In almost one hundred and fifty-seven years of existence, The Mail has experienced its share of shocks, both internal and linked to the political and media context. The past year will have been no exception to the rule, particularly regarding the future of the written press. Our readers know that its viability is more than ever called into question by the hegemony of digital giants, the change in reading habits, the paralysis of public authorities in the face of resizing and the disappearance of titles and printing presses. It is in this context that your newspaper took the initiative of launching an “Appeal for the survival of the regional press”, which many of you signed.
In these turbulent waters, The Mail remains this atypical skiff, both frail and resistant. Its economy of means, the conviction that drives its team and – above all – your loyalty, dear readers, make this newspaper like no other a connecting point. A space for meeting and debate. A platform for thinking and building the world of tomorrow. A world that we want to be more united, less warlike and more joyful, where humans would not be this super predator with a devastating impact.
Why tell you all this? Because at the time of writing these lines, a new editor-in-chief is preparing to take up the challenge. More precisely, an Editorial Committee, made up of four people. For more horizontality, consultation, plurality. To contribute to the essential collective momentum while distributing the load and responsibilities. A formula that sticks to the ideals of the newspaper and reconnects with the trios or duos of chief editors set up between 2011 and 2020, and whose mandate lasts in principle three years.
Elected by the general assembly of the New Association of Mail (NAC), this quartet of journalists is made up of signatures known to most of you. Four complementary profiles used to working together for several years. Entered Mail in 1991, Philippe Bach had been sole editor-in-chief for four years – no small feat. The editorials of this former Geneva local, also experienced in federal politics, testify to his versatility.
Christophe Koessler works at Mail since 2011. He worked at the Geneva local before joining the emblematic International Solidarity section, for which he is now responsible. Nathalie Gerber McCrae, for her part, joined the team in 2016. Since 2019, she has been responsible for the strategic areas of digital publishing and social networks. Finally, Roderic Mounir has been a member of the Culture section since 2000, with sensitivity to societal and political issues.
Strengthen the identity of Mailassert its singularity and its humanist fiber, its approach that is both rigorous and committed, increase its visibility and its digital presence to ensure its sustainability in a changing world, all priorities set by the new Editorial Committee. From today, he will put all his energy into it, supported by a united team, and we hope, also by you.
Happy New Year to everyone!
