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The article looks at the Swiss newspaper, the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" (NZZ). Barring a daring switch from its typeface in 1946, the NZZ has changed little since the 1930s, when it was banned in Germany for suggesting that Hermann Göring was responsible for the Reichstag fire. The emphasis is on international news, business, finance and high culture. A Zurich banker who is one of the paper's 1,500 shareholders claims it is second only to the "New York Times." Falling sales (the paper sells just under 160,000 copies, of which 4,000 are in Germany) and fewer advertisements have led to a 65% drop in the NZZ's share price. A recent decision to break up long stories with sub-headings was taken only after years of debate in the NZZ boardroom, says Thomas Maissen, a professor at Heidelberg and author of one of two new books on the paper's history.

Discusses the influence of the magazine 'Der Spiegel,' which was founded and published by Rudolf Augstein in Germany. Death of Augstein; Praise of the investigative reporting and political analysis of the magazine; Topic of freedom of the press in Germany.