The Cut One (Swiss Press Text 2012, by Victor Lindblom) - Swiss Press Award

Bieler Tagblatt

Victor Lindblom

Alain Pichard is a Biel politician and columnist, sometimes called "Switzerland's most famous teacher." I often worked with him as a journalist in the regional section of the "Bieler Tagblatt." He provided suggestions for articles and spoke frankly when he believed there were grievances. At times, however, I asked myself: What is a character here? And what is a human being? The research for this text stretched over about three months. Never before has Alain Pichard exposed himself so much. Never has anyone been so close. The subject of the portrait was ultimately shocked by this – but admitted: "Yeah, yeah, that's me." His positions were already familiar. But not the inflections that run like a thread through his biography. (The text is also my final thesis for my diploma program at the MAZ School of Journalism.)