For years, the Luxembourgish media landscape has been dominated by a few large publishing groups and long-established titles. However, the country’s development calls for a diversification of the themes covered by general publications, whether online or in print. Small publishers, independent of the big established groups, offer a considerable range of publications but are in danger of being stifled. The effects of the long-awaited law in support of professional journalism, to be implemented in 2021, are proving to be prejudicial for these small publishers, penalised by their “small size”.
So a dynamic group of independent publishers decided to take the initiative and set up ALEMI (Association Luxembourgeoise des Éditeurs de Médias Indépendants). Luxe Taste & Style, the publisher of KACHEN & REESEN, is one of them.
The president of ALEMI, Maurizio MAFFEI (Luxe Taste & Style), explains the main thrust of the actions undertaken:
- Recognition that pluralism of information is not just about political diversity, but also about diversity of topics. Small publishers guarantee this with remarkable autonomy and journalistic credibility.
- Revision of the support mechanism for professional journalism, which currently puts SMEs at a disadvantage when it comes to training and/or finding journalistic talents.
- Recognition of the dignity of journalists working for small independent publishers. These journalists do not benefit from the same professional protection, in terms of stability and certainty, to which their colleagues in large editorial offices are entitled. Genuine “opinion-forming” can only take place when readers are offered all the perspectives of everyday life, and not just those focused on economics and politics.
In the words of the president: “We are enthusiastic about the work done in previous years by those who have campaigned to ensure that support for information is no longer linked to square metres of printed paper. However, we are deeply disappointed to see how the main beneficiaries have chosen to protect their interests, mainly economic, rather than promote journalism and the plurality of sources of information. We want to play an active role, rather than just being bystanders, in rectifying this trend.”
