Swiss Broadcasters Face Criticism Over Preference for Local Accents in Presenters

Swiss broadcasters are facing criticism for their preference for presenters who speak Swiss High German with a distinct accent, rather than standard High German. SRF news presenter Anna-Lisa Achtermann recently revealed that she had to learn Swiss High German despite being able to speak standard High German without an accent. Beni Thurnheer, a former sports presenter, has said that presenters who speak standard High German too well are often criticised, sometimes to the point of being asked to hand in their broadcast.

While some, such as Martin Ebel, a literary editor and critic, have called for more linguistic tolerance, others understand the Swiss audience's preference for presenters with Swiss accents. Ebel has suggested that Swiss people may have a need for closeness and a desire to hear their own dialects rather than those from outside their country.

Linguist Triantafyllia Konstantinidou has emphasised the importance of linguistic diversity and suggests that media organisations can contribute by depicting the linguistic diversity of society in its context. SRF spokesperson Nadine Gliesche-Pollmann has said that the broadcaster aims to use a more neutral High German and that journalists are not required to speak stage German according to journalistic guidelines.

Ultimately, SRF's priority is for the form of transmission not to distract from the content, and journalists undergo speech training upon joining, with refresher lessons offered later in their careers. The issue raises questions about the role of language in identity and cultural representation, and the responsibility of broadcasters to balance linguistic diversity with audience preferences.