Fa s h i o n T ec h
WHAT’S THE STORY
“The issue of consumption at all costs is already being called into question. I can sense a new attitude among young people.” Anita Tillmann, Managing Director of Premium Group
Anita Tillmann: I think it’s great that there’s another youth movement actively engaging in socio-political debates. Dorothee Bär: Interestingly enough, the parents also think it’s great. All youth movements of the past represented a clear demarcation from the older generations. Today’s parents drive their children to a climate protection demonstration in a SUV and share photos on Facebook. Anita Tillmann: Fashion illustrates how difficult it now is to differentiate yourself from your parents. Parents and children wear very similar looks throughout the world. The question is how young people will distinguish themselves in the future. The issue of consumption at all costs is already being called into question. I can sense a new attitude among young people. I love it. Despite all the media instrumentalization, I advocate taking this youth movement very seriously. They seem to understand that they are part of society, even if they aren’t really in touch with politics. Dorothee Bär: Is that so? I’m more convinced of the opposite. When I joined the German parliament 17 years ago, citizens rarely had a chance to address a politician, mainly because there was always an imposed antechamber of sorts. Today’s social networks allow direct communication with politicians. Incidentally, I don’t draw a line between political and socio-political issues. Ultimately, digitisation has rapidly accelerated the process of merging politics, social policy, and economic policy. Anita Tillmann: True. It has become much more approachable. One experiences politics more directly. Inga Griese: Donald Trump on Twitter is the best example. Twitter quotes have become very influential in political journalism. Dorothee Bär: Today, journalists publish screenshots of Instagram stories. It’s quite unbelievable really… Inga Griese: We could discuss the role of the media for five hours. We should at least take five minutes to discuss just that, because it’s a very important issue. The fashion industry is massively affected by digitisation. The same rings true for the
media industry, where digitisation is indeed still completely uncharted territory. It still needs to learn how to implement omni-channel strategies successfully. Inga Griese: It’s wrong to believe that a serious online presence is financed solely by the number of clicks. That’s not how quality journalism works. We journalists tend to tell others how to behave. When we were affected by disruption, however, we ourselves contributed to the disaster by weakening the print media without any need to do so. Instead of responding cautiously, facing the competition, and not postulating online or print, we expected politicians to protect us with laws. We journalists didn’t take a bold approach to this topic, which is why I wrangle with our industry at times. What a delusion it was to offer digital content for free. What a tough battle it was to implement pay-walls. Journalism costs money. I also don’t understand the cultural battles that are still taking place today. They suggest that the print media creators are the smart ones, not their digital counterparts. Where does this arrogance stem from? Perhaps from the breathlessness that seems to have befallen journalism and its inherent superficiality? Inga Griese: Yes, it may be because you now need to deliver 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Writing a piece in peace and quiet on the basis of reliable facts has become a rarity, because the workload isn’t appreciated, i.e. remunerated accordingly. Instead, the main issues online are the speed with which a message is delivered and attention-grabbing images. The consequence is that a recent survey among elite students in New York has shown that the participants believe stringing together five sentences constitutes a complete article. style in progress
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