyghes Documenta
-Arbeit „Untilled“
(2012) ist auch Bestandtei
l seiner Pariser Retrospekt
ive
Pierre Huygh
e, Retrospektiv
Mostefa Souag, Al Jazeera’s Director
Paris, 2013 e im Centre
Pompidou,
Mein neueste
s Lieblingswerk
des Künstlers hat mich kürzlich
General, on «the most successful Arab
Pierre Huyghe in Paris verzaub Pierre Huygh
20 Jahren ineinan im Centre Pompid ert: eine Ausstel e „The Host
derspielen, sich ou, in der Arbeite lung the Cloud“, and
eine an der Decke gegenseitig verände n aus den letzten 2010
hängende, hell rn und beeinflu
deoarbeit für aufblitzende ssen. So löscht
kurze Zeit aus, Neonschlange Pierre Huyghe
project in the last twenty years».
in eine gefrore eine Ecke weiter die benachbarte s „The Martin Fenge
ne Fläche zu
Musik von Satie,
kratzt eine Eiskuns
tläuferin Bahnen
Vi- schafft eine spieleris Host and the Cloud“ er- On Kawara „APR.
7, 1986“, 1986, l „Wachs 7“,
sehr filigranen und während che Fantasie in 1966, Acryl auf aus der „Today“-Se 2012
Spinnen bewund man Welt. Wir folgen einer der echten Leinwand, 25 x
33 cm
rie, ab
ert, tänzelt der ein
Documenta kennt, rosabeinige Hund, Terrarium mit in einem Museum Gruppe Mensch
en, die On Kawara „Date
Für mich ist Martin
Fengel jemand
an einem vorbei den man von eingeschlossen grafien, einen , der, egal ob in
weitere Arbeite und lenkt damit der Begegnungen wurden und Paintings“, mit einer sehr seinen Illustrat
n. Die den Blick auf machen 1966 und leichte Art feinen Art der ionen oder seinen
der Wahrnehmung Ausstellung spielt auf wunder nem jungen Mädche – mit einem Magier, ei- und Weise, ich Absurdität konfron Foto-
12 Interview
von Zeit und Raum same Weise mit Mit seinen 1966 „Wachs“ ist eine würde sagen, tiert. Auf eine
man hätte einen n, das von seiner begonnenen „Date mit Nonchalance. sehr elegante
und hinterlässt Liebe erzählt, ersten tings“ hat sich Pain- seltsame, mysteriö
ziemlich guten das Gefühl, der Spur eines On Kawara herrsch was sich darunte se amorphe Form,
Traum gehabt. führers. Der Film Terroristenan- subjektiver Bewertu ender r verbirgt, und vielschichtig, ohne
Maike Cruse, künstleri erkundet, wie bei der man sich dass man weiß,
sche Leiterin und Gefühle Erinnerungen ngskriterien entledig diese kleinen aber ständig fragt,
Es spielt letztlich was oder wen
kollektiv oder keine Rolle mehr, t. Löcher und Lücken
der ABC, Berlin
und gleichzeitig sogar univers dass sich unter hindurch erkenne man durch
Emails make us stupid, Facebook
sehr persönlich ell welches Bild man für dieser dunklen n könnte. Man
sein können. sich innerhalb schüttet, zugedec Schicht bunte ahnt,
Huyghe bietet heute andauer seiner bis kt wurden von Lagen verberge
nden Serie entsche diesem samtige n, dass sie ver-
neue und x-beliebige Datums idet. Jedes n, fettglänzenden
überraschende bild ist so wichtig Saskia Diez, Designer Schwarz.
Erfahrungen; wie je- in
gleichzeitig fühlt des andere. Das
makes us foolish. Says who? Digital
sich das al- macht sie
les sehr vertraut zeitlos und „gegenw
an. ärtig“!
52 Rineke Dijkstra, Udo Kittelman
Künstlerin n, Leiter
der National
galerie Berlin
therapist Anitra Eggler, that’s who. am: Porträt und Centerfold
ston: Neue Bilder / Rodney Grah
Exklusiv William Eggle
Leben, Nr. 12/2013
14 Goodbye, Graveyard Shift
53
Ringier will soon be turning the night
shift into a day shift. Other publishers
Magazin für Kunst und
EURO 9,00 / SFR 14,50
AZIN.DE
UND LEBEN
WWW.MONOPOL-MAG
MAGAZIN FÜR KUNST
also believe in this move. JUBIL ÄUMSAUSGABE
12/2013
DEZEMBER
16 Focus on Ringier
4
The best press photos of the last
quarter from around the world.
18 Obituaries
They are among the most widely read
articles in the New York Times.
William McDonald tells us why.
al Wien
• Beat Wyss • City-Speci
22 The End of Silence
Star photographer Marco Grob on the
advantages of combining photogra-
Eggleston • Kunstwitz
14
phy and film.
Luxemburg: 10,00 Euro
Österreich: 9,80 Euro
Spanien: 11,50 Euro
Italien: 12,00 Euro
24 Inhouse: Monopol
Rodney Graham • William
The magazine for art and life
celebrates its 100th issue.
24
KE
HUNDERT MEISTERWER
KÜNSTLERN,
18
AUSGEWÄHLT VON 100
26 Ringier meets the stars
100 Lieblingswerke •
N
KURATOREN, KRITIKER
How Peter Hossli earned a compliment
8
from legendary rock star Lou Reed.
Photos: Katarina Premfors/ Getty Images (2), Christian Postl, Marco Grob, Tara Rice, Keystone (2), Chris Blaser, Karin Kohlberg
28 Michael Ringier
Our publisher’s thoughts on what
princes and publishers have in common
and on the importance of language.
29 Talk
Questions for Ringier’s management.
30 Anniversaries
Obituary / Employment anniversa-
ries / Recommended reading.
Cover photo: from left to right: Azad Essa,
16
Dareen Abughaida, Sam Bollier, Joelle Naayem,
Steff Gaulter, Carlos Van Meek, Ramzan Al Naimi
Photo: Katarina Premfors
Publishing Information
Publisher: Ringier AG, Corporate Communica-
tions. Executive Director: Edi Estermann,
CCO, Dufourstrasse 23, 8008 Zurich Editor-in-
chief: Bettina Bono; bettina.bono@ringier.ch.
Contributors: Hannes Britschgi, Ulli Glantz
(visual realization), Helmut-Maria Glogger, René
Haenig, Peter Hossli, Lisa Merz. Translators:
Xavier Pellegrini/Textes.ch (French), Claudia
26
Bodmer (English), Imre Hadzsi/Word by Word
(Hungarian), Adina Preda (Romanian), Lin Chao/
Yuan Pei Translation (Chinese). Proofreading:
Verena Schaffner, Peter Voser (German), Patrick
Morier-Genoud (French), Claudia Bodmer
(English), Zsófia Vavrek (Hungarian), Adela Bradu
(Romanian). Layout /Production: Nadine
Zuberbühler (Switzerland), Jinrong Zheng
(China). Image Processing: Ringier Redaktions
Services Zurich. Printed at: Ringier Print
Ostrava and SNP Leefung Printers. No portion of
this publication may be reprinted without the
editor’s permission. Circulation: 12,400 copies.
DOMO is published in German, English, French,
Romanian, Hungarian and Chinese. DOMO – December 2013 | 3
al jazeera
When the TV news channel
Al Jazeera was launched in
1996, Arab potentates were
shocked and the people in
the streets were thrilled.
Today, Al Jazeera is playing in
the same league as the BBC
and CNN. Its Doha headquar-
ters employs journalists from
more than 60 countries, and
thanks to petrodollars they
work under conditions that
others can only dream about.
Text: Peter Hossli
Photos: Katarina Premfors / Getty Images
A vi s
it with
4 | DOMO – December 2013
al jazeera
It is shortly before 10 a.m. The middle
of the brightly lit newsroom of Al
Jazeera English is occupied by the
news anchors’ desk, close to the team
of managing editor Van Meek. Sue
Turton takes a final peek into the
mirror, adjusts her hair and make-up
and checks the text on the tele-
prompter. At her back is a moving
map of the world. «Quiet, please!» a
female producer calls, «we go live in
twenty seconds.» Clocks show the
time in Washington and London, in
Doha and Kuala Lumpur.
Five, four, three, two, one. The red
light is on. «Hello, this is Al Jazeera,
I’m Sue Turnton, and this is today’s
news.» With British precision she
announces reports from Chile and
Russia, from the Philippines and the
U.S.A.
What feels as big as a basketball arena
is actually the office of Al Anstey. The
walls are hung with monitors. All of
them are showing news. For three
Seite 6 (oben): Carlos Van Meek years now this stately Briton has
(center, wearing a scarf) keeps a been managing director of Al Jazeera
tight rein on the midday meeting English. He raves about his editorial
•
at Al Jazeera English. Concentra-
tion and pace are high. He tersely staff. «No other network is as inter-
states what he wants today. national as we are.» He sprawls in his «We go live in
comfy leather sofa. «Diversity is our twenty seconds.»
Al Jazeera English
strength. For each story we have
I
anchor Sue Turton
•
t is cold in the desert. Carlos Van 2006. «Because we still want to ex- summer of 2013 Al Jazeera America somebody in Doha who relates to it.» checks her text
Meek uses a scarf to protect him- plain the world,» he says. «Hardly Anchor Adrian was launched in New York. While all other media are cutting one last time. In
self against the raw chill of the air anybody else is doing this today.» Finighan worked The traffic in the wide yet congested back, Al Jazeera is still expanding. « a moment she
for the BBC and will be presenting
from the a/c. «London, are you Al Jazeera was launched in 1996, at streets of Doha is trudging ahead at We can still afford to go out there and the 10 a.m. news
CNN before join-
there?» are his opening words at this first only in Arabic. It was to be an a leisurely pace. Wind is blowing up tell each story that matters.»
meeting. His accent is American. «We objective voice in a world full of cen-
ing Al Jazeera. «No
presenter in their desert sands. The city appears to be This is the main reason why Anstey •
program.
have two bombs in Beirut, whoever sorship, providing a forum for all right mind would one huge building site. Some quar- left the British channel ITN to join Al
is responsible is pure speculation.» opinions. turn down an offer ters looks as derelict as Beirut, others Jazeera. He explains how he once The modern news-
from Al Jazeera.» room at Al Jazeera
It is 1 p.m. on the outskirts of Doha in Today, Al Jazeera - in English: «The The fact that the glitter like Dubai. was in Bangladesh filming a cata- English in Doha
the Emirate of Qatar on the Persian Island» - is considered «the most suc- channel does not The neighborhood surrounding Al strophic flood which left hundreds employs journal-
Gulf. The day’s managing editor, Van cessful Arab project in the past need to be profit- Jazeera’s headquarters, far from the dead. No-one at ITN in London was ists from more
Meek, 45, keeps a tight rein on the twenty years,» says Mostefa Souag, able is both «a glassy skyscrapers of the city center, interested, however, «because there than 60 countries.
curse and a bless- Al Jazeera offers
midday meeting at the news channel Al Jazeera’s Director General. 220 ing» for him. feels inhospitable. Behind the heav- was no connection to England.» Al excellent working
Al Jazeera English. Taking part via million households in more than 100 ily guarded gates lies a parking lot, Jazeera is different. « We have a more conditions and
videoconference are colleagues from countries receive the covered with flysheets to keep cars global approach, and we don’t care high, tax-exempt
London and Sarajevo. The meeting’s channel. Journalists cool in the blistering summer heat. where a story happens, if it’s good, salaries. However,
many employees’
pace is as fast as the concentration and producers from Satellite dishes powdered with fine we do it.» families live in the
level is high. Van Meek quickly re-
ports the known facts. Beirut:
more than 60 coun-
tries work in Doha
sand loom against the sky behind
high fences. Two nondescript build-
He is driven by skepticism, as are his
journalists. «Here, we question ev-
•
West.
Twenty-two dead, including Iran’s alone. In 2006 Al ings stand across from each other: erything.» Still, a certain stigma at-
The control room
cultural attaché; probably car Jazeera Arabic was one of them houses Al Jazeera Ara- taches to the channel. After the at- at Al Jazeera
bombs. joined on the air by bic, the other Al Jazeera English - two tacks of September 11, 2001, Al English.
And here’s how the story is supposed Al Jazeera English. In worlds that belong together, yet are Jazeera fell into disrepute. Arch-
to run: «Zena is on the ground in very different. terrorist Osama bin Laden sent video
Beirut, Soraya reports from Teheran. The offices of the English-language messages to Doha. Al Jazeera broad-
We need reactions from the Saudis, channel feel tidy and quiet, their cast them.
the Qataris, from the entire region.» Arabic counterparts lively During the war in Iraq in 2003 Al
It is an important story, he says, and and loud. The English caf- Jazeera showed stray U.S. missiles
relates why: «The civil war in Syria is eteria serves better food, killing Iraqi civilians. «Al Jazeera
spilling over into Lebanon.» A female they say, but the Arabs promotes terrorism,» U.S. Secretary
colleague interrupts: «All this is very crack smarter jokes. On of Defense Donald Rumsfeld raged.
complex, how do we explain it?» Van both sides journalists Today, such reservations have disap-
Meek knows how: «Slowly, carefully, turn up to work in jeans or peared, managing director Anstey
in clear and simple English.» suits, there are men wearing dishda- maintains. Only recently, Hillary
He is an American from Miami, who shas, the traditional white garment, Clinton praised Al Jazeera for broad-
has been working for Al Jazeera since and women with their hair covered. casting «real news» - unlike U.S. a
6 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 7
al jazeera
«Explaining Arab reality»
Mostefa Souag has spent eleven years working for Al Jazeera. Today he is Director General of the entire network. He had
previously been the editor-in-chief of the Arabic channel. He was born in Algeria, where he still cannot send any correspon-
dents. For Souag, Al Jazeera is «the most successful Arab project in the past twenty years».
Surely the Emir is not entirely selfless.
He is paying the bills. You don’t have to turn
a profit.
Every government tries to gain influence, gain
power. If you try to gain power with hard power,
arms etc., you end up killing people. Or you can
choose soft power, media or diplomacy. That
doesn’t kill anyone. Doha is the capital of peace
negotiations. The Soccer World Cup in 2022 is
important. The Emir wants to develop the
country and at the same time to contribute to
humanity.
Did Al Jazeera create the Arab spring, as
many people are saying?
Al Jazeera has no doubt been the most
successful Arab project in the last twenty years.
In the Arab countries it is the channel that has
contributed most to making people aware of
their reality. If you want to know what’s going on
in terms of youth, women’s roles, politics or
economics, watch Al Jazeera. The Arab spring
originated with the people, but Al Jazeera was
there to cover it accurately. We showed how you
can obtain justice if you fight for it.
a channels. Within the Arab world, our lives than to people in the West,» If you lose one of them, there will be
•
What distinguishes Al Jazeera from other
global news networks like the BBC or CNN? the channel was in fact «king», the says Rawan Al-Damen, 34. She runs Top left: A techni- no Al Jazeera.»
We report on Obama and Merkel, what they’re U.S. Secretary of State claimed. Al Jazeera Arabic’s documentary film cian at Al Jazeera Just how independently can she work,
doing in their countries, but we also show people That is a sensitive issue in Doha, es- department. «The question of who is Arabic checks the though? Critics dub Al Jazeera a Mus-
who are usually ignored. We give a voice to the pecially since the Arab world has minister of education will decide cameras in the lim mouthpiece with which the Emir
anchors’ studio.
voiceless. fallen into turmoil. Al Jazeera is said whether your kids may go to school of Qatar spreads his own political
Why does Al Jazeera hardly ever report on to have helped topple Muammar or not. In the West everyone goes to Bottom left: views. «Those prejudices are wrong,»
Qatar? Gaddafi in Libya and Hosni Mubarak school.» Palestinian says Al-Damen. «I never in my life got
Rawan Al-Damen
There is not much happening here that the world in Egypt. «The Arab spring obviously She shares her windowless office came to Doha in a single phone call from my boss to
cares about. We don’t want to create a story that is a massive story,» says Anstey. « We with six colleagues - from Morocco 2006 and now interview somebody. At the moment
Al Jazeera Director General Mostefa Souag in his Doha office. is not there. We’re not a local TV station – we’re didn’t start it, but we influenced the and Iraq, Jordan and Great Britain, runs Al Jazeera’s this will happen I will resign.»
global. When Amnesty International presented a debate about it in the entire world.» including Muslims and Christians. documentary Working under such privileged con-
film depart-
Mr. Souag, Al Jazeera was launched in 1996. around the globe. What kinds of people do report [in November on the abuse of worker’s After the 2011 ment. «Nobody ditions brings a great responsibility,
How has this network influenced other
Arab media?
you look for?
Genuine and passionate media people. We pay
rights] we were there. uprising in Tuni-
sia, some 50,000 «Because this channel interferes, you
have total control,
and they have a
she feels. Al-Damen cites the exam-
ple of coverage of the politically
still wants to explain
Mostefa Souag: From the beginning it was very them good salaries, sometimes even better than Egyptians spoke fraught conflict between Israelis and
high budget for
positively received in the Arab world. But the our competitors’. We provide them with the out against documentaries.» Palestinians. Her trick is to let Is-
Mubarak on raeli historians who are critical of
the world»
governments were very suspicious; they space they need to practice their profession. She also says: «As
considered Al Jazeera a threat. Television used Journalists need to be independent. In the Facebook. Jour- a woman, as a film- Israel’s settlement policies speak.
to be in the service of the rulers, it was more or West Al Jazeera is regarded as the mouth- nalists in Doha maker, you need A solution to the eternal conflict in
Carlos Van Meek, managing editor, Al Jazeera English to work three
less a mouthpiece for propaganda; freedom was piece of Arab propaganda. saw this - and times as hard as the Middle East is hardly imaginable
very limited. Al Jazeera was free and indepen- We’re criticized because we show all sides to a reported it. They others.» for her, not least because of the Arab
dent. Other Arab media organizations have been story. In Iraq our reporters were not merely also broadcast reactions to these «I’m a Palestinian,» says Al-Damen. Top right: Male media. «We need to change the re-
looking up to us. We showed them what embedded with the Americans. We also showed stories from people all over the Arab She came to Doha in 2006, «because and female porting, the let’s-cry-together-about-
journalism could be. how their wonderful technology missed Saddam world. «We highlighted a dynamic I always wanted to work for a pan- presenters at Al Palestine,» Al-Damen says. « Let’s
How has this affected Al Jazeera itself? Hussein and killed civilians. CNN and others that was already there.» Arabic network.» Jazeera Arabic have the success story, and the happy
shortly before go-
We’ve grown, we have more influence and would have loved that material, but they were You need to cross the street to get to Only when she got here did she dis- ing live. The news story about Palestine.»
more viewers. We’ve succeeded because not there. Our office in Afghanistan was the newsroom of Al Jazeera Arabic. cover the secret of Al Jazeera. «No- anchors’ desk is Can she assert herself in her job?
we’re free and independent, we’re in the bombed, and our reporter in Iraq was killed – be- Men in dishdashas are sitting in the body interferes, you have total con- separated from «Females are anchors, and normally
business of news, not money. Some Arab cause we were reporting live from there. control room. Editorial offices and trol, and they have a high budget for the newsroom, as not field directors,» she admits; Al
the Arab journal-
networks had more money than we have. To what extent does the owner of Al Jazeera, newsspeakers’ desk are separate, as documentaries.» She says something ists’ debates are Jazeera works like many other TV
They’re gone. We owe our success to the the Emir of Qatar, get involved? it would be too loud to have everyone that Western journalists hardly ever too loud. stations around the world in this
quality of the journalists. Al Jazeera is owned by the state of Qatar, not by a Proud of Al Jazeera: Outside Mostefa Souag’s in the same room. Arab journalists say about their employers anymore: respect. «As a woman, as a film-
More than 400 journalists from over 60 person. Nobody tells us what to report. Journalis- office is a TV set with a gold frame. It plays Al are animatedly discussing politics. «Al Jazeera is successful because of maker, you need to work three times
countries are now working for Al Jazeera tically, Al Jazeera is completely independent. Jazeera Arabic around the clock. «Politics is much more important to its high editorial level and its budget. as hard than others.» a
8 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 9
al jazeera
• Tell Africa’s stories
Thirty-year-old Pal-
estinian Dalia Qader Azad Essa, 31, has been with Al Jazeera for three
is a graphic designer years. He grew up in South Africa.
with Al Jazeera. She
creates subtitles
for documentaries
and chooses photos
that are inserted on-
screen. The network
is planning a new
look for 2014.
a Adrian Finighan, 49, lounges in his world. His sovereign wealth fund has
chair. This Al Jazeera English news invested more than 100 billion dol-
anchor won’t be going on the air for lars abroad, in Volkswagen, for ex-
another five hours. He spent seven- ample, in London’s Heathrow Airport
teen years as a presenter with the and in Credit Suisse. Azad Essa writes for the English-language
BBC, five with CNN. He did a bit of PR How much he actually spends on Al website. Originally from Durban, he will wear
work, and then the offer from Doha Jazeera is a closely guarded secret. jeans and a sweater one day and an ankle-length
came in. «No presenter in their right Does he who pays the piper call the caftan the next.
mind would turn it down,» says this tune? Finighan demurs. «If Al DOMO author The Al Jazeera Arabic building also houses a small He couldn’t establish himself as a journalist in his
Brit. «CNN is Peter Hossli paid a museum. One of the exhibits is the vest of Al Ja- own country. «Everybody wanted the same
putting less visit to Al Jazeera zeera reporter Tareq Ayoub. He was killed by U.S. stories over and over again. I couldn’t do that.»
in Doha.
«If Al Jazeera was biased
bombs in Baghdad in April 2003. Also on display
money in its pro- are the channel's first calligraphic logos as well as Essa wanted to go further, to dig deeper in terms
gramming, the old cameras and microphones. of content and to broaden his horizons. He started
BBC has limited
funds, we don’t I wouldn’t be here» his own blog, blending journalism with sociology.
His texts grew popular. A selection of his blogs
have the same Department. «2014 will be the cre- LEBANON SYRIA was published in book form. That was the
© Ringier Infographics
Adrian Finighan, presenter at Al Jazeera English Beirut
commercial con- ative year at Al Jazeera,» he says. Al Damascus Baghdad moment he applied to Al Jazeera - and got a job.
straints.» For Naimi, 33, is sitting in one of the few ISRAEL Here in Doha he found a media company for
IRAQ IRAN
any story, reporters can hop on a Jazeera was biased I wouldn’t be offices flooded with daylight, wear- Jerusalem Amman which he can report on all of Africa. «They send
plane. Three teams covered the ty- here,» the presenter says. «I have a ing a dishdasha, whose headdress he me wherever I want to go.» From Somalia and
phoon Haiyan in the Philippines. reputation to protect.» frequently adjusts with nervous Cairo JORDAN Kenya he sent texts about the famines, from
KUWAIT
Like everyone else, Finighan works The money is a curse as well as a gestures. On his desk is an Apple Kuwait Congo he wrote about the civil war; he went to
for four days and then has four days blessing. «Not needing to make a monitor; the walls are hung with Senegal to cover the elections, and from Namibia
off. He is not the only TV star to come profit is nice for journalists,» he portraits of Steve Jobs, Einstein and he reported on a disastrous drought: «Nobody
to Al Jazeera from a big U.S. broad- says. «But it’s also danger- Matisse. SAUDI ARABIA BAHRAIN else was interested in that.»
caster. High salaries lure experi- ous that we don’t have the A Qatari, he has been with Al Jazeera QATAR DUBAI Sitting at a computer on the second floor of Al
Doha
enced journalists to Doha. They don’t pressure to chase an au- for fourteen years, previously having Riad Jazeera English’s editorial offices in Doha, he is
U.A.E.
Re
pay any taxes. On the other hand dience. Sometimes, nec- studied in Cairo. He started out op- Maskat teaching the ropes to two new employees, a man
Al Jazeera
d
EGYPT
Se
they are a bit lonely. Like many West- essary changes are de- erating the teleprompter. Today he is Hauptsitz and a woman from Canada. His other colleagues
a
ern journalists, Finighan lives in layed.» On the visual in charge of 140 employees, from OMAN are from Iran and the U.S., from Somalia, Pakistan
Qatar, but his wife and children level, the channel ur- Hungary and England, the U.S. and SUDAN and India, from England and Georgia. A great
don’t. «We couldn’t find the right gently needs to be Singapore, Malaysia and Palestine. advantage, says Essa. «At Al Jazeera people are
schools,» he says. He often flies to made over and reju- One graphic designer is from Sudan. coming from those places, you can’t be talking
London, home to his family. venated. The studio «Many of our talents used to be jour- about a story as an outsider.»
The money for Al Jazeera comes from is too big, espe- nalists,» he explains. «They know ERITREA This is a huge help to him as a journalist. «All your
YEMEN Arabian
the earth. Qatar is a peninsula on the cially since peo- the news business.» They develop Khartoum
Sana‘a Sea misconceptions about foreign countries are
Persian Gulf and at 4,500 square ple increasing- and refine the look of Al Jazeera, Asmara always being challenged. You can’t get away with
miles covers roughly a quarter of the ly watch the phrasing headlines, choosing 500 km anything,» says Essa. «Before Al Jazeera puts it on
surface of Switzerland. After World channel on their pictures, choosing the anchors’ the air, somebody is bound to challenge it.»
War II it had a population of barely smartphones. outfits, their make-up and hair- For Essa, Doha is «a strange place, a cultureless
20,000, only few of whom could read «It’s hard to see styles. ent. Al Naimi wants them to move Cup qualifying game tonight,» says place, just money, it requires a lot of effort to dig
or write. Today there are 200,000 the presenter on As yet, Al Jazeera English and Al closer together and adopt the mod- managing editor Van Meek. «Should into the society.» He is mainly here to recuperate
Qataris - and 1,9 million foreign a smartphone.» Jazeera Arabic look quite differ- ern look of Al Jazeera America. «The France not make it, we’ll go big,» he from his assignments. « For people like me it’s a
workers. There is plenty of oil be- This is is now design should be clear, clean and laughs. place to rest and recharge, and then leave again.»
neath the sand and a lot of natural gas supposed to be • simple.» His model? Apple. He has no cause for glee, however. In any case, he will want to go back to South
under the ocean floor. These natural changed by Ram- Qatari Ramzan Al Naimi heads Al The midday meeting is coming to a France wins and goes on to play in Africa one day. «I want to take what I have learned
Jazeera’s Creative Department. His
resources have made the Emir of zan Al Naimi, Man- job is to come up with a unified look close. The final topic is sports. «We the World Cup. Al Jazeera merely here, the experience at Al Jazeera, and go back
Qatar one of the richest men in the ager of the Creative for all of their channels. could focus on France’s Soccer World reports the score. home.»
10 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 11
interview
Anitra Eggler
personal
«Would you run to your letter- Anitra Eggler
box every twenty minutes?
Anitra Eggler was born in
Karlsruhe on June 9th, 1973.
When she was eleven years old,
the first email in Germany was
received in her hometown; it had
been sent the previous day across
The woman knows how to be provocative. In our modern digital world Anitra the Atlantic, from Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Eggler has Swiss
Eggler claims: emails make us stupid, sick and poor; and Facebook makes us roots but made her home in
Vienna in 2001. In 2010 she was
foolish, blind and unsuccessful. All this from a woman who used to be a journal- voted Austria’s number one
power woman in the category
ist! But she promises relief from the terror of email; through what means? «Advertising and PR». She worked
as a journalist, start-up manager
Digital therapy. How is that supposed to work? Put down your smartphone and and online publishing manager
read this text. before going freelance. Today, the
40-year-old is a consultant to
major companies like Procter &
Interview: René Haenig Photo: Christian Postl Gamble, Daimler, Tchibo or
L’Oréal. Her private pleasures: her
Ms. Eggler, according to your website, your time-consuming communication illnesses, range for no more than two to four fixed bathtub with a view of the sky,
«e-mail opening hours» are 10 a.m. and 4 what does that make me? When I started my times per day at which you check your emails and crime novels by Michael
p.m. Here it is 4 p.m. And we are talking; own business I came up with the notion of and answer them. Shut down your email Robotham. Her pet peeves:
shouldn’t you be checking your emails now? a «digital therapist». In the meantime the program each time when you’re done. You publishing one’s relationship
Anitra Eggler: Oh, I’m cool with that. After a term has become established through my will find that you haven’t missed anything status on Facebook. «That only
weeklong lecture tour I just enjoyed three books, and people understand it the way I and are becoming more productive again. leads to trouble.»
days at the office and have gotten through intended it: tongue firmly in cheek. I could still glance at my smartphone.
all the work that had piled up. Whatever You urgently warn people of permanent There, too, my advice would be: turn off
comes in now, I can do tomorrow. You digital distraction. Why? your automatic email download. The same
mustn’t take this as gospel: Opening hours It is because it massively detracts from our applies to Facebook, Twitter, etc.: switch off
doesn’t mean that I will respond right away. ability to concentrate. We increasingly let all push notifications. You should be the one
Anything that isn’t important or urgent can the possibilities of media dictate the way we to decide when you have the time for these
wait – which goes for 95 percent of all use them. Simply because we can send an networks; otherwise you will fall into the
emails, by the way. I usually answer the email within nanoseconds, we think we pointless-surfing syndrome trap.
important and urgent ones with a phone have to answer it just as quickly. But that In your book you claim that permanent digi-
call. My experience is that you can spare costs us life time and work time, and once tal distraction is causing enormous losses to
yourself a whole daisy chain of pointless permanent distraction becomes our normal the economy.
emails with a single phone call. state of mind, it will cost us our ability to Yes, there are several studies on that. Ac-
Prior to our interview we exchanged just one concentrate. Harvard physicians call it the cording to a US survey the decrease in
e-mail each. Is that normally the case or is it «attention deficit trait», and they believe concentration in the workplace is causing
unusual? that one out of two managers is affected. the global economy an annual loss of 588
As far as I’m concerned, that has become the Where have we gone wrong? billion dollars.
norm. That’s because on my website, In that we don’t even take the time to adjust You yourself used to send off emails at the
through my books and my own way of com- the settings in our email program to our worst possible moments, expecting your em-
municating I have re-defined people’s ex- needs, for example. This leads to permanent ployees to read them and answer right away.
pectations of communication with me: it is distraction, because every few minutes I was the worst email pest and the biggest
driven by common sense and appreciation, there is a ping and we «just take a glance» to information junkie you could imagine. I
not by the technological possibilities of the see who has written. This short glance usu- made to-do lists on Saturday nights, was
media at our disposal. Anyone can do that ally turns into a long time. always online. Your quality of life suffers as
to keep the floods of emails at bay. But that’s quite normal nowadays. a result. In my circle of friends there are
How exactly? Therein lies the insanity. As humans we more cases of burnout than there are fami-
Let me give you an example. Nowadays, I react manically to these distracting stimu- lies with children.
only receive emails headed with a pertinent li. Our brain becomes dependent on the You have made some interesting calcula-
subject. Many senders nowadays phrase dopamine and adrenaline rush accompany- tions with respect to our lifespan.
their subject in an attention-grabbing man- ing such an attention stimulus. The same I just worked out how much time I have
ner that smacks of tabloid headlines. thing happens with every stupid spam mail: spent surfing the Internet, and I arrived at
You call yourself a digital therapist. What do we check it immediately. four years. When young people of today
you mean by that? What remedy do you propose? reach their seventy-fifth birthday, they will
We are suffering from modern widespread Deactivate everything that acoustically or have spent eight months deleting unwanted
diseases like phone-slave-itis, Facebook visually tells you: Here is something new. emails. Whoever spends two hours a day on
incontinence, pointless surfing syndrome Just think about it. Would you run to the let- Facebook and Twitter will have lost six
or email insanity. If I can help with these terbox every twenty minutes? Never! Ar- years in that way.
12 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 13
Goodbye, Graveyard Shift
Nightynight, we’ll Ringier wants the
employer, voluntarily. «A great office to the AAP, the Australian
experience,» he maintains. Associated Press, with whom the
«20min.ch» was one of the first on
line portals to move its night shift to
German daily cooperates anyway.
This arrangement permits direct
start-up spirit
take it from here!
the far side of the globe. There is a communication between the Ger «A new year, a sunny
simple reason for this. The fact that mans and their Australian col outside editorial
people in Switzerland are sleeping leagues. A rotation system estab office, a new spirit.»
doesn’t mean that the rest of the lished in September allows When Blick begins
world is doing the same. In addition, journalists to exchange their Berlin reporting from
the proliferation of smartphones desks for a workplace in Sydney California in January
and tablet computers means that an every six weeks. 2014, it won’t just be to make use of
increasing number of users are read The Swiss News Agency (SDA) also the time lag for round-the-clock
A growing number of agencies, newspapers and news portals are opening branch ing at night and in the early morning sets great store on journalistic news reporting as other media
hours – around the world. exchange. In January 2014, four of companies do. «We want to be at
offices on the far side of the globe. This means that journalist night shifts turn into French daily newspaper «Le their editors will move to the AAP the heart of the digital world,»
day shifts, and readers get up-to-the-minute information around the clock. Monde» has had a similar
experience.«The enormous rise of
newsroom in Sydney for four years
each. The SDA journalists will be
says Florian Fels, CEO Ringier
Publishing.
smartphones led to a major in located in the same office as their
Text: René Haenig. Photos: Plaetary Visions/Science Photo Library/Keystone, 20min.ch, Handout
crease of nightly visits on our on colleagues from the Danish news Mr. Fels, Blick goes West – why to
line portal,» says online head agency Ritzau. Thanks to this long Silicon Valley?
W hen the computers are shut
down and the lights go out at
midnight in editorial offices in Paris,
releases. This is the beginning of
the night shift, which has become
a day shift, whether it is in Hong
Alexis Delcambre. In early 2013, the
Parisians decided to send two of
their 75 employees to Sydney and
fouryear deployment SDA editor
inchief Bernard Maissen, 52, is
hoping to achieve a certain conti
Florian Fels: Because the heart of the
digital world beats in the western
United States. Companies like
Berlin, Munich, Zurich or Bern, news Kong, Sydney, Seoul or Los Angeles. Seoul for six months each. nuity in nightly news reporting, Facebook, Google and Apple are located
editors for online portals like «le Welcome to the world of 24hour Manuel Jakob’s shift begins at six especially in the pioneering phase. in Silicon Valley, where a pioneering
monde.fr», «bild.de» or «20min.ch» news! a.m., Hong Kong time, and lasts In one case the plan actually ben spirit still prevails. Information is easily
on the other side of the globe rub Manuel Jakob, 34, editor with the until 1 p.m. During this time he also efits one of the SDA journalists: accessible, and it is the source for
the sleep out of their eyes, Swiss news portal «20min.ch», keeps an eye on contributions from «He is married to an Australian worldwide trends that will eventually
boot their laptops, grab packed his bags in late November «20minuten» amateur journalists. and had been leading a longdis make it to Switzerland. Our journalists
their first cup of and flew from Zurich to Hong Kong, «Those kinds of input have become tance relationship.» need to bring this spirit home to Zurich.
coffee and sift 5,779 miles away from his home important for us,» says Jakob. If a As of midJanuary 2014, Hong Asia or Australia would have been a
through the town; eleven hours and 45 minutes reader sends in a picture of a spec Kongbased news editor Manuel better time zone choice for a
latest flight time and a sevenhour time tacular major fire, Jakob will call the Jakob will make sure that readers 24-hour online news desk.
news lag. The Swiss journalist is changing sender within minutes to get back who take a first peek at «20min.ch» That’s correct, but for the Western
his place of work for six weeks. In ground information for a story. before 6 a.m. will get the latest hemisphere the digital future lies in
stead of sitting in the newsroom at «Checking with the police or the fire news about events that have oc America – and we want to benefit
his company headquarters in Zu brigades at night is almost impos curred overnight in Switzerland from that.
rich, Jakob will be investigating, sible.» and the rest of the world. The out How exactly?
sifting news and filling the In March of 2013, German newspa placed night service has already We want our journalists to provide live
•
«20min.ch» website from a per «Die Welt» also began a test run, proven itself. When Kim Jongil coverage of the latest Apple presenta-
studio apartment on the placing a journalist in Australia. died early one morning in Decem How night tion, to report directly from the Google
20th floor of a skyscraper The result is that the reporting has ber 2011, for instance, this arrange editors live: This campus, maybe visit a start-up trade
is Manuel Jakob›s
on Hollywood Road on improved, says editorinchief Jan ment allowed Swiss readers not «20minuten» show or blog from Facebook›s cafeteria.
Hong Kong Island. Eric Peters, 48. He feels that it is only to get the news of his death; office on the 21th More importantly, our on-site
This is the second much more effective to be working they were also given a portrait of floor on Hol- journalists will allow us to feed Blick's
time that Manuel downunder during the day than to the North Korean leader as well as lywood Road in online portals with news 24/7.
Hong Kong. It also
Jakob has gone be sitting alone in an office in Ger additional information – courtesy serves as the as- Who will get to go to California?
to work in many at night. Moreover, «Die of the «20minuten» night editor in signed journalist’s We would like as many journalists as
Asia for his Welt» was able to attach its Sydney Hong Kong. apartment. possible to benefit from this opportu-
nity and are planning a six-week
rotation. Basically, journalists from any
department may go – sports, people,
lifestyle... Since news is our biggest
department, it is only natural that some
employees from that desk will go, too. A
crucial point will be that our colleagues
are able to operate our CMS online from
the United States.
How far along are your prepara-
tions?
We are currently setting up the
infrastructure, i.e. renting facilities,
creating Internet connections and
everything else that a well-functioning
office needs. In addition, we need to
procure journalist visas, and we are
investigating whether it would make
sense to buy a car locally.
DOMO – December 2013 | 15
FOCUS ON RINGIER In this feature DOMO regularly presents the best photographs published by Ringier titles in the past quarter
1
Ringier’s best photos
of the last quarter
DOMO presents four pictures from China, Vietnam and Switzerland, which
have become photographic works of art thanks to a good idea, patience and
skilled craftsmanship.
valentIn jeck Photographer shows two little girls with hefty achieve a well-balanced mix of natural
susanne MäRkI Editor helpings of junk food in front of them. and artificial light» says the photogra-
Although the headline «Food Fight» pher. Often out and about in nature
1 Precious gems, cunning thieves,
crime scene investigators – Valentin
Jeck, 47, got the idea for this jewelry
suggests that the magazine will feature
a story about the struggle to make
healthy food palatable for children, the
and knowing the mountain well, he
was aware that it was the ideal place
from which to shoot a so-called stratus
pictorial in the Swiss fashion magazine article is actually about something else. photo. This image was the first in
sI style years ago, when he saw a There is a fight going on in Shanghai, Blaser’s stratus series, which the
model railroad. «Sometimes you carry but it is not about vitamins and healthy Romandy magazine l’Illustré
an idea around with you for quite a fats. Restaurant owners are fighting for published in its section «Grand
long time before you can put it into clients - more precisely: for families reportage». It’s «a weather phenom-
practice,» the photographer explains. who dine at a restaurant on weekends, enon everybody can observe from
When he first met with the editor in for example at places like the «Azul». their own doorstep,» says photo editor
charge of the jewelry photo series «La As it is one of the most fashionable Sabine Senn.
petite nation», Jeck says it became restaurants in downtown Shanghai, it
obvious fairly soon that he would want served as the location for the shoot. Its
to work with figurines. But where owner, Eduardo Vargas, has been
tang tang Photographer
would he get hold of miniature thieves, currying favor with wealthy Chinese
forensic specialists, divers, craftspeo- and expats. But meatballs, chips and tRa My Editor
ple or museum visitors? Jeck spent
hours scouring the Internet and poring
over catalogs before eventually finding
sandwiches did not exactly appeal to
the two pint-sized cover girls. That’s
why photographer Ransom Wingo’s
4 Every month sees a new issue of
the fashion magazine elle
vietnam. Each one includes a fashion
a company in the former GDR, which main job was to make the little ones photo series produced under the
specialized in model railroad accesso- feel that there was nothing they would working title «Made in Vietnam». The
ries. All that remained for him to do at rather do than to sit still. «I tried to editorial team not only wants to pay
the Ringier photo studio was to keep keep them happy by making exciting tribute to Asian women’s sense of
his hands steady, create twelve sounds and pulling faces. Of course, I esthetics – the main goal is to highlight
different scenes within two days and had to come up with something new the uniqueness of local designers,
photograph them. One hour to build every few minutes, or they would have including their zeitgeist. That is very
each set, polish the jewelry and set it in been bored.» much in the spirit of Tunisian-born
place wearing gloves so as not to mar designer Azzedine Alaïa, who once
the finish with unsightly greasy said: «When I see beautiful clothes I
fingerprints. «Although it looks as if the chRIs blaseR Photographer
want to keep them, preserve them...
set building was child’s play, I was Clothes, like architecture and art,
pretty wasted in the evenings and sabIne senn Editor
reflect an era.» For photo editor Tra My
could no longer hold my hand steady.
But then, my job generally involves a
lot of tinkering,» says Valentin Jeck,
3 What a fantastic natural spectacle!
In the glow of sunset, hidden
beneath a high fog, lies Lake Geneva.
the strapless red cat suit is not just any
eye catcher: «Lê Thanh Hòa is a young
and very promising fashion designer,
who specializes in object photography In the foreground on the right is the who often dresses celebrities for
in the luxury segment, and is very small village of Les Avants, Vaud, top-notch events.» The model, Kha My
much in demand, not just at SI Style, whose lights made it appear like a Van, is well known to Vietnamese
but also at Vogue and other upscale T-bone. On November 16, 2012, readers. A complete newcomer, the
glossy magazines. photographer Chris Blaser climbed the 23-year-old won «Vietnam’s Next Top
6,151 ft. mountain «La Dent de Jaman» Model» in 2012. The «Made in
above Montreux, lugging about 55 Vietnam» team’s loving attention to
RansOM wIngO Photographer
pounds of equipment along with him detail is evidenced by the set design
on his back, swaddled in warm clothing - something that female readers very
xIaO qI Editor
and carrying a thermos with hot tea as much appreciate. That is why the fact
2 Tell me what you eat, and I’ll tell
you who you are. The cover of
shanghai Family’s October issue
provisions. Just before sundown at
4.57 p.m. on this November day, Blaser
reached the summit. «I wanted to
that half the budget for this production
went towards creating the location was
graciously overlooked.
16 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 17
FOCUS ON RINGIER In this feature DOMO regularly presents the best photographs published by Ringier titles in the past quarter
2 3 4Obituaries
Masters
of the
last word
They are legendary: the New York Times
obituaries. In other countries people pounce W hat is the best time to die?
Hard to say. What is the best
«Who changed the world during his
lifetime? Who made a mark? They
other party often reacts with incom-
prehension and anger, he says. Wil-
on death notices and personal ads. New time to report the death to the NYT?
Weekdays between 10 a.m. and 12
needn’t always be celebrities.»
He receives an average of twelve •
liam McDonald remains calm,
speaking slowly, repeating himself.
Yorkers, however, are obsessed with the a.m. Around that time chances are
good of making it into one of the
suggestions for obituaries per day,
most of them over the phone. The
The New York
Times’ headquar-
ters are in Mid-
He trusts his judgment. «It’s tough
having to say that a life doesn’t sat-
«obits». William McDonald is the man three obituaries printed in the
world’s most influential daily news-
conversations he has with the be-
reaved, with managers of deceased
town Manhattan.
The «New York
isfy our standards, that it wasn’t as
worthwhile as other people’s.» That
who decides whose life will be honored in paper; or at least land on the desk of
the editor who decides whose life
Hollywood stars and publicists, are
intense. «There are many people
Times Building»
designed by star is a fact that cannot be sugarcoated.
«It is and will remain a firm no.»
the NYT. Because when somebody dies,
architect Renzo
story is compelling enough to war- that you could write about. A man Piano is 52 stories William McDonald began his career
rant an account in the pages of the who polished shoes for forty years tall. This is the in Connecticut as a reporter for a
that is only the beginning. «Grey Lady». William McDonald, 60, has a lot to tell. But that is a cliché
workplace of
William McDonald, local newspaper. He has been work-
head of the obituaries desk, is not that you find in every big city.» the head of the ing for the New York Times for
Text: Bettina Bono. Photos: Karin Kohlberg only concerned with big names. When he turns someone down, the obituaries desk. twenty-five years. There, he has a
18 | DOMO – December 2013 DOMO – December 2013 | 19Obituaries
a held numerous positions includ- of them have realized what a great
ing copy chief of the national news job it is. The best job in journalism
desk, deputy editor of Arts & Leisure – for me, at any rate.»
and deputy culture editor; he was Next to the sports desk, the obits
an editor on the investigations desk provide the New York Times with its
and part of the team that won the most widely read stories. George
Pulitzer for National Reporting in Bernard Shaw, winner of the Nobel
the year 2000 for the series «How Prize and an Academy Award, once
Race is lived in America». The obitu- quipped: «One reads the obituaries
aries desk is made up of six writers, first in order to reassure oneself
all of whom are experienced jour- that one isn’t in them.» The fact that
nalists with different backgrounds: these finely honed texts have been
an art critic with a focus on paint- delighting a big fan base for so
ing; a science expert specializing in many years is due more to the very
Nobel Prize winners; a former the- human fascination with the lives of
ater critic, a sports reporter, an ex- others than to people’s fear of their
pert on classical music and a female own mortality. «People love gossip
linguist. «We cover a very broad and tittle-tattle; they are keen on
range of fields. Our obituary writers biographies. Our readers know that
know who is important and why. when the NYT writes about some-
They are well read, are knowledge- body, there is something interest-
able about history, have seen a few ing to be told.» William McDonald
films and know a good deal about sets great store by complete stories.
politics.» To know what you don’t «It sounds banal, but they have a
know, he says, is also a good basis. beginning and an ending. Although
McDonald puts no stock in other the ending usually comes at the
newspapers’ custom of entrusting beginning.» The 800 to 1,500 word
the writing of obituaries to young obits, however, are free of banali-
journalists as an entry-level job. ties. Standardizations are avoided.
«Sure, obituaries are a good writing By using appropriate quotations the
exercise. But you need to have been authors give a voice to the de-
around the block, to have experi- ceased. The texts have historical
ence and a knowledge of life.» Wil- substance and often contain juicy Brussels and Washington day by worthy of an obituary, posting the conducted in advance there is an Say, for example, that Mr. X is not in
•
•
liam McDonald’s team enjoys living details from another person’s life. They are regarded day, obituaries provide a welcome videos on the NYT website under the embargo that lasts until the person’s Since February particularly good health, and he has
up to the cliché that there is some- «We do mention foibles if they are as odd birds: the contrast. header «The Last Word» when the death. The texts are safeguarded so 2006 William Mc- been in care for a considerable
thing morbid about writers of their pertinent, but we don’t wash dirty New York Times’ The videos on the New York Times’ people in question have died. Author no one but the obituaries editors has Donald has been amount of time. That was how, one
genre. To get to their desk in the linen,» McDonald says. An honest obituary editors. website are a relatively new and and humorist Art Buchwald was the access to them. It would be too head of the NYT day, William McDonald discovered
Doing justice to obituaries desk.
three-story New York Times edito- portrait will include divorce, the their morbid repu- special feature. Here, the deceased first to send greetings via video from tempting to use a quote whose con- DOMO editor- Huguette Clark. The youngest
rial offices, you have to go past a person’s true age, their ex- tation they have are given a chance to speak out. the other side. «Hi, I’m Art Buch- tent discloses hitherto unknown in-chief Bettina daughter of a US senator and indus-
shrine of macabre symbols like spouse(s), as well as the mention of placed skulls and Macabre? «This way the party con- wald, and I just died.» Sometimes facts. There is no counter-checking; Bono paid him a trialist was worth hundreds of mil-
skulls, caskets and mummies. When suicide if it applies. Journalistic mummies at the cerned gets to have the last word, the authors of the obits died before nobody knows what will be printed visit. He says he lions of dollars and owned gorgeous
entrance to their hasn’t written his
William McDonald took over the standards should be complied with, offices. and we don’t have to rely on quotes obituaries they had written were about them in the New York Times own obit. Is there houses on the West Coast and an
team in February 2006, many of his even if the bereaved may not neces- from the deceased’s relatives.» For published. This was the case with after their death. Which names an obituary he apartment in Manhattan. Her life
friends thought it was a peculiar sarily agree with that. In times six years the NYT has been recording Elizabeth Taylor. The Hollywood number among the «crown jewels» absolutely wants was upscale but reclusive and ac-
way to make a living. «By now, most when you keep reading about Syria, interviews with people deemed legend survived the removal of a - the term that Richard F. Shepard, to write? Yes, one cording to her wishes she spent the
about a member
brain tumor, her skin cancer, hip head of the obituaries desk in 1986, of «The Band»; last years of it in a hospital. She lived
surgery – and theater critic Mel Gus- coined for obits already written – is they were his Rock to be 104 years old. When she passed
sow. The New York Times reacted a company secret. Only one thing is idols in his youth. away, the NYT published her obitu-
and followed the obituary with the certain: Ninety percent of all obitu- ary, written in advance, on the front
statement: «Mel Gussow, the princi- aries that are published on the page. Up until that time nobody had
pal writer of this article, died in Times’ front page were written be- ever written about her. Her clandes-
2005. William McDonald, William fore the honored person’s demise. tine life, blessed with immense
Grimes and Daniel E. Slotnik con- Even so, William McDonald’s per- wealth, moved people – and from
tributed updated reporting.» 1,500 sonal nightmare begins whenever then on, Huguette Clark’s story was
obituaries have been written, 200 he is dining at a restaurant with his told over and over again. «That’s
more are added every year. The au- wife and sees the number of his edi- exactly what we’re after. We had
thors of more than ten of these texts torial office appear on the display of discovered a fascinating personali-
have already died. William McDon- his cell phone. In the case of Michael ty.»
ald maintains: «We encourage the Jackson’s death, a team of seven Having the last word is a great re-
journalists to write the obituaries in editors on the East and the West sponsibility. But that is exactly the
advance and to talk to the people – it Coast immediately began working reason why William McDonald loves
won’t be possible after the fact. Most on the obituary for the King of Pop. his job. «Of all the jobs I’ve had this
people decline, by the way.» This is «One ground rule is to never ask why one is probably the most interesting.
despite the fact that former New this or that obituary hadn’t been It is about stories and about writ-
York Times editor-in-chief A. M. prepared.» ing.» Writing in its truest form, es-
Rosenthal is quoted as having said: Although death itself can never be pecially when William McDonald
The obituaries desk is located in the middle of the newsroom. Next to the sports sec- Available in book form: a selection of the New York Times’ most «If you have to die, it is better to die predicted, obituaries editors always matter-of-factly says: «You buried
tion, the obits constitute the New York Times’ most widely read stories. popular obituaries. Two volumes have been published to date. in the Times.» For every interview have an open ear for hospital gossip. the lead...»
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