In March 2026, ballesterer applied for the first time for government funding for quality journalism. They took the idea that the state should support independent, quality journalism seriously and were confident that the funding was intended for media outlets such as ballesterer. They increased their staff to the required two full-time equivalents. They put time, energy and money into the application. They answered queries, resubmitted forms and wrote supplementary explanations. In mid-July, they found out: They won’t get a single cent. They find the decision neither comprehensible nor in the spirit of the funding scheme. They’re absolutely furious – and so are we!
Because: They produce quality journalism.
So what now?
The ballesterer has great people and quality journalism, but no funding. They don’t have any millionaires or big-budget adverts either. But: they have you, their readers. And they hope you’re just as furious as they are.
Support them.
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You can find all further background information here!
The ballesterer issue #209 focuses on Zurich, the city of football. It also features an interview by our colleague Markus Pinter with author Tobias Escher about his latest book, “The Future of Football: How AI and Big Data Are Changing the Game.”
