During a visit to the University of Liechtenstein and in a subsequent discussion with students at the International Summer Academy for Journalism and Public Relations, Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher emphasized the particular significance of mass media such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television.
For four weeks during August, the students at the Summer Academy – from four different nations – get a taste of journalism as a subject and, at the same time, get to know Liechtenstein as a country in all its diversity. High demands, deadline pressure, and merciless criticism – the young journalists at the University of Liechtenstein work under real-life conditions. In addition to researching, writing and editing, the 12 students obtain current information about the political landscape and society within the Principality of Liechtenstein every day.
High demands and lots of questions
Accordingly, the participants had put together lots of questions for the discussion with Liechtenstein’s Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher. Besides the current developments in Liechtenstein’s political scene and some world politics issues, the students at the International Summer Academy for Journalism and Public Relations also learnt about the private life of a Prime Minister, his plans for the future after politics and the particular challenges for a head of government in the fourth-smallest country in Europe.
Professional training at the university
Prime Minister Klaus Tschütscher was delighted by the great interest shown and the lively discussion: “Journalists need lots of different qualities and qualifications. The discussion about what makes a journalist, what good journalism is and how independent and neutral they should be when reporting, is always a highly topical subject. When the young people work for the media in their home countries later on, they are sure to be able to provide a high-quality form of reporting thanks to their professional training from the International Summer Academy for Journalism and Public Relations.”
Contribution to political education
The government of the Principality of Liechtenstein and the University of Liechtenstein see their involvement in training journalists as a contribution to political education and therefore to democracy, freedom and responsibility.