The editorial decision to publish critical journalism – or puffball personality pieces

In 2002, when the radical right-wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen made the runoff election for the French presidency, the Basler Zeitung published a two-page spread about his political positions – a critical analysis of the man and his politics. In 2017, when his daughter Marine Le Pen made the runoff election for the French presidency for the first time, the same newspaper, with its new right-wing editor-in-chief Markus Somm, published a two-page spread about her, too – on her cats, her apartment, and her charm. When you read articles about extremist politicians, keep in mind that actual critical analysis is always possible, and it is a conscious editorial decision when it is absent. (Andrew Shields, #111words, 13 January 2025)