The media is expected to monitor those in power, but it’s often dismissed as ‘mainstream’ by the public. Instead of providing substantial news, media outlets now focus on ‘infotainment’.
Individual blogs, unlike major newspapers, lack the resources to cover a wide array of topics and tend to focus on single issues, reaching a smaller audience. However, the collective presence of many blogs forms a significant counterbalance to mainstream media, representing the true voice of the citizens.
Presently, the opinions of citizens, including the educated elite, are less valued by those in power compared to the late 20th century. There’s a growing trend of authorities expecting unquestioning compliance from the public, with critics quickly labeled as either right-wing ‘angry citizens’ or left-wing ‘autonomists,’ or even ‘cult’, all deemed socially unacceptable.
This scenario is not new. The 20th century’s German Democratic Republic (GDR) is a prime example in the German-speaking world, where critics of the ruling socialist elite were stigmatized and silenced. The methods of the GDR’s Stasi were institutionalized and overtly brutal, unlike the more subtle repression by Western elites.
To combat political decay and the erosion of human rights and democracy in 21st-century Europe, transparency is key. It’s in the unseen and unwatched places where disasters and treachery occur, sometimes even within police departments.
Thus, the Zurich Observer’s (ZO) current mission is to bring light to these hidden aspects and expose the dark corners of the system.
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Translated by GPT-4