List of newspapers in Switzerland


The number of newspapers in Switzerland was 406 before World War I. It reduced to 257 in 1995 and 197 in 2010. Prior to the 18th century, the Swiss press market was small, being limited to the elites who were literate, though development varied by region and language. The authorities of the Cantons of Switzerland also censored the press, which mostly prevented newspapers from reporting many aspects of local and confederal news. Due to the influence of the Enlightenment this began to change in the 1730s. The Helvetic Republic proclaimed national freedom of the press, but soon after censorship by the government increased again. The Tagsatzung made efforts to unify cantonal censorship practices through several decrees relating to the press and foreigners, which renewed efforts to get freedom of the press. This was achieved during the restoration period, after which a politically active press became present in all the linguistic regions of the country. Most papers then served to politically propagandize, even when operating as a loss. Press later became commercial, first in Francophone Switzerland in the 1870s, followed by German-speaking Switzerland in the 1890s; Italian-speaking Switzerland only did the same towards the end of the 20th century.
Switzerland has a high rate of newspaper reading, even with the creation of electronic media. The Francophone press market was, for several generations, dominated by Edipresse and Ringier, but new competition arrived in the 21st century. Edipresse's Swiss operations were in 2009 bought out by Tamedia. The country was ranked 9th in the yearly Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders in 2024.

Current

German language

The leading German-language papers in Switzerland are the Blick, Tages-Anzeiger, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and Basler Zeitung.
NameEstablishedOwnerCityCantonOccurrence
20 Minuten1999TX GroupDaily
Baslerstab1977Basler Zeitung MedienBaselBasel-StadtDaily
Aargauer Zeitung1996AZ Medien GruppeAarauCanton of AargauDaily
'1828CH MediaAppenzell Ausserrhoden/Appenzell InnerrhodenDaily
Basellandschaftliche Zeitung 1832LuedinLiestalBasel-LandschaftDaily
Basler Zeitung 1977Basler Zeitung MedienBaselBasel-StadtDaily
Berner Zeitung1979Espace Media Groupe/TX GroupBernCanton of BernDaily
Bieler Tagblatt1850Gassmann AGBiel/BienneCanton of BernDaily
Blick1959RingierZurichCanton of ZurichDaily
Bote der Urschweiz1858Triner familySchwyzCanton of SchwyzDaily
Bote vom Untersee und Rhein1900Keller familySteckbornCanton of ThurgauTwice weekly
Der Bund1850TX GroupBernCanton of BernDaily
/ Posta Ladina1894Gammeter Media AGCanton of the Grisons
'1928TX GroupZurichCanton of ZurichWeekly
'1904Freiburger Nachrichten AGFribourgCanton of FribourgDaily
Handelszeitung1861Axel Springer SEZurichCanton of ZurichWeekly
Der Landbote1836Ziegler Druck und Verlags AGWinterthurCanton of ZurichDaily
Limmattaler Zeitung1972AZ MedienDietikonCanton of ZurichDaily
Luzerner Zeitung1996CH MediaLucerneCanton of LucerneDaily
Neue Zürcher Zeitung1780NZZ MediengruppeZurichCanton of ZurichDaily
Neue Liewo1993Liechtensteiner VaterlandWerdenbergCanton of St. GallenWeekly
Nidwaldner Zeitung1866CH MediaCanton of NidwaldenDaily
'1983Canton of the Grisons
Obersee Nachrichten1981Zürcher Regionalzeitungen AGRapperswilCanton of St. GallenWeekly
'2009TX GroupWeekly
St. Galler Tagblatt1839St. Galler Tagblatt AGSt. GallenCanton of St. GallenDaily
Solothurner Zeitung1878AZ MedienCanton of SolothurnThrice weekly
Die Südostschweiz1997SomediaChurCanton of the GrisonsDaily
'1730TX GroupZurichCanton of ZurichWeekly
Tages-Anzeiger1893TX GroupZurichCanton of ZurichDaily
TagesWoche2011Neue Medien Basel AGBaselBasel-StadtWeekly/Online
Tessiner Zeitung1908Rezzonico Editore SALocarnoCanton of TicinoWeekly
Thurgauer Zeitung1798Thurgauer Medien AGSt. GallenCanton of St. GallenDaily
Walliser Bote1840Mengis Druck & VerlagBrigCanton of ValaisDaily
Watson2014CH MediaN/AN/AOnline
WOZ Die Wochenzeitung1981Genossenschaft infolinkZurichCanton of ZurichWeekly
1991CH MediaZugCanton of Zug
Zürcher Oberländer1852Zürcher Oberland Medien AGWetzikonCanton of ZurichDaily
Zürcher Unterländer1852TA Medien AGBülachCanton of ZurichDaily
Zürichsee-Zeitung1845Zürcher Regionalzeitungen AGStäfaCanton of ZurichDaily

French language

The leading Francophone papers in Switzerland are the 24 heures, Tribune de Genève, La Liberté, and Le Temps. Prior to 1830, the press was limited, largely due to government censorship which made covering political topics difficult. There were a few political newspapers, but they usually had short lifespans, in addition to some opinion papers. Due to the increased freedoms in the post 1830 period, the amount of newspapers dramatically increased. From 1870 to 1910, there was also a large increase in local Francophone papers, whereas before there were largely only papers for cantonal capitals and cities. There was also a cantonal press, with more professional journalism and with a larger format. Many such papers were expressly political and partisan; in contrast there was a more neutral press, like the Tribune de Genève, L'Impartial, and ', which were successful.
In this period the only papers with multiple canton circulation were the Tribune de Genève, Journal de Genève, and the Gazette de Lausanne. Toward the end of the 19th century, the Francophone press became increasingly commercialized, which resulted in tension between the cantonal and local news, and several journalist associations were created at the turn of the century. From 1910 to the mid-1950s there was a steady number of papers, with about 110. During the 1970s there was a decline in titles, with mergers and closers, resulting in part from changes in advertising. The company Lousonna, later Edipresse, became increasingly dominant and would later own a large portion of the industry. It competed with Tamedia, which acquired its Swiss operations in 2009.
NameEstablishedOwnerCityCantonOccurrence
20 minutes2006TX GroupDaily
24 heures1762TX GroupLausanneCanton of VaudDaily
L'Ajoie2014L'Ajoie Editions SAPorrentruyCanton of JuraWeekly
ArcInfo2018ESH MédiasNeuchâtelCanton of NeuchâtelDaily
Les Afriques2007Les Afriques Editions et Communication SAGenevaCanton of GenevaWeekly
'1950Agefi Groupe SAÉchandensCanton of VaudTwice weekly
Blick1959RingierZurichCanton of ZurichDaily
La Côte1987ESH MédiasNyonCanton of VaudDaily
'1861MartignyCanton of ValaisWeekly
Le Courrier1868Nouvelle association du CourrierGenevaCanton of GenevaDaily
'1933Fédération des Entreprises Romandes GenèveGenevaCanton of GenevaBimonthly
La Gruyère1882St. Paul SAFribourgCanton of FribourgThrice weekly
Le MessagerSt. Paul SAChâtel-Saint-DenisCanton of Fribourg
Broye Hebdo">Broye District">Broye Hebdo1999St. Paul SABroye; VullyCanton of Fribourg; Canton of VaudWeekly
Journal du Jura1871Gassmann AGBiel/BienneCanton of BernDaily
1931SierreCanton of ValaisTwice monthly
Journal du Pays-d'Enhaut1989Château-d'ŒxCanton of Vaud
La Liberté1871St. Paul SAFribourgCanton of FribourgDaily
Le Matin1893EdipresseLausanneCanton of VaudDaily
Le Nouvelliste1903Éditions Le NouvellisteSionCanton of ValaisDaily
Nouvelle revue1868LausanneCanton of VaudMonthly
Le Quotidien Jurassien1993DelémontCanton of JuraDaily
La Région
Le Temps1998Fondation AventinusGenevaCanton of GenevaDaily
Tribune de Genève1879TX GroupGenevaCanton of GenevaDaily
Watson2014CH MediaN/AN/AOnline

Italian language

Journalism in Ticino declined during the period of Napoleon's rule, due to French influence and suppression. Following the restoration there was a resurgence.
NameEstablishedOwnerCityCantonOccurrence
L'Avvenire dei Lavoratori1897ZurichCanton of ZurichQuarterly
Corriere del Ticino1891Fondazione per il Corriere del TicinoMuzzanoCanton of TicinoDaily
Giornale del Popolo1926Nuova Società Editrice del Giornale del Popolo SALuganoCanton of TicinoDaily
Il Grigione Italiano1852PoschiavoCanton of the GrisonsWeekly
LaNotiziaS. PublishingBaselBasel-StadtDaily
laRegione1992Giacomo SalvioniBellinzonaCanton of TicinoDaily
20 Minuti2011TX GroupDaily

Romansh language

press has only existed since the 19th century, with the singular exception of the ' paper, founded in 1700. As the language is divided into five different written forms and the Grisons are divided by Christian denomination, the papers created reflected this linguistic and religious diversity. Papers were regional, mostly weekly or twice weekly and largely had low print runs. In 1997, all Romansh papers besides ' and / Posta Ladina were absorbed into the paper La Quotidiana, the first daily Romansh newspaper.
NameEstablishedOwnerCityCantonOccurrence
1945Canton of the Grisons
La Quotidiana1997SomediaChurCanton of the GrisonsDaily
/ Posta Ladina1894Gammeter Media AGCanton of the Grisons

Other languages

Defunct

German language

French language

Italian language

Romansh language

Other languages