departure
After only two years: “NZZ am Sonntag” editor-in-chief Jonas Projer has to go
The ex-SRF man should lead the Sunday newspaper into the digital future. It “rumbled”, as Projer himself said. Now the NZZ is separating from the 41-year-old after two years.
“Strategic differences”: The former arena moderator has to give up his position as editor-in-chief of “NZZ am Sonntag”.
Bild: Keystone
The “NZZ am Sonntag” and its previous editor-in-chief Jonas Projer are going their separate ways. The NZZ board of directors and Projer had mutually agreed to end their cooperation. The NZZ announced this on Tuesday. “Strategic differences” are cited as the reason for the separation.
Former SRF presenter Projer took up his post as editor-in-chief in May 2021. The expectations of him were high: it was said that he was to lead the newspaper into the next digital phase. Specifically, a magazine was launched under Projer, which bundles the content of the Sunday newspaper digitally.
His arrival was accompanied by critical voices. The TV man Projer, who came from Blick TV, has too little writing experience for a well-known print title, it was said. His choice came as a surprise, as he replaced long-time boss Luzi Bernet. This was valued by many employees and had to give up the position due to differing views on further developments.
“It feels like driving on the Autobahn at 200 km/h and suddenly being braked to zero. That goes in the pit of the stomach, »Projer’s ousted predecessor is said to have said in front of the employees at the time. This was reported by the industry portal Persoenlich.com. Nevertheless, Bernet remained loyal to the publisher: today he is the Italian correspondent for the NZZ.
Projer got psychological help
The new task demanded Projer. To the “Sunday newspaper” he said last June that he had “reached his limits”, especially after the launch of the digital magazine. There was a “rumble” in the editorial office, said Projer, “certainly also because of me”. He therefore took a break, sought professional help and openly discussed the incident in the editorial office. «As a boss, a culture of transparency and mental health is extremely important to me. This shouldn’t be a taboo subject anymore», explained Projer.
The 41-year-old is now stepping down. In agreement with the Board of Directors, he will continue to work for the company in an advisory capacity until the end of August. “I’m leaving the ‘NZZ am Sonntag’ with regret, but at the same time with gratitude,” he is quoted as saying in the message.
Quartet takes over on an interim basis
NZZ President of the Board of Directors Isabelle Welton thanked Projer in the message for his “active commitment” over the past two years. «During this time he has taken important steps to transfer the newspaper to the next digital phase. So, under his direction, the editorial team switched from print-oriented processes to convergent production and launched new products,” she said.
The search for a successor has already started – the new appointment will be evaluated internally and externally. Until a successor is found, Anja Burri, Thomas Stamm, Daniel Foppa and Christoph Zürcher will take over the leadership of the Sunday title on an interim basis.