Interview with Lucas Bennett
Lucas Bennett was editor of our association pages in the SMZ for 14 years. He looks back on this time in conversation with his successor.
Marianne Wälchli - His articles were always very carefully written and well researched, and I am aware that I am now following in very big footsteps.
Dear Lucas, you were SMZ editor for our association for 14 years, for which I would like to thank you on behalf of all SMPV members. Do you also feel a little melancholy when you say goodbye?
Yes, of course! It was a long and exciting time, during which the association also changed a lot. But precisely because it was a long time, I think it's right that someone else is now setting new priorities. However, I will particularly miss the collaboration with the editorial team and the good discussions in the editorial committee meetings.
What was particularly important to you as SMZ editor?
On the one hand, to present the association to members, but at the same time to convey the diversity of the SMPV to outsiders. Then a good linguistic standard was always important to me; in other words, I always tried to edit texts that I didn't write myself with a lot of love.
What has changed in the 14 years?
At the beginning of my time, the SMPV pages were primarily a classic association organ with reports on ZV meetings, PKs and DVs. Today, everything is much more thematically open.
Do you remember one article in particular?
A highlight for me was the interview with Simonetta Sommaruga, who was a member of the Council of States at the time. It was a very exciting encounter with a fascinating personality who took the interview for the comparatively "small newspaper" absolutely seriously at every moment.
Have you often received reactions to your articles?
This article was the most popular, otherwise strong reactions were rare. Topics relating to a CLA for music teachers or working conditions at music schools in general elicited the strongest reactions. And in personal conversations I was able to gather from comments in the margins that the pages were being read. Otherwise there were few reactions.
This is probably also due to the lack of daily updates because of the relatively long production time. How do you compensate for this?
Current topics are posted on the homepage, posted on social media or published in the online edition of SMZ.
How do you rate the importance of the online edition; is it read?
In terms of our association content, this is very much capable of development. The relaunch in January should make it more attractive, which will hopefully also increase the use of the online edition.
Do you have any special advice for me?
Make sure you leave the doors open to the sections and members and invite them to participate, write articles or at least provide ideas. One drop of bitterness in recent years has been that the participation of sections and members has declined noticeably. I hope you will find a way to make the association pages more of a reflection of the diverse activities of the association and its members again.
I will take your advice to heart. Thanks for the interview and all the best for your new projects!
