“The best thing would be to encourage the Swiss to visit Russia”, says Eric Hoesli. He himself did not need any such encouragement to spark his interest in this amazing country.
Fascinated by Russia since his childhood, he managed to learn Russian during his spare time. After completing his law studies in Lausanne and then a post- graduate at the Graduate Institute of Development Studies in Geneva, he embarked upon a brilliant career first as a journalist for L’Hebdo and the Nouveau Quotidien, then as editor in chief of L’Hebdo and finally as founder and director of the daily Le Temps. In 2004 he temporarily retired from the world of journalism in order to finish his book on the subject of the Caucasus. He rejoined the press in September 2005 as director of regional publications for Edipresse. In this interview he gives us his thoughts regarding the preconceived notions which the Swiss and Russians have of one another, as well as what he views as the two sides of the Russian press.
BUSINESS MIR DO THE SWISS HAVE A STEREOTYPICAL VIEW OF RUSSIANS? Yes, both in a positive and negative sense. The positive stereotype evokes a great culture linked to the “Russian soul”, the negative stereotype is associated with the mafia, disorder and brutality.
DO THESE STEREOTYPES COME FROM THE FACT THAT RUSSIA IS RARELY TALKED ABOUT IN THE SWISS PRESS? No, the Swiss press don’t talk less about Russia than about other countries. However we only talk about Russia through our own perspectives and we only talk about things which correspond to our present preoccupations. Certain things which may be very important to us could mean very little for the average Russian, and vice versa.
It is therefore more a problem of quality of information rather than of quantity.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO TRANSCEND THESE STEREOTYPES? The best thing would be to encourage the Swiss to visit Russia and experience Russian reality, in such a way that they themselves could separate between truth and fiction with regards to these stereotypes, which aren’t entirely false.
DO THE SWISS ALSO HAVE A STEREOTYPE WHICH PRECEDES THEM IN RUSSIA? They enjoy the positive stereotype of a peaceful country, hard working, rich and a model of democracy; they are also associated with the negative stereotype of being a selfish country, opportunistic and not having made the great sacrifices in the course of history.
WHAT VIEW DO YOU HAVE OF THE RUSSIAN PRESS? There is not one Russian press, but several; each one very different from the next. Certain newspapers are very weak and play along with corruption. Some articles are paid for and there is a culture of blackmail which consists in making someone pay to guarantee that an article which you’ve threatened to write does not appear in the paper. On the other hand, some excellent newspapers exist in which a great tradition of courage linked to literature predominates, which drives a much more expansive culture than is found here. Some of them publish literary articles of a length which is unimaginable in Switzerland. Russia has given us many great literary critics and Switzerland has much to learn from this aspect of the Russian press.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SPEAK OF “RUSSIAN JOURNALISM”? Yes and no. In Russia, one can find all the types of journalism which one finds in Switzerland. However, the approach and manner in which events are described are not the same. Russian journalism can sometimes be of great intellectual depth.
IS THE RUSSIAN PRESS FREE? The Russian press isn’t merely a realm of constraint and censorship. There is a liberty of tone vis-à-vis the government which the Swiss press would not permit. But this is not the case everywhere: there is more room for press freedom in the big cities than in small ones, where the press is strongly controlled by the local government. Despite this, the printed press is clearly freer than television, where state control is so powerful that there is no room for critical thinking.
IN 2003, EDIPRESSE BOUGHT 52% OF THE CAPITAL OF RUSSIAN PUBLISHER ID KONE-LIGA PRESS ZAO.DID THIS ACQUISITION BRING WITH IT ANY CHANGES AT THE LAUSANNE PUBLISHING HOUSE ? This purchase allowed Edipresse to rejuvenate itself in a thrilling way. The new team brings with them a certain audacity, as well as being dynamic and friendly.
In addition, from an economic point of view the Russian women’s magazine Samaya is very successful.
This collaboration with Russia completes the one which Edipresse already has with the Ukraine and points toward a possible future collaboration with Belorussia…
HOW WAS THE INCRUSTATION OF WESTERN MEDIA PERCEIVED IN THE RUSSIAN MEDIA WORLD ? One must understand that this is a meeting, a collaboration.
We are not here to teach them anything.
On the contrary, it is the coming together of two heritages. Switzerland brings to the table a certain know-how and financial backing; Russia brings with it its passion, ideas and projects.
WHERE DO YOU GET THIS LOVE FOR RUSSIA FROM? To tell the truth, I don’t know where it comes from.
I’ve had it since I was a child and I can tell you that it’s an addiction which grows with time. It’s very much a passion which is stronger than reason… I have to be careful. Russia is a universe full of vitality, creation and extraordinary imagination.
It’s a real antidote to certain criticisms which are sometimes directed at Switzerland.
YOU’RE WRITING A BOOK ABOUT THE CAUCASUS.HOW IS THIS PROJECT GOING ? Everything is going well. The book is being published by Syrtes in Paris and will be coming out in October. My approach consists in placing the small stories in the context of the larger one, in such a way that the roots of the current situation in The Caucasus can be explained.
