"You can also take a few photos at the same time." Around 20 years ago, I gave this order to the freelancers of the local newspaper I worked for. It was also common practice among the permanent local journalists to take the pictures themselves. Own photographer? None. Today, the request would probably be: "You can also shoot a video at the same time."
It was probably similar with the story "Gstaad is also very cheap." The writer reports on 20minuten.ch about the upscale resort where you can definitely have a low-budget vacation. The accompanying europe rcs data video is also low-budget. Certainly well-intentioned, but unfortunately not well done. Dramaturgy in the video? None. The report opens with the so-called most compelling shot, i.e. the most important image? None. Interesting close-ups? None. Good voice-over? None. On the contrary: the video report is full of wild panning shots, lots of long shots and, above all, a yawningly boring commentary.
Writing journalists always have to do more than " just" write an article. One minute it was "a few more photos". Later they were also allowed to layout the page themselves. And now they also "quickly" make a video. And
being a video journalist is also a profession. A profession that already consists of several professions. The video journalist is a journalist, director, cameraman, sound engineer and voice-over artist all in one. Sometimes also the make-up artist. And for a few years now, the editor too. Shooting a report in one day and getting it on the air on time that evening is pretty demanding.
But it is just as demanding for a writing journalist to deliver good quality work. Work without errors. No fake news. Producing a video on the side, as cross-media journalism increasingly demands, is only possible with compromises.